The owners of this Lake Forest home had a young family, and they wanted a home that could more easily accommodate both their sense of style and a familial atmosphere.
Before
The living room had levels of sunken flooring, which was a safety hazard for their young children. A wall also separated the kitchen from the living room, making it so that whoever was cooking couldn’t still interact with or keep an eye on the children. The kitchen didn’t offer much storage or working space. In the bathrooms, dated motifs characterized the overall look.
Restructuring
To maximize the feel of spaciousness and give a line of sight to the dining area and living room, we knocked out the separating wall in the kitchen and placed in a large corner support beam. A large window formerly took up a great deal of wall space next to the sliding door. Our team patched in the old window, prepping a solid wall that cabinets and counters could be built against.
Pacific Treasures Pebble Beach maple flooring replaced the old tile, giving a slightly rustic influence to the new design.
We abandoned the old wall-hugging layout, instead installing new cabinetry to create a G-shaped kitchen. The clients chose Euro Face & Frame style custom cabinets in maple with Shaker doors. A deep Elegant Brown finish and stainless steel bar handles on all the drawers and doors established a sleek yet warm contemporary aesthetic. In some of the cabinet doors, glass panes were inlaid so that dishes could be easily seen. On the dining-room side of the support beam, the glass paneled doors put the owner’s fine china collection on display.
A stout island with storage was placed in the center of the kitchen to add workspace. It and the rest of the surfaces were fixed with Pental Quartz countertops in a pale Canyon Polished finish and 1 ½” Single Beveled edge. On the back wall, a Unicorn tile backsplash adds extra texture to the kitchen’s look.
Appliances
All new appliances chosen for the kitchen feature a stainless steel finish. A Sub-Zero Built-In Over-and-Under with French Door Refrigerator was placed amid the cabinets against the wall where the old window formerly was. To the right, a KOHLER Stages Undercounter Stainless Steel 33” Single Bowl Kitchen Sink faces a bright backyard window. The AJ Madison Dishwasher sits between the sink and the new Wolf 36” Gas Cooktop, which is topped by a Wolf 36” Cooktop Wall Ventilation Hood. Set within the corner support beam is a Wolf L Series 30” Built-In Single Oven and Microwave.
Living Room
We raised sunken flooring and replaced the old tile with the same maple flooring found in the kitchen. All of the drywall was patched up to ensure clean borders. We also installed a wall mount for the owner’s large flat-screen TV.
Fireplace
We covered the old brick fireplace construction with drywall and created a more modern looking mantel out of sleek gray tiles and a thick wooden shelf. Since the fireplace is located in the family room, the mantel shelf serves as a great new spot to display favorite toys.
Bathrooms
The bathrooms were outfitted to have the same cabinetry and countertops as the kitchen. Large seamless mirrors were placed in, as well as updated light fixtures. In the master bathroom, we built a new shower enclosure with glass walls and a tile backsplash. It also features a multi-shelf built-in soap niche.
Are you looking to transform your home as dramatically as this Lake Forest Orange County residence? Get in touch with APlus today to recruit a team of professional home remodeling contractors.
