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Room of the Day

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Room of the Day: Kitchen Cooks Up Some California Beach Style

Open shelves, coastal hues and ocean accents make this cozy room a pleasant place to prepare the catch of the day

Kim Ratcliff September 27, 2016

I love writing about design, fashion, travel and pop culture. When I'm not writing, I'm out surfing with my family. I am sort of like a seafaring Goldilocks. Huge waves scare me. Tiny ankleslappers are a yawn. I like my waves just right. (Nice easy Waikiki-style rollers.) I also write "Adventures of the Ratty Pack," a blog about our crazy fun dysfuncional family adventures. Check it out here...https://adventuresoftherattypack.com

I love writing about design, fashion, travel and pop culture. When I'm not writing,... More

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On any given day, a delicious aroma wafts from this kitchen in Long Beach, California. That’s usually chef Gloria Scott happily whipping up her speciality, fish tacos, compliments of her avid fisherman husband, Miguel Pasos.

But cooking in this kitchen wasn’t always such a pleasure. When the couple purchased the condo, one block from the beach, they found the original cramped and dated kitchen tough to cook in — it didn’t have a range or a dishwasher. Eventually, they put their heads together and set out redesigning the space, with beach-happy colors like blues and tans and open shelves for lightness and easy access while cooking.

Before Photo

Photos by Miguel Pasos

Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Gloria Scott and Miguel Pasos, their two grade-school children and a dog
Location: Long Beach, California
Size: 136 square feet (12.6 square meters)

BEFORE: Honey-colored oak cabinets from the 1960s brought the energy level down, while an ancient oven limited the kinds of meals the couple could prepare. There was no range or dishwasher.

Kitchen Beach Condo Kitchen Remodel - Before and After

AFTER: Scott and Pasos removed the cabinets and donated them to charity. Although their contractors at Horizon Construction & Remodeling pushed for more traditional upper cabinets, the couple chose open shelves for an airier look. The custom-made white birch shelves have a natural stain and complement the Arctic White quartz countertops. “We couldn’t be happier with the end result,” Scott says. “Everything is so accessible. Plus the open shelves forced us to pare down our pots, pans and kitchen gadgets.”

New appliances, including a proper range-oven and dishwasher, allow Scott to better prepare her famous fish tacos and other dishes.

The couple had the shelf above the range custom-cut to fit around the vent hood. The shelf position mirrors that of a shelf on the opposite wall above the sink. Smaller shelves stash pots, pans and coffee items.

Wall paint: Voyage, Behr; countertops: quartz in Arctic White; 800 series 30-inch dual-fuel slide-in range: #HDI8054U, Bosch; T-style wall-mount hood: WS-28TB36SS, Windster; Cape Cod handmade blue jute rug: Safavieh

Before Photo

BEFORE: The original cabinetry made for a tight squeeze around the window, which was frosted glass and had a louvered design, significantly limiting the amount of light streaming in.

Modern Beach Condo Kitchen Remodel - Before and After

AFTER: A new clear glass window brings more light in, while open shelves allow that light to travel through the space and into a nearby dining area. The white countertops and a white tile backsplash that extends to the ceiling also help amplify the light.

Semicustom cabinets in blue, along with the blue wall paint, connect the kitchen more to the nearby ocean. Pullout drawers help make up for lost upper counter storage.

Flush-handle dishwasher: #SHP65T55UC, Bosch; Riverby undermount single-bowl sink in Basalt: #KO5871-5UA3-FTRIVERBY, Kohler; Solna collection Articulating faucet: #BZ63221LF-SS, Brizo

Beach Condo Kitchen Remodel - Before and After

The couple extended the kitchen slightly to add more countertop space and make room for a dishwasher. Arabesque-shaped backsplash tile adds a bit of visual interest amid the straight, clean lines.

Tile: Whisper White arabesque with grout in Winter Frost, MS International

The couple replaced the old kitchen tile with whitewashed red oak hardwood.

In the dining area, a custom marlin-print cushion, a nod to Pasos’ love of fishing, tops a cabinetry extension that stores large items, including a crockpot.

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Comments (11)

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Marilyn Lawrence

I quill like to see mour kitchen designs

Like September 30, 2016 at 2:05PM

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User

This is the exact dimension of our kitchen, except it's a walk through, thank you so much for sharing, truly inspirational.

Like October 1, 2016 at 8:02AM

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Carol Scully

I love your "less is more" concept! Removing the upper cabinets to bring in light-great idea. Extending the storage into the dining area and adding seating space is very smart too. I really like stories in Houzz that show that great style and function can happen in small spaces.

1 Like October 2, 2016 at 8:00AM