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For a couple who enjoys entertaining, their kitchen needed to be the hub of their home. A reconfi gured layout made that goal a reality.

Homeowners are drawn to the open floor plan in midcentury homes for a number of reasons. For Elsvette Buenaventura and her husband, they wanted that free- flowing space because they like to entertain. When the couple purchased a 1962 Eichler in Northern California three years ago, they knew the kitchen had to be the star attraction. “We wanted to make [ the kitchen] the central hub of the home,” the homeowners say. “We love food and hosting, and our house needed to reflect that. We also wanted the kitchen to be completely open and easily accessible for day- to- day use.”

To achieve this goal, the couple enlisted Pamela Lin- Tam and her team at Urbanism Designs to lead the renovation project. The owner of a modern home herself, Pamela knew how to accentuate the home’s vintage past while also making it completely livable for a 21st- century family.

“We weren’t exactly preservationist, but we didn’t want to drift too far off course from what makes an Eichler,” the homeowners say. “We worked with Pamela to develop a modernized feel, balancing contemporary design and materials with an overall style still reminiscent of traditional Eichler décor.”

RECONFIGURE

The kitchen needed to be relocated and the footprint changed, but its size was kept the same ( since the home is just over 1,600 square feet, making the kitchen larger wasn’t in the cards). Originally set back from the center

of the home and closed off by a partition wall, the kitchen is now open to all of the living spaces. The relocation enabled the homeowners to install new floor- to- ceiling sliding doors, bringing an abundance of natural light into the living space.

“Moving the kitchen also allowed us to convert the family room, formerly isolated from the flow of the rest of the house, into a dining room, which transitions seamlessly from the kitchen,” the homeowners say. “A new set of 17- foot sliding doors, double the original size, creates an open- air dining concept, which is amazing during the summertime.” Not just beautiful and completely fitting to the home’s era, the sliders have multiple benefits for the design.

“With all the natural lighting, we had no need for undercabinet or toe- kick lights that many modern houses have,” the homeowners say. “Furthermore, with so much natural light already coming from these big windows, we were able to do away with a skylight and window on the side of the house, improving the privacy of the home without sacrificing any brightness.”

“We weren’t exactly preservationist, but we didn’t want to drift what makes an Eichler.” too far off course from

APPLIANCES WERE STRATEGICALLY LAID OUT TO MAXIMIZE SPACE AND UTILITY IN THE SMALL KITCHEN. “[ NONE OF THEM] GET IN EACH OTHER’S WAY, AND THERE’S PLENTY OF WALKWAY, THANKS TO PAMELA’S EXPERT HELP LAYING OUT THE KITCHEN FOR A NATURAL FLOW FOR COOKING AND ENTERTAINING,” THE HOMEOWNERS SAY.

MAJOR CONSTRUCTION, INCLUDING THE RELOCATION OF THE KITCHEN, WAS NEEDED TO ACHIEVE THE HOMEOWNERS’ GOAL OF AN OPEN FLOOR PLAN. TWO SUPPORTING POSTS WERE REPLACED WITH A STRUCTURAL BEAM THAT ALIGNS WITH THE ATRIUM, HELPING THE NEW LAYOUT SEEM NATURAL TO THE HOME.