Kitchen of the Week: Warm, Rustic and Dog-Friendly in California
Using a designer they saw on Houzz, a couple create a larger kitchen for themselves and their adopted rescue dogs
With six adopted rescue dogs, Tommy and Kymberli Bazan have a busy household. “There’s never a dull moment,” Kymberli says. The couple, who moved into their 1990s custom ranch-style home in Oakdale, California, in 2005, wanted to remodel the kitchen years ago but time and money (and taking care of their dogs) delayed the project.
When they were finally ready for the major renovation, Kymberli saw projects by designer Wendy Glaister on Houzz, loved her work and remembered that she had met her at a local fundraising event. She contacted Glaister and told her she wanted to create an inviting kitchen with rustic warmth, and designed for plenty of foot and paw traffic.
Glaister helped the couple create an expanded working kitchen with a beautiful view of the backyard, tons of storage, room for entertaining and a layout that makes it easy for the dogs to move around.
When they were finally ready for the major renovation, Kymberli saw projects by designer Wendy Glaister on Houzz, loved her work and remembered that she had met her at a local fundraising event. She contacted Glaister and told her she wanted to create an inviting kitchen with rustic warmth, and designed for plenty of foot and paw traffic.
Glaister helped the couple create an expanded working kitchen with a beautiful view of the backyard, tons of storage, room for entertaining and a layout that makes it easy for the dogs to move around.
After: To create better traffic flow and room for a center island, Glaister pushed the house line back 6 feet toward the backyard (visible through the window here) to expand the kitchen’s footprint, adding 60 square feet. She also got rid of the dropped ceiling and added a massive fixed-panel window with operable sidelights to provide ventilation and a beautiful view, and she moved the location of the range to this window wall.
A focal-point metal hood made in Mexico with a copper finish hangs over the new matte black Verona range (located where the sink was). “When you install a window over a range, you need to use tempered glass,” Glaister says, because of the potential for fires and other hazards that come with cooking.
Kymberli wanted the range on the window wall because she spends a lot of time cooking.
An undermount farmhouse ceramic sink sits in the new island, which includes seating for casual meals. Thin bricks the couple purchased from a local landscape company to save money add rustic charm to the walls and provide contrast to the custom alder cabinets and drawers with oil-rubbed bronze hardware.
Some of the Shaker-style cabinets have a clear custom stain that lets the richness of the wood shine through, while others are painted a custom soft white. “If you did a really crisp white, it would be such a jarring contrast to the beauty of the brick,” Glaister says.
This view also shows the special feature at one end of the island. “This curved design gives the kitchen that more clean, transitional look she likes,” Glaister says of the homeowner. “It also makes it much more distinctive, because she didn’t want a cookie-cutter kitchen.”
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A focal-point metal hood made in Mexico with a copper finish hangs over the new matte black Verona range (located where the sink was). “When you install a window over a range, you need to use tempered glass,” Glaister says, because of the potential for fires and other hazards that come with cooking.
Kymberli wanted the range on the window wall because she spends a lot of time cooking.
An undermount farmhouse ceramic sink sits in the new island, which includes seating for casual meals. Thin bricks the couple purchased from a local landscape company to save money add rustic charm to the walls and provide contrast to the custom alder cabinets and drawers with oil-rubbed bronze hardware.
Some of the Shaker-style cabinets have a clear custom stain that lets the richness of the wood shine through, while others are painted a custom soft white. “If you did a really crisp white, it would be such a jarring contrast to the beauty of the brick,” Glaister says.
This view also shows the special feature at one end of the island. “This curved design gives the kitchen that more clean, transitional look she likes,” Glaister says of the homeowner. “It also makes it much more distinctive, because she didn’t want a cookie-cutter kitchen.”
Shop for kitchen island lighting
The bank of cabinets on the rear wall provides storage for gadgets and pantry items and includes dual appliance garages for the coffee maker, toaster and microwave.
This view also shows off the classic white quartz counters with gray veining used for the island top and perimeter, as well as the metal pendant lights with a burnished brass finish over the island that were inspired by some Kymberli saw on Houzz (similar style here).
The door to the left leads to the updated laundry room, which includes new cabinets for the dog treats.
This view also shows off the classic white quartz counters with gray veining used for the island top and perimeter, as well as the metal pendant lights with a burnished brass finish over the island that were inspired by some Kymberli saw on Houzz (similar style here).
The door to the left leads to the updated laundry room, which includes new cabinets for the dog treats.
The tall center pantry cabinet has arched leaded glass doors that were salvaged from a Newport Beach, California, home and were dressed up with crystal knobs. “New frames were built to incorporate them into the cabinetry,” Glaister says. “The back of the cabinet is clad in the same brick adorning the walls.”
This photo also shows some of the many drawers that provide easy-access storage. “Drawers are so much more efficient; you don’t have to crawl around the floor ever again,” Glaister says.
This photo also shows some of the many drawers that provide easy-access storage. “Drawers are so much more efficient; you don’t have to crawl around the floor ever again,” Glaister says.
This wide view shows the extensive storage options that easily hold all the kitchen essentials, and also the wide traffic lanes that provide easy flow in and out of the space and around the island.
The cabinets around the stainless French-door refrigerator are considered the hardworking pantry cabinets, holding bulk food items and other small appliances. A new luxury plank vinyl floor offers durability for 24 paws plus the rich look of wood. “It’s the best option for all the doggies,” Glaister says.
The cabinets around the stainless French-door refrigerator are considered the hardworking pantry cabinets, holding bulk food items and other small appliances. A new luxury plank vinyl floor offers durability for 24 paws plus the rich look of wood. “It’s the best option for all the doggies,” Glaister says.
This impressive bar area to the left of the refrigerator includes illuminated shelves behind glass doors that show off the homeowners’ vintage barware collection. “They were all in boxes in her garage,” Glaister says. “Many of those pieces are her grandmother’s (and great aunt’s) and she’s been waiting to display them.”
Rollout drawers under the bar offer easy-access storage for liquor bottles, wine and bar tools. Reinforced rollout hinges and glides help ensure the mixers and tools are stored safely. “Before, we had things hidden in the back of a cabinet,” Kymberli says. “Things just didn’t get used.”
After: Glaister had the beam removed and added a built-in bench with custom cushions that feature pet-friendly performance fabric. The updated space gives the couple a comfortable and bright spot for casual meals and a place for the dogs to lounge and enjoy the view from the three windows overlooking the backyard. (The window in the middle originally sat over the sink.) Recessed storage on either side provides display space for photos and other mementos.
Tommy and Kymberli plan to work with Glaister on their master bathroom in the future, but for now they and the dogs are enjoying their new kitchen. “It’s so warm, and I’m so happy to be in there now,” Kymberli says.
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Tommy and Kymberli plan to work with Glaister on their master bathroom in the future, but for now they and the dogs are enjoying their new kitchen. “It’s so warm, and I’m so happy to be in there now,” Kymberli says.
More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Hire a kitchen remodeler
Shop for kitchen products
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Tommy and Kymberli Bazan and their six dogs
Location: Oakdale, California
Size: 205 square feet (19 square meters)
Designer: Wendy Glaister Interiors
Before: The dark galley-style kitchen and its peninsula felt cramped and crowded for the couple and their dogs. Aging appliances, worn-out tile counters, tile floor and cabinets that Kymberli impulsively painted dark brown one weekend (they were orange-y maple before) didn’t add any appeal.
The couple stored the dog treats in the laundry room, seen through the doorway at the back of the kitchen in this photo. “It was very tight traffic for the dogs,” Glaister says.
This “before” snapshot, taken from the adjoining family room, also shows the extremely low ceiling and a plant shelf that collected dust. The window on the right is in a breakfast nook off the kitchen.
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