A Fullerton household was oppressed by dated oak wood installations and other design motifs that had long since gone out of style. APlus was called in to brighten up the entire home through a modern renovation.
Before
When the family moved into this house, they were met with rooms full of old oak. The kitchen cabinets, hallway storage, staircase, bookshelves, and bathroom drawers – all of it was made out of this severely dated wood. There was also far too little light, both in color and illumination, throughout the home. This left most rooms feeling gloomy. We immediately set to work on overhauling this dwelling’s design with a transitional style so that it could become a vibrant, pleasant place to live.
Restructuring
Our first task was settling on a color theme that could work for the entire house. With some advice from our expert interior designers, the homeowners chose a black, white, and gray palette that would instantly upgrade the look from drab to chic.
Because of the openness it provided, the owners wanted to keep the original layout of the L-shaped kitchen, which included a large square island in the center. We completely rebuilt the cabinets, eliminating the formerly wasted space above by extending them to the ceiling. The border was given a polished finish with crown moulding. The cabinets were built in a Euro style out of antique white maple, with Victorian doors and domestic maple plywood interiors.
Posts were affixed to the outer sides of the black island to provide legroom for seats. Some of the cabinets were set with glass panels to show off the owners’ collection of fine dinnerware. At the corner, a fold-out cabinet door conceals deep, wide shelves augmented with lazy suzans. Next to the stove are spice pull-outs and narrow racks that store all cooking supplies within easy reach. Beneath the upper cabinets we installed lighting to ensure that the kitchen didn’t have any of the dreariness of the original design.All countertops are a smooth, pristine white, infusing a modern influence into the space.
We lowered the seat section in front of the window to make the nook feel even cozier. The two large drawers at its base give extra storage options.
Appliances
Our clients chose to go with a suite of appliances from Thermador, one of the premier industry brands. APanel Ready 24” Dishwasher was disguised to blend in with the cabinetry, minimizing the disruption of the kitchen’s new design. To the left of the 18” Built In Freezer Column combined with a 30” Built In Fresh Food Column is a 30” Professional Series Double Oven, set into the cabinets. On the adjacent side of the kitchen is a 48” Professional Series Rangetop, above which can be found a 54” Professional Custom Insert ventilator. The island features a large double-bowl undermount sink in a sleek black finish.
Bathrooms
The bathrooms were transformed from mediocre to sophisticated. In the smaller bathroom, chic gray cabinetry was mounted by marbled white countertops and a vanity sink with glistening silver fixtures. Another large bathroom now flaunts the same look. In the master bathroom, white cabinetry with the same fixtures and countertops contrasts with the new black walls. The arched alcove containing the recessed spa tub is faced with elegant full-height marble tiles. We also built additional shelving and cabinetry in this bathroom for extra storage.
Hallway
The main hall was lined with large oak cabinets that spanned from the floor to the ceiling. Since they didn’t blend in with the surrounding walls, the wood cabinets made the space look narrower. We gave it a neater, more spacious look by installing white cabinets and drawers.
Living Room
One of the most dramatic changes took place in the living room. Cluttered and bereft of style, the TV had to be mounted off to the side thanks to the awkward placement of the fireplace. We extended the dark hardwood floors of the kitchen into here, and did a total rebuild of the fireplace and entertainment center, combining them into a single graceful structure that’s easy on the eyes.
Closets
As is typical in older houses, the original closets only had a few wood rods for hanging clothes, nothing more. We made a custom closet construction, complete with many layers of shelves, drawers, and hanging racks, in a beautiful espresso brown hue.
Would you like to renovate your Orange County home? Whether you live in Fullerton or any of the other region’s neighborhoods, we can help! Contact our professional contracting team today.
