Dinner Party Frustrations Prompt a Kitchen Remodel
A catering chef rearranges her house to put a welcoming dinner party zone front and center
After. Removing the wall for this latest project meant installing an engineered beam to allow a nice, clean, open ceiling. To keep costs down, McCarthy tackled many of the project’s components herself. She made her own design and construction plans, created and installed the wall planks, and assembled and painted cabinets. She also did the finish carpentry and painting, and built the center island out of found wood.
Cabinets: Barker Cabinets
What to Know Before You Tear Down That Wall
Cabinets: Barker Cabinets
What to Know Before You Tear Down That Wall
“Frustration after holding a dinner party catapulted my desire to redo the front half of my house,” says McCarthy, pictured here at the island in her updated kitchen.
“There is no hallway. The front door opens right up into the space, so I had to come up with a great design that looked warm and welcoming right when you enter the house,” McCarthy says.
“I wanted the dishwasher and bar fridge to disappear under the counter, so I made matching cabinet appliance panels for both,” McCarthy says. The dishwasher is to the right of the sink.
There is only one upper wall cabinet, and she wanted it to appear like a piece of art. An oversize floral wallpaper from Holland was used to cover her custom DIY cabinet doors. The doors were sized to fit the exact width of the wallpaper but made larger than the cabinet box, making the art stand out and giving an appearance that it floats off the wall.
Dark Floral II black saturated wallpaper: Ellie Cashman Design; Coffee Bean cabinet paint: Maison Blanche Paint Co.; drawer pulls: Emtek; Concetto faucet: Grohe
There is only one upper wall cabinet, and she wanted it to appear like a piece of art. An oversize floral wallpaper from Holland was used to cover her custom DIY cabinet doors. The doors were sized to fit the exact width of the wallpaper but made larger than the cabinet box, making the art stand out and giving an appearance that it floats off the wall.
Dark Floral II black saturated wallpaper: Ellie Cashman Design; Coffee Bean cabinet paint: Maison Blanche Paint Co.; drawer pulls: Emtek; Concetto faucet: Grohe
Pictured here is the small Sub-Zero bar fridge and freezer concealed behind one of McCarthy’s custom panels.
“I wanted friends to be able to help themselves to beverages and ice,” she says.
“I wanted friends to be able to help themselves to beverages and ice,” she says.
“Replacing my standard refrigerator with a counter-height commercial refrigerator gave me 4 feet of additional workspace and a wonderfully deep 32-inch counter for baking and prep,” McCarthy says.
The countertop above the commercial refrigerator is stainless steel. It’s “perfect for baking, as it is deep and flat enough to roll and cut doughs, and easy to clean up,” she says.
Browse mini fridges
The countertop above the commercial refrigerator is stainless steel. It’s “perfect for baking, as it is deep and flat enough to roll and cut doughs, and easy to clean up,” she says.
Browse mini fridges
“Although I needed the storage space, I didn’t want many wall cabinets,” the homeowner says. The open shelves follow the lines of the shiplap-style walls.
Floating wall shelves: Welland Industries; Misty Carrera quartz countertop: Caesarstone
How to Arrange Open Shelves in the Kitchen
Floating wall shelves: Welland Industries; Misty Carrera quartz countertop: Caesarstone
How to Arrange Open Shelves in the Kitchen
McCarthy’s favorite tools are close at hand on a magnetic strip.
McCarthy wanted to use her original kitchen peninsula. “I took the old base, extended it and added a salvaged wood top that I refinished myself,” she says. “I purchased seven planks of 90-year-old Douglas fir from a salvage yard to use for the new island top. They were floorboards from a World War II shipbuilding site, nail holes and all,” McCarthy says.
Warren pendant lamp: Mpdesignshop
Warren pendant lamp: Mpdesignshop
She painted the armoire black and uses it to store extra dishes and some paperwork for her home office.
The 7-by-5½-foot island seats six and is the main gathering place of the new kitchen. A new frosted thermal-pane window softens the door that leads to the garage while allowing light in.
McCarthy installed vinyl flooring that coordinates with the existing hardwood. “The floor is durable and waterproof, which is key for me in my busy kitchen,” she says.
Adura vinyl flooring, Iron Hill style in Coal: Mannington
New Groove: Vinyl Floors Are Back
McCarthy installed vinyl flooring that coordinates with the existing hardwood. “The floor is durable and waterproof, which is key for me in my busy kitchen,” she says.
Adura vinyl flooring, Iron Hill style in Coal: Mannington
New Groove: Vinyl Floors Are Back
Before. The stove and cupboards in the previous (2015) update.
After. McCarthy was able to use the same BlueStar stove and hookups by pivoting the stove 90 degrees and fitting it perfectly into the center of the new island. “I really love being able to face my guests while I cook,” she says. Drawers on both sides of the oven hold tools and potholders, while all the open shelving below holds pots and frequently used items.
Know the 3 Zones of Kitchen Storage
Know the 3 Zones of Kitchen Storage
Before. The alcove beside the kitchen was originally used for a breakfast table.
After. The space is now a cozy sitting area, “my favorite place to curl up,” McCarthy says. The antique French leather armchair is a restored find from the Alameda Point Antiques Fair.
“Drive-inn“ canvas print: Maureen Brouillette
“Drive-inn“ canvas print: Maureen Brouillette
After Houzz featured a story about McCarthy’s earlier renovation, a dear friend turned readers’ comments into fabric for a window-seat pillow. It’s “the perfect thing to read if I ever need a pick-me-up,” glows McCarthy.
Customized fabric for comments pillow: Spoonflower; Folk Shoes Collection bench fabric: Manual Canovas
Customized fabric for comments pillow: Spoonflower; Folk Shoes Collection bench fabric: Manual Canovas
McCarthy painted an antique phonograph case with chalk paint, sanded it to add a distressed look, then waxed it for a durable finish. It’s now a bar station.
Pure chalk paint: Annie Sloan; clear polish: Briwax
Pure chalk paint: Annie Sloan; clear polish: Briwax
Before the remodel, the front door opened to the living room. But after McCarthy removed the wall that separated that space and the kitchen, she converted the previous living room into the dining room. The walls, trim and ceiling have been painted a bright fresh white to add to the open feel.
Cloud White wall and ceiling paint: Benjamin Moore
Cloud White wall and ceiling paint: Benjamin Moore
“I wanted the space, especially beside the dining area, to be warm and inviting,” McCarthy says. “That’s why I added the new gas fireplace, which I located higher off the floor so its glow can be enjoyed from every location in the room.”
SlimLine series fireplace: Heat & Glo
SlimLine series fireplace: Heat & Glo
The living room is now in the space between the kitchen and the bedrooms, formerly the dining room.
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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.
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How to Remodel Your Kitchen
How to Refresh Your Kitchen on Any Budget
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See more photos of this home
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.
More
How to Remodel Your Kitchen
How to Refresh Your Kitchen on Any Budget
Find kitchen products
Who lives here: Lynn McCarthy
Location: Santa Rosa, California
Size: 1,465 square feet (136 square meters); four bedrooms, two bathrooms
Year built: 1941
“One night I had a dinner party, and I was walking from the kitchen through the living room to the dining room, then back to the kitchen. It was completely impractical,” says Lynn McCarthy, a professional caterer for Cottonwood Catering & Events. At that moment, she decided it was time to renovate her kitchen.
Before. McCarthy had already updated the kitchen after she purchased her 1941 cottage in Santa Rosa, California. In that project, she kept the original footprint and the wall between the kitchen and the living room.