When you’re 6’9” and your spouse is just over six feet, a small kitchen with a 7’ ceiling just doesn’t have that warm, inviting ambiance. The owners of this Encinitas home spent a lot of time in their kitchen, and wanted to transform the cramped, closed-off room into a bright, airy space that would flow easily into the back yard and lend itself to large gatherings. They also needed more counter and storage space and, being bona-fide sports fans, wanted never to miss a game.

By removing a wall and combining the kitchen with the adjacent dining room, we created a roomier and open space complete with a built-in booth where the owners could enjoy morning coffee and breakfast with their two young daughters. (A large living room elsewhere in the home became the new dining room.)  We raised the kitchen ceiling to 14’ at its highest point, installed extra tall cherry cabinets and raised granite countertops to better suit the owners’ height.  A new walk-in pantry provides plenty of extra storage space, while a recessed television nook tucked above the new cooktop enables the family to keep up with the Padres and Chargers while preparing meals or doing dishes. French doors located at both ends of the larger space offer unobstructed access to the back yard and flood the new eat-in kitchen with bright, cheery light.