Omoto’s cure for this boxed–in–kitchen: Knock down the wall, carve out a vaulted ceiling, install a breakfast nook and bay window, and lay down a really big island.
The house was half missing, but the owners had big plans. And conjuring up an open, airy feeling in the petite, galley kitchen topped their wish list. To pull off the feat of optical illusion, the owners needed just the right touch of expertise and experience.
Randall Omoto, of Homeowners Design Center, flexed his fingers and got to work.
“We knocked down a wall to the living room, replaced it with an island,” he says. A very big island, indeed. At 4 feet, 9 inches by 12 feet, 8 inches, it dwarfs the original counter. Omoto set it far away from the cooktop to where people can stand three abreast. “We just wanted the kitchen to feel and function as big as possible,” he adds.
Mulitfunctionality was the homeowners’ rationale for adding the monolith. “We needed size and depth to facilitate our entertainment,” he says. “We wanted to make sure people could pass completely around it,” so they can spread food around the entire perimeter—creating a buffet line.
Cabinets surround the island’s base, to make up for storage space that was lost when the contractor, Hi-Tech Construction, took down the wall. But no worries: The counter overhang extends enough that people can sit next to the island, atop barstools. “We came out as far as we could without needing support brackets,” the homeowner says, “and placed the handles at the top, so your knees don’t hit them.”
Omoto then turned to the vaulted ceiling—raised by architect Kelvin Otaguro for the express purpose of installing the upward valance lighting, so beams would reflect down off the ceiling. “The indirect lighting helps the kitchen feel open,” he says. At the homeowners’ request, recessed lights as accents, low-voltage track lighting as focused accents, undercabinet lights and hood lights were added. “We wanted the kitchen to glow,” the homeowner says with a grin.
Even more overhead lights can be found in the breakfast nook, which Omoto designed—with a bay window and to-die-for view—to grant more illusion of size. The nook replaces the sink, now sitting in the island to create the sink-cook-fridge work triangle. Omoto switched the refrigerator and cooking appliances so people can easily grab food or drinks.
Omoto then addressed some smaller design challenges. For example, the homeowners requested a balanced look, using natural materials with lots of character. They wanted everything off the counter to maximize space. They didn’t want the hood to block their view.
So, Omoto designed a full-height backsplash, using the same Delicatas Extra granite as on the island. “It’s one of the most interesting stones,” he says. “A lot of movement; you can almost see right down into it.” He opted for built-in appliances and a microwave/convection combo. He designed a wall hood over the cooktop to retain both the view and the kitchen’s work triangle.
None of these design choices broke the bank. “One thing I really like about working at Homeowners Design Center is, we help clients get from A to Z without it costing them a whole lot of money,” Omoto says. “It’s not just order-taking with us. We try to inject a value quotient for each item, in relation to the entire project. If what you’ll get for this much money doesn’t make a lot of sense, we’ll tell you.”
“We’re technical advisers,” he adds. “We help you plan, give you the most options, help you make the choice that works best for you. That’s essentially what we do.”
“It’s not a big kitchen!” the homeowner adds. “That’s just an illusion. But it works for us. It feels airy. Randall came through for us. He was stress relief!”
Where to Get It
- Designer:
- Randall Omoto, of Homeowners Design Center
- Cabinetry:
- Cornerstone, from Canyon Creek.
- Cooktop:
- Kitchen Aid, by Pacific Appliance