Kitchen of the Week: Light and Lofty With a Modern Spanish Style

A designer uses arched details to create a fresh Mediterranean look with creamy cabinets and black-stained oak features

Jeannie Matteucci May 18, 2023

Houzz Contributor. Home design writer and lifestyle reporter with a love for stylish spaces, smart lighting and a good decaf dry cappuccino.

Houzz Contributor. Home design writer and lifestyle reporter with a love for stylish... More

Comment30

Click "Embed" to display an article on your own website or blog.

This Las Vegas couple absolutely loved the large arched opening leading to their 1999 kitchen. But that was about all. The Mediterranean style was heavy on the beiges and browns, with dated dark cherry cabinets, aging appliances, basic brown granite countertops and lots of beige and brown tile.

Wanting a brighter space with high-end appliances and a more custom look, the couple turned to designer Rebecca Zajac. Using the arched opening as inspiration, Zajac designed a modern Spanish-style kitchen. She repeated the arch motif with an arched opening to a new butler’s pantry, an arched custom range hood and arch details on a new black-stained wood island. Meanwhile, creamy white perimeter cabinets, soft white walls, marble-look porcelain countertops and a raised ceiling deliver a light and airy look.

Before Photo

Kitchen of the Week: modern Spanish kitchen

“After” photos by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with four kids and a Labrador
Location: Las Vegas
Size: 320 square feet (30 square meters)
Designer: Rebecca Zajac of RMZ Interiors & Design by Numbers

Before: The couple disliked the former kitchen’s dark and dated 1990s Mediterranean style. But they had a keen fondness for the impressive arched opening between the kitchen and breakfast room.

A soffit wrapping the room forced the upper cabinets down, creating a closed-in feel. And the tile flooring was cold and hard on the feet. The small office niche in the back corner sat mostly unused.

Design by Numbers / Rebecca Zajac LLC

After: Zajac stripped the kitchen and removed the soffit to push the ceiling higher. She skipped upper cabinets on the back wall and painted the walls and ceiling a soft white (Milk Glass by Dunn-Edwards) to create a lighter look.

Deep drawers on the lower cabinets, a hardworking storage wall on the right and a new butler’s pantry in place of the office niche add tons of storage. The family’s Labrador, Santino Corleone, aka Sonny, is seen here in the butler’s pantry.

To play off the cherished arched opening and to create a modern Spanish style, Zajac created an arched entryway for the pantry and arch details on the new range hood and island base.

Creamy white Shaker-style cabinets and new engineered white oak flooring add warmth, while the black-stained oak island base and storage wall introduce a bit of dramatic contrast.

“We didn’t want to do a white kitchen per se,” Zajac says. “We were trying to figure out a way to add interest.”

Custom cabinetry: RMZ Interiors & Design by Numbers

Find kitchen remodelers near you

Design by Numbers / Rebecca Zajac LLC

The butler’s pantry includes cabinets, a countertop and a walk-in pantry to the right. “It gives them additional prep and storage space away from the main area,” Zajac says.

Shop for bar stools and counter stools

Before Photo

Before: The former kitchen island felt too small for the space. Large stools crowded the curved area. An ornate pot rack added to the cramped feel, as did the upper cabinets below the soffit.

Plate racks on the upper cabinets ate up a lot of space. “The layout worked, but the kitchen was outdated and didn’t have enough storage because of all the plate racks,” Zajac says.

Design by Numbers / Rebecca Zajac LLC

After: Zajac created a larger island with room for seating on three sides. Curved details and turned legs give it Spanish flair. “It’s like a piece of furniture,” she says. “We wanted to bring in some Spanish elements, and I liked the idea of the modern turned legs.”

Brass stools coordinate with unlacquered brass cabinet knobs and pulls. Pendant lights over the island feature white plaster shades and a natural rusted iron finish.

The kitchen also includes LED ceiling lights, which the photographer edited out of these photos.

The countertops and slab backsplashes are marble-look porcelain. A custom arched plaster and wood vent hood commands attention over the new 48-inch dual-fuel range. “Because the ceilings are high, we wanted to make sure to match the scale,” Zajac says.

Pendant lights: Limoges, Visual Comfort

Before and After: 4 White Kitchens With Contrasting Islands

Before Photo

Before: A wall of built-ins offered extra storage, but there was a lot going on with the second white oven, stainless steel microwave and partially paneled refrigerator.

Design by Numbers / Rebecca Zajac LLC

After: Zajac cleaned up the storage wall with black-stained oak cabinets, fully paneled refrigerator and freezer columns and a hidden microwave. “Because they don’t have lots of upper cabinets, the pantry wall gives them storage for small appliances, platters and other items,” Zajac says.

Paneled refrigerator and freezer columns: Monogram Appliances

New to home remodeling? Learn the basics

Design by Numbers / Rebecca Zajac LLC

The side of the island across from the sink includes a series of deep drawers that offer easy access to kitchen essentials. “I think more drawers than doors are practical in a kitchen,” Zajac says.

The removal of the soffit allowed Zajac to take a couple of banks of upper cabinets flanking the range all the way to the ceiling.

Kitchen of the Week: Modern Spanish Style with Two-Tone Cabinetry

Before-and-after: These floor plans show the former kitchen layout (left) and the updated space (right). Notice the change in island design from a curved style to the larger square. “It’s now more of a classic, updated kitchen with increased functionality for modern living,” Zajac says.

More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Browse kitchen photos
Hire a kitchen remodeler
Shop for kitchen products