The owners of a charming home in the hills west of Paso Robles recently decided to remodel their not-so-charming kitchen. Referred to San Luis Kitchen by several of their friends, the homeowners visited our showroom and soon decided we were the best people to design a kitchen fitting the style of their home. We were delighted to get to work on the project right away. When we arrived at the house, we found a small, cramped and out-dated kitchen. The ceiling was low, the cabinets old fashioned and painted a stark dead white, and the best view in the house was neglected in a seldom-used breakfast nook (sequestered behind the kitchen peninsula). This kitchen was also handicapped by white tile counters with dark grout, odd-sized and cluttered cabinets, and small ‘desk’ tacked on to the side of the oven cabinet. Due to a marked lack of counter space & inadequate storage the homeowner had resorted to keeping her small appliances on a little cart parked in the corner and the garbage was just sitting by the wall in full view of everything! On the plus side, the kitchen opened into a nice dining room and had beautiful saltillo tile floors. Mrs. Homeowner loves to entertain and often hosts dinner parties for her friends. She enjoys visiting with her guests in the kitchen while putting the finishing touches on the evening’s meal. Sadly, her small kitchen really limited her interactions with her guests – she often felt left out of the mix at her own parties! This savvy homeowner dreamed big – a new kitchen that would accommodate multiple workstations, have space for guests to gather but not be in the way, and maybe a prettier transition from the kitchen to the dining (wine service area or hutch?) – while managing the remodel budget by reusing some of her major appliances and keeping (patching as needed) her existing floors. Responding to the homeowner’s stated wish list and the opportunities presented by the home's setting and existing architecture, the designers at San Luis Kitchen decided to expand the kitchen into the breakfast nook. This change allowed the work area to be reoriented to take advantage of the great view – we replaced the existing window and added another while moving the door to gain space. A second sink and set of refrigerator drawers (housing fresh fruits & veggies) were included for the convenience of this mainly vegetarian cook – her prep station. The clean-up area now boasts a farmhouse style single bowl sink – adding to the ‘cottage’ charm. We located a new gas cook-top between the two workstations for easy access from each. Also tucked in here is a pullout trash/recycle cabinet for convenience and additional drawers for storage. Running parallel to the work counter we added a long butcher-block island with easy-to-access open shelves for the avid cook and seating for friendly guests placed just right to take in the view. A counter-top garage is used to hide excess small appliances. Glass door cabinets and open shelves are now available to display the owners beautiful dishware. The microwave was placed inconspicuously on the end of the island facing the refrigerator – easy access for guests (and extraneous family members) to help themselves to drinks and snacks while staying out of the cook’s way. We also moved the pantry storage away from the dining room (putting it on the far wall and closer to the work triangle) and added a furniture-like hutch in its place allowing the more formal dining area to flow seamlessly into the up-beat work area of the kitchen. This space is now also home (opposite wall) to an under counter wine refrigerator, a liquor cabinet and pretty glass door wall cabinet for stemware storage – meeting Mr. Homeowner’s desire for a bar service area. And then the aesthetic: an old-world style country cottage theme. The homeowners wanted the kitchen to have a warm feel while still loving the look of white cabinetry. San Luis Kitchen melded country-casual knotty pine base cabinets with vintage hand-brushed creamy white wall cabinets to create the desired cottage look. We also added bead board and mullioned glass doors for charm, used an inset doorstyle on the cabinets for authenticity, and mixed stone and wood counters to create an eclectic nuance in the space. All in all, the happy homeowners now boast a charming county cottage kitchen with plenty of space for entertaining their guests while creating gourmet meals to feed them. Credits: Custom cabinetry by Wood-Mode Fine Custom Cabinetry Contracting by Michael Pezzato of Lost Coast Construction Stone counters by Pyramid M.T.M.

