Remodel your classic kitchen with a modern twist

This kitchen undergoes a remodel that maintains its classic style but with a modern twist.

It can be a challenge to blend a new aesthetic with the existing style when updating the kitchen of an older home. With this remodel in La Jolla, California, senior interior designer Tatiana Machado-Rosas of Jackson Design and Remodeling needed to modernize functionality while keeping the spirit of the architecture intact. “The homeowner wanted East Coast traditional with a twist,” she says. “She didn’t want a grandma’s kitchen, but wanted it to follow the architecture of the home. The result was sophisticated and elegant with some elements of contemporary.”

“You can’t have a contemporary kitchen when the rest of the house is traditional. It comes down to selecting the right design elements.”

STORAGE SPACE

The house was built in 1939, and the kitchen’s last remodel was in the ’80s, so it was cramped, outdated and didn’t use space to its advantage. “It wasn’t that functional, and the storage wasn’t that convenient,” says Tatiana. “There were things she couldn’t use, because they were tucked in a corner out of reach.”Their plan was to open up the space, make it more functional and add a more modern appearance, while keeping with the home’s overall traditional style. But they had a few challenges to overcome along the way.

OVER THE HILL

The biggest issue in the kitchen was a lack of wall and storage space. “One wall is made up almost entirely of windows, another has doors, and then there’s the opening to the breakfast nook, so there wasn’t a lot of wall space for cabinetry or storage,” says Tatiana. To compensate, they had to get creative with appliance placement and ended up installing appliances on one side of the island and creating a custom pantry flanking the refrigerator for extra storage. What refrigerator? you

The kitchen already had large windows to let in natural light, but everything else in the kitchen was stripped and replaced for better organization and function and a moremodern aesthetic. New oak floors were stained to match the flooring throughoutthe rest of the home.OPPOSITE| The wrought-iron leaded-glass design was “a way to bring the traditional look without being too ornate,” says Tatiana. It adds a traditional flair, and mixes well with the new modern setup. Thebacksplash above the stove achieves the same outcome, bringing a more elaboratedesign and texture into the mix.

A custom cabinet hides the refrigerator, while added cupboards and drawers provide extra storage for food. The unit looks like a chic pantry, concealing what can easily be an eyesore. “We used a navy-blue stain on walnut, but note that the stain will absorb differently on different woods,” says Tatiana.

The new countertops are made of PentalQuartz, which has veining to look like Calacatta marble, but it’s a more cost-effective option that will last. The mini subway tile is made of Carrara marble and offers fresh, understated texture to the mostly white room.