Before and After: Kitchen and Dining Room Become One Serene Space
“After” photos by Kyle Ortiz
Kitchen and Dining Room at a Glance
Who lives here: A family with four boys uses this as its vacation home
Location: Lake Forest, California
Size: 225 square feet (21 square meters)
Designer: Anna Shiwlall of 27 Diamonds Interior Design
The owners of this home in Orange County, California, live in Arizona and were fortunate enough to become owners of this place when it was passed down through their family. They enjoy coming here often for vacations to the beach. The homeowners gave designer Anna Shiwlall of 27 Diamonds Interior Design wide berth to remodel the old kitchen and dining area. “They just said ‘Make it nice,’” Shiwlall says.
Kitchen and Dining Room at a Glance
Who lives here: A family with four boys uses this as its vacation home
Location: Lake Forest, California
Size: 225 square feet (21 square meters)
Designer: Anna Shiwlall of 27 Diamonds Interior Design
The owners of this home in Orange County, California, live in Arizona and were fortunate enough to become owners of this place when it was passed down through their family. They enjoy coming here often for vacations to the beach. The homeowners gave designer Anna Shiwlall of 27 Diamonds Interior Design wide berth to remodel the old kitchen and dining area. “They just said ‘Make it nice,’” Shiwlall says.
Before Photo
Before: Prior to the renovation the kitchen and dining area were separated by a wall covered on the dining room side in floor-to-ceiling mirror, as shown here. The ceilings in both the dining room and kitchen were 8 feet high.
Before Photo
Before: The kitchen was too crowded for the family of six, especially since the family members often host friends. “It wasn’t very functional,” Shiwlall says. “So we opened everything up.”
After: The renovation involved removing the wall between the kitchen and the dining area and raising the dining area ceiling. The new open space allows in much more light and has a better flow.
To use the space most efficiently, Shiwlall designed a kitchen island that extends to form a dining table that seats eight people.
Notice that on the back wall the refrigerator is on the left and the range is in the middle of the cabinet row.
Find a pro to help you remodel your home
To use the space most efficiently, Shiwlall designed a kitchen island that extends to form a dining table that seats eight people.
Notice that on the back wall the refrigerator is on the left and the range is in the middle of the cabinet row.
Find a pro to help you remodel your home
Shiwlall moved the kitchen sink to the island to create a better work triangle with the refrigerator and sink, so whoever is standing at the sink just has to turn around and take a few steps. The dishwasher is to the right of the sink so whoever is washing dishes can see out over the dining space and to the living room beyond.
There are cabinets (drawers and doors) on three sides of the island. “There’s a lot of storage in there despite the fact that we don’t have a pantry,” Shiwlall says.
Find white farmhouse-style sinks in the Houzz Shop
There are cabinets (drawers and doors) on three sides of the island. “There’s a lot of storage in there despite the fact that we don’t have a pantry,” Shiwlall says.
Find white farmhouse-style sinks in the Houzz Shop
On the right side of the kitchen Shiwlall placed a pull-out microwave, allowing the countertop to stay clear. The drawers in the foreground beyond the microwave (also see first photo in this story) serve as places to stash ample snack food for the family’s teenage boys.
The kitchen’s look is an intentional amalgam of a variety of distinct styles. “We wanted a contemporary, rustic, beachy vibe,” Shiwlall says.
Shiwlall chose a Caesarstone slab designed to look like marble for the countertops, dining table and backsplash. “Using one whole slab piece gives a cleaner, more seamless feel,” Shiwlall says. The cabinets are raised panel, a more traditional style. Painting them Repose Gray by Sherwin-Williams gave them a contemporary vibe, Shiwlall says.
The kitchen’s look is an intentional amalgam of a variety of distinct styles. “We wanted a contemporary, rustic, beachy vibe,” Shiwlall says.
Shiwlall chose a Caesarstone slab designed to look like marble for the countertops, dining table and backsplash. “Using one whole slab piece gives a cleaner, more seamless feel,” Shiwlall says. The cabinets are raised panel, a more traditional style. Painting them Repose Gray by Sherwin-Williams gave them a contemporary vibe, Shiwlall says.
Shiwlall chose open shelves on the window wall to allow more light in and keep the kitchen feeling open. The windows can act as a passthrough to hand off food or drinks to the outside patio.
The flooring is engineered white oak.
Flooring: Panaget
The flooring is engineered white oak.
Flooring: Panaget
A rope chandelier over the dining table adds the rustic note Shiwlall wanted. The designer selected beachy art and accessories, adding greenery and succulents to give the space life. The chairs are rustic French-style with distressed wood, and their sandy color adds a beachy, transitional feel to the space.
Find more chandeliers in the Houzz Shop
Find more chandeliers in the Houzz Shop
As part of the renovation, Shiwlall raised the ceiling above the dining table to follow the angled roof pitch, exposing the lovely vaulted structure.
With many of her clients, Shiwlall uses Houzz ideabooks to share ideas visually and confirm the features the homeowners want. “Houzz helps me as a checkpoint to see that I am on the right track,” she says.
With many of her clients, Shiwlall uses Houzz ideabooks to share ideas visually and confirm the features the homeowners want. “Houzz helps me as a checkpoint to see that I am on the right track,” she says.