Walls with thick plaster arches and simple tile designs feel very natural and earthy in the warm Southern California sun. Terra cotta floor tiles are stained to mimic very old tile inside and outside in the Spanish courtyard shaded by a 'new' old olive tree. The outdoor plaster and brick fireplace has touches of antique Indian and Moroccan items. An outdoor garden shower graces the exterior of the master bath with freestanding white tub- while taking advantage of the warm Ojai summers. The open kitchen design includes all natural stone counters of white marble, a large range with a plaster range hood and custom hand painted tile on the back splash. Wood burning fireplaces with iron doors, great rooms with hand scraped wide walnut planks in this delightful stay cool home. Stained wood beams, trusses and planked ceilings along with custom creative wood doors with Spanish and Indian accents throughout this home gives a distinctive California Exotic feel. Project Location: Ojai designed by Maraya Interior Design. From their beautiful resort town of Ojai, they serve clients in Montecito, Hope Ranch, Malibu, Westlake and Calabasas, across the tri-county areas of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles, south to Hidden Hills- north through Solvang and more.Spanish Revival home in Ojai.

A Big Chill Retro refrigerator and dishwasher in mint green add cool color to the space.
Small country l-shaped kitchen in Miami with a farmhouse sink, open cabinets, medium wood cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, coloured appliances, terra-cotta floors, with island and orange floor.

Design ideas for a small eclectic u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Cornwall with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, yellow cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, terra-cotta floors, no island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Midcentury modern kitchen with white kitchen cabinets, solid surface countertops, and tile backsplash. Open shelving is used throughout. The wet bar design includes teal grasscloth. The floors are the original 1950's Saltillo tile. A flush mount vent hood has been used to not obstruct the view.

Emily Redfield; EMR Photography
Country kitchen in Denver with a farmhouse sink, white splashback, terra-cotta floors, open cabinets and dark wood cabinets.

Tournant le dos à la terrasse malgré la porte-fenêtre qui y menait, l’agencement de la cuisine de ce bel appartement marseillais ne convenait plus aux propriétaires. La porte-fenêtre a été déplacée de façon à se retrouver au centre de la façade. Une fenêtre simple l’a remplacée, ce qui a permis d’installer l’évier devant et de profiter ainsi de la vue sur la terrasse.. Dissimulés derrière un habillage en plaqué chêne, le frigo et les rangements ont été rassemblés sur le mur opposé. C’est le contraste entre le papier peint à motifs et la brillance des zelliges qui apporte couleurs et fantaisie à cette cuisine devenue bien plus fonctionnelle pour une grande famille !. Photos © Lisa Martens Carillo

Painting this kitchen's cabinets in Sherwin Williams "Alabaster" (for the range wall cabinets) and Benjamin Moore "Iron One" (for the fridge wall and island) completely transformed this space.

Contractor: JS Johnson & Associates Photography: Scott Amundson
Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional galley kitchen pantry in Minneapolis with a farmhouse sink, green cabinets, wood benchtops, terra-cotta floors, brown floor and white benchtop.

Modern rustic kitchen design featuring a custom metal bar cabinet with open shelving.
Photo of a large country u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, solid surface benchtops, grey splashback, terra-cotta splashback, stainless steel appliances, terra-cotta floors, with island, orange floor, white benchtop and wood.

Inspiration for a midcentury kitchen in Portland with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, marble splashback, terra-cotta floors, with island, black floor and vaulted.

Photo of a large kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, terra-cotta floors, with island, orange floor and white benchtop.

This is an example of a small contemporary galley separate kitchen in Paris with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, grey splashback, black appliances, terra-cotta floors, no island, orange floor and grey benchtop.

Midcentury modern kitchen with white kitchen cabinets, solid surface countertops, and tile backsplash. Open shelving is used throughout. The wet bar design includes teal grasscloth. The floors are the original 1950's Saltillo tile. A flush mount vent hood has been used to not obstruct the view.

This is an example of a mid-sized l-shaped separate kitchen in New York with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, metallic splashback, metal splashback, stainless steel appliances, terra-cotta floors, no island, black floor and black benchtop.

The expanded counter space made way for a beautiful double-basin enameled cast iron sink. Photo By Alex Staniloff
Design ideas for a small transitional galley kitchen in New York with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, terra-cotta floors, white benchtop, a peninsula and multi-coloured floor.

Mediterranean galley kitchen in Los Angeles with a drop-in sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, tile benchtops, beige splashback, terra-cotta floors, brown floor and beige benchtop.

Design ideas for a midcentury u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, stainless steel appliances, terra-cotta floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Inspiration for a mediterranean u-shaped separate kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, brown splashback, white appliances, terra-cotta floors, no island, brown floor and brown benchtop.