In redesigning this grand home in Southern California, Courtney Thomas of La Cañada, Calif.-based Courtney Thomas Design took advantage of the square footage available to create family- and guest-oriented spaces inside.
“The range backsplash is an Ann Sacks Beau Monde glass and marble tile we fondly refer to as ‘Ann,’” said Thomas. “Our client found ‘her’ on a sourcing trip, and by the way she clutched the sample board, we knew it would need to be worked into the final vision.”
“I flipped the refrigerator and its adjoining counter on the double oven wall because I wanted the fridge closer to the range and to the first island where food would get prepped,” said Thomas. “I also wanted the counter to be at the end of the cabinet run to visually open up the room and offer a landing area for dishware going in and out of the dining room on the other side of that counter wall.”
The islands are the primary workstations for this kitchen. The island closest to the range serves as a landing, serving and food-prep area, and the one closest to the family room serves as a homework/craft activity table for the kids.
“My goal was to build a mudroom that not only addressed the current needs of the family but their growing ones as well,” said Thomas, explaining that this space needed to accommodate this growing family of five and their dog.
Because mudrooms are often the first and last space homeowners move through in a house, Thomas wanted to build a command center for signed homework, field trip slips, mail and keys. She built the mail cubbies closest to the door so that items in it are not overlooked when leaving the home.
For the master bath, the clients requested white marble countertops, so the design team chose Calacatta marble instead of Carrera for its whiter surface and warmer look.
“Perhaps it’s cheesy, but honestly my favorite part of this project was the clients,” said Thomas. “This was a collaborative effort on so many levels, and they put their trust and belief in us throughout. They have been our biggest fans since, and I am grateful this work connects me to generous people like them.”