1990s

Endo Residence
Kitchen Remodel & Family Room Addition
1999 | Clairemont Mesa

This project was a major remodel and room addition in which we removed a 26 foot long section of the back of the home to add 12 feet of space to the family room and a breakfast area. Wanting the kitchen open to this addition created one limitation for the kitchen: there was very little wall space to put wall cabinets over work counters. Our solution was to have as many tall pantry cabinets as possible in the center section on either side of the refrigerator, so that storage was only one step away from a counter.

Nakamura Residence
Angled Wall Transforms Corridor Kitchen
1998 | Clairemont Mesa

This project started out like many, with existing narrow corridor kitchens (see before photo at the end of this gallery). The client insisted they needed to do a kitchen room addition to create a larger more functional room that fit their needs. After listening to their thoughts and needs, I walked around the adjoining rooms to see how space was used in those areas. What I found was that this home, like most other tract homes, had an enormous amount of poorly used space, particularly in their large L-shaped living room and areas of transition between one room and another. One leg of the L was spaced so poorly its use was limited to what I called a very wide hallway. The solution I suggested saved this client $15,000 or more by simply rotating that kitchen/living room wall at an angle to give the kitchen the needed floor and wall space to meet the clients needs rather than their original room addition request. Rotating the wall helped both the kitchen and living room become more functional and usable spaces.

Goodwin Residence
Office & Sun Room With a View
1998 | University City

This was the second of 4 major remodels we did for this work-at-home client. They had already converted their family room just off the kitchen (our first project) into an office with three desks, but in doing so lost their family room, which was not optimized for use as an office. So the core focus of this project was to add on enough new space for a smaller family room, which they envisioned to be as much glass as possible to maximize natural light and view, and tie it in to the existing patio.

Goodwin Residence (SFR)
South American Influenced Country Kitchen
1998 | University City

This was the first of 4 significant remodels we did for this work-at-home client. He is a consultant that travels the world for his profession, and this kitchen and adjoining rooms project reflects a strong South American influence that reflects their style tastes. It has the classic white cabinets and bluish counters of a Country French kitchen, with the South American influence of stained and finished Mexican paver floors throughout the remodeled area.

Austerlitz Residence
Kitchen Remodel
1996 | La Mesa, CA

If you compare the pictures of this kitchen with the same kitchen we did for this client in 1980 you will see striking similarities in the basic functional layout - the colors, textures, materials, and accent details have changed dramatically in this updated version of this kitchen. The client felt this renovated kitchen is the one they would have built back in 1981 if their budget then would have allowed it. The fact that the client was insistent on not changing anything in the layout from the original kitchen design is a testament to how well the original solution fit this client's needs and maximized the utility of the space in which this kitchen resides.

Whalen Residence
Kitchen Remodel and 2 Story Addition
1994 | Del Mar, CA

Much like their friend and neighbors the Goodwins, this two story addition doubled the size of an upstairs bedroom and turned a small breakfast area off the kitchen into a larger dining area while also creating a bigger kitchen.

Turchin Residence
Timeless White Green Cherry Kitchen
1994 | Fletcher Hills

This clients main objective was to increase the functionality of the kitchen area as a whole and make it the focal point of activity for their young family while also creating a better physical and visual connection between the kitchen, family room, and patio/ pool area. The original kitchen had a U-shape at the windows with wall cabinets separating the kitchen from family room and a straight run of cabinets where the prep sink and ovens are now. That plan was relatively functional, but the breakfast seating area was in a straight line facing the kitchen and could barely seat 3. Those straight-line eating bars do not lend themselves well to communication and interaction, as you do not face anyone sitting there with you. The kitchen was big enough to add an island and also attach a full table that comfortably seats 5, all facing one another.

Mayer Residence
Master Bath Remodel, Study/Guest Remodel
1993 | Del Mar, CA

Two years after completing a kitchen remodel for this client, we were called in to do a major master bath remodel using our "Functional Bathroom Design" concept to make better use out of the existing floor space. We were also asked to turn a spare room info a multi function Study and Guest room.

Goodwin Residence
Wine Room Addition
1993 | Del Mar, CA

This client began collecting wines after we completed a major kitchen remodel and addition that included a small wine cooler installed in the island of the kitchen.

Stratton Residence
Kitchen and Bath Remodel & Addition
1992 | La Jolla, CA

This Mount La Jolla condo got a new larger kitchen by adding 3 feet in depth by moving the sink wall out under an existing second floor projection. A new door less shower was added to and upstairs bath.

Nugent Residence
Kitchen Remodel
1991 | La Mesa, CA

This small old La Mesa kitchen originally had walls on all 4 sides isolating it from the adjoining dining room and family room. One and one half of those walls were removed to open the kitchen. The resulting big room made all the areas feel and function bigger while simply reorganizing the existing space. Attention to architectural details insured that this kitchen remodel looked like it was a well designed part of the original home, both inside and out.

Mayer Residence
Kitchen Remodel
1991 | Del Mar, CA

While doing this major kitchen remodel our biggest challenge was to figure out how to turn the original U-shaped kitchen into an island kitchen without changing the gray floor tile that covered the kitchen and all adjoining halls and rooms.

Hickey Residence
Major Kitchen Remodel
1991 | Rancho Santa Fe, CA

This client loved the English Styled look of Limed Oak, Frieze Details, and Beaded Inset Doors made popular at the time in advertising by "Smallbone" an English manufacturer trying to penetrate the US market. When I gave this client our price for copying the look and style of this cabinet and all the alterations and construction work this client would not let me leave his home until we signed and agreement. He later admitted he was afraid I had made a mistake and would come back later with a higher price since our price for the entire job was less than the price he had been quoted by "Smallbone" for just the cabinetry. When the job was over our client realized they not only got a better value but also a more well constructed cabinet and a more personalized end product by buying locally from us.

Beers Residence
Kitchen Remodel
1990 | (University City) San Diego, CA

This room originally had a very small cramped U-shape kitchen with a breakfast table for 4 in front of the sliding glass doors that blocked access in and out of the door. While going thru the design process I noticed the wife seemed very uncomfortable. Finally, on the visit in which we seemed to agree on the final plan, I asked her if she was OK with everything we were planning. She looked at me and asked, "Are you sure you have not mis measured our room?" She went on, "I can not believe everything we are planning will fit in to this small room."

I measured everything correctly and this kitchen fit the space perfectly, giving the clients family many enjoyable hours of function and entertainment.

Von Herzen Residence
Kitchen Remodel, Greenhouse Addition, & Deck
1990 | La Mesa, CA

This Mount Helix home was a perfect setting for a green house addition facing the view. Why? Greenhouse additions have one draw back - they trap the heat from direct sunlight. That makes a lot of sense in a cool or cold climate. So what is the purpose of building a sun room in warm southern California where you have to cover all the glass with shades to keep from burning up most of the year? That is a good question - unless your home is surrounded by large shade trees and your views are under the plumage of these tress, as was the case for this client.