My Houzz: Warm and Airy Kitchen Update for a 1980s Ranch House
A dark and cramped kitchen becomes a bright and open heart of the home for two empty nesters in Central California
With their youngest child about to leave for college and their first grandchild on the way, Larry and Susan Pifferini decided it was time to tackle a project they’d been imagining for almost 15 years. After years of living with a kitchen too small for their cooking and entertaining needs, the couple hoped to create a bright and open living-dining space for hosting family and friends.
AFTER: The builders vaulted the kitchen ceiling, clad it in pine boards to match the existing living room ceiling, and extended and stained the nonstructural beam. “We wanted the room to feel like one volume rather than separate areas,” Susan says.
To create additional space, they moved an exterior wall 5 feet into the backyard. The Pifferinis decided to replace the sliding glass doors in the dining area with a single door and large picture window. Susan says there were “too many collisions with the transparent panels.”
Oven: Wolf; refrigerator: Sub-Zero; ceiling fan: Emerson; leather bar stools (similar): ArteFac
To create additional space, they moved an exterior wall 5 feet into the backyard. The Pifferinis decided to replace the sliding glass doors in the dining area with a single door and large picture window. Susan says there were “too many collisions with the transparent panels.”
Oven: Wolf; refrigerator: Sub-Zero; ceiling fan: Emerson; leather bar stools (similar): ArteFac
BEFORE: The old laundry room was accessed through a sliding door from the kitchen, making the already tight space feel extra crowded during mealtime. “The kitchen was too narrow for all of us to work in it together, so most of the time, I was the one doing the cooking,” Susan says.
With the laundry room moved around the corner, the full length of wall could be devoted to gourmet equipment and storage. The same textural backsplash is used in the kitchen, bar and laundry room.
The Pifferinis couldn’t find an off-the-shelf range hood that fit what they had in mind, so they worked with a local metalworking company to design and fabricate a custom piece. The final hood is a mix of polished and brushed steel.
Delicatus White granite island counter and Absolute Black granite back wall counter: Paragon Granite; range and warming tray: Wolf; Tundra Blue split face backsplash: Agora
The Pifferinis couldn’t find an off-the-shelf range hood that fit what they had in mind, so they worked with a local metalworking company to design and fabricate a custom piece. The final hood is a mix of polished and brushed steel.
Delicatus White granite island counter and Absolute Black granite back wall counter: Paragon Granite; range and warming tray: Wolf; Tundra Blue split face backsplash: Agora
The vaulted ceiling allowed Susan to have a picture window behind the kitchen sink. “We have such a beautiful backyard, I wanted to be able to see it,” she says.
Windows: Andersen Windows and Doors; dishwasher: Bosch
Windows: Andersen Windows and Doors; dishwasher: Bosch
A farmhouse sink was also on Susan’s wish list. “I absolutely love it,” she says.
Shaws Original Egerton casement edge sink: Rohl
Shaws Original Egerton casement edge sink: Rohl
The couple deliberately chose finishes and decor in calming neutral tones and textures.
Gray Spell paint: Kelly-Moore; Byron six-light pendant: Troy Lighting; gray dining chairs (similar): Great Deal Furniture; leather dining chair (similar): ArteFac
Gray Spell paint: Kelly-Moore; Byron six-light pendant: Troy Lighting; gray dining chairs (similar): Great Deal Furniture; leather dining chair (similar): ArteFac
Susan wanted bench seating to anchor the dining table to the corner of the room. Additional storage is below the bench for pillows and linens.
Jute braid pillow covers: Pottery Barn; salvaged wood and weathered concrete dining table: Restoration Hardware
Jute braid pillow covers: Pottery Barn; salvaged wood and weathered concrete dining table: Restoration Hardware
Larry’s favorite spot in the house is in the living room’s weathered leather armchair, near the kitchen island where he can chitchat with guests while relaxing.
Turner leather armchair in Saddle: Pottery Barn
Turner leather armchair in Saddle: Pottery Barn
“When we have company, I’m usually the one on cocktail duty,” Larry says. He was especially involved in designing the custom bar adjacent to the dining area.
Wine captain and refrigerator: U-Line
Wine captain and refrigerator: U-Line
Additional storage for pieces used for special occasions is hidden on the back of the island.
BEFORE: Spanish tile was originally used throughout the home, including behind the Buck stove brought over from Susan’s previous home. “I really loved Spanish-style design when I first built the home,” Susan says. “For this remodel, we wanted a cleaner, more modern look.”
AFTER: Douglas fir boards reclaimed from a San Diego McDonnell Douglas airplane hangar and stained a rich dark color make up the flooring in the living-dining area. The Buck stove stayed in the same location but now sits on a slab of granite to match the island countertop. Sleek limestone tiles matching tones throughout the remodel line the wall.
Simena line-textured wall tile: Agora
Simena line-textured wall tile: Agora
The 3-inch-deep slab has a specialty chiseled-edge profile, just like the island countertop.
Reclaimed Douglas fir flooring: Anderson Woodworking; Bianco Antico granite hearth: Paragon Granite
Reclaimed Douglas fir flooring: Anderson Woodworking; Bianco Antico granite hearth: Paragon Granite
BEFORE: The bay window in the living room previously had bench seating with storage underneath, a feature that Susan admits mostly collected dust and clutter.
AFTER: The new windows extend to the floor, allowing abundant soft light into the living room during most of the day. Originally the Pifferinis considered installing interior wood shutters to block the strong western sunlight, but they decided instead to use motorized light-filtering roller shades. “The windows themselves are so clean and minimal, we wanted to keep that same feel,” Susan says.
Nottingham upholstered armchair and Dawson media console: Pottery Barn; windows: Andersen Windows and Doors; roller shades: The Shade Store
Nottingham upholstered armchair and Dawson media console: Pottery Barn; windows: Andersen Windows and Doors; roller shades: The Shade Store
Susan found the concrete floor lamp at Seattle design store Digs.
After being damaged by a water leak in the adjacent guest bathroom, the hallway floor was updated from carpet to the same reclaimed wood flooring that runs throughout the kitchen and living room. The couple eventually wants to install it in the bedrooms as well.
Nelson-Dye suggested the Solatube skylight in the hallway. “It adds a surprising amount of light in the otherwise dark space,” Susan says.
Gray Spell wall paint and Perfect White trim paint: Kelly-Moore
Nelson-Dye suggested the Solatube skylight in the hallway. “It adds a surprising amount of light in the otherwise dark space,” Susan says.
Gray Spell wall paint and Perfect White trim paint: Kelly-Moore
Now accessed from the hallway, the laundry room has additional storage and counter space that were lacking before.
“I love my new laundry room. It’s a boring room that makes a huge difference, especially when my son comes home from school with bags of dirty clothes for me to wash,” Susan says with a laugh.
“I love my new laundry room. It’s a boring room that makes a huge difference, especially when my son comes home from school with bags of dirty clothes for me to wash,” Susan says with a laugh.
The couple also updated the guest bathroom next to the new laundry room. Inspired by a piece that she fell in love with at a local furniture store, Susan worked with Anderson Woodworking to create a custom vanity.
“The Nelson-Dye team was very patient with us,” Susan says, admitting to several last-minute changes of materials during construction. One of Susan’s favorites is the river rock flooring in the guest bathroom and laundry room, even though its tricky installation caused some consternation for the construction team.
Marconi caged sconce in polished nickel: Restoration Hardware; river rock floor tile (similar): Solistone
“The Nelson-Dye team was very patient with us,” Susan says, admitting to several last-minute changes of materials during construction. One of Susan’s favorites is the river rock flooring in the guest bathroom and laundry room, even though its tricky installation caused some consternation for the construction team.
Marconi caged sconce in polished nickel: Restoration Hardware; river rock floor tile (similar): Solistone
The custom-fabricated vanity countertop is one continuous piece of poured concrete.
Bomanite concrete countertop in natural gray: Heritage Bomanite
Bomanite concrete countertop in natural gray: Heritage Bomanite
Full-height glass shower panels allow the river rock flooring to run continuously into the shower. Other details the Pifferinis appreciate are the small bench and shower knobs thoughtfully installed opposite the shower head.
River rock floor tile (similar): Solistone; Design Industry wall tile in Raw Warm: Richards & Sterling
River rock floor tile (similar): Solistone; Design Industry wall tile in Raw Warm: Richards & Sterling
Susan, left, and Larry, third from left, celebrate with their children and granddaughter during the Christmas holiday.
Despite the additional space, Susan doesn’t mind still being the one doing most of the cooking. “This house is perfect when all of my kids are home and sitting around the kitchen.”
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Despite the additional space, Susan doesn’t mind still being the one doing most of the cooking. “This house is perfect when all of my kids are home and sitting around the kitchen.”
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Larry and Susan Pifferini
Location: Fresno, California
Size: 2,800 square feet (260 square meters); four bedrooms, two bathrooms
Year built: 1989; remodeled in 2015
Susan first built the modest ranch house as a young widow. After she and Larry married in 1991, the house underwent a large addition, which included a master suite and enlarging the kids’ bedrooms. Multiple garden and pool renovations followed, but the kitchen and living room remained untouched.
“We’d been saying, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice?’ for years, but everything else seemed to be more pressing,” Susan says. At the recommendation of several friends, the couple contacted local design-build firm Nelson-Dye to get the project moving.