Remodel Opens Up Kitchen – Changes evolved from couple’s passion for cooking, entertaining

By Tatiana Machado-Rosas, Special to the U-T 4:49 P.M.JUNE 14, 2013

Our clients, a professional “empty nest” couple with eclectic tastes, decided it was time to update their kitchen. They wanted to open the space to embrace their natural surroundings and accommodate their love for cooking and entertaining. Our team created a design that creatively expressed our clients’ personal style while adding a much higher level of functionality and more visual unity to the space.

To begin, our team opened up the space to create a layout ideal for cooking and entertaining.

Cabinets on either side of the stove and above the refrigerator are designed with display areas to highlight a rotating collection of pottery designed by the homeowner’s mother. The island contains ample room for storage, including extra-wide drawers for baking supplies. For avid cooks, the built-in cutting board is an exciting addition to our clients’ kitchen design. Conveniently placed next to the island sink, this deceptively simple element of the kitchen actually saves quite a bit of time during meal preparation. The cutting board easily slides out from its niche to make carrying prepped items to other areas of the kitchen (and cleaning the board) simple and efficient. The granite was custom cut to accommodate the cutting board.

Appliances and storage throughout the kitchen are subtly hidden behind the cabinetry for a clean, streamlined appearance. The peninsula seating is now more comfortable and engaging, placed closer to the windows and breakfast table. A more efficient work triangle and an extra sink make sharing the kitchen a simple joy for the clients, who both love to cook.

The view from a seat at the peninsula, from the door to the dining area, makes evident the appealing flow of the kitchen. The room now inspires the homeowners to enjoy cooking and baking and to welcome guests into their home with pleasure and ease.

Tatiana Machado-Rosas is a designer at Jackson Design & Remodeling. She can be reached at (619) 442-6125, [email protected] www.JacksonDesignandRemodeling.com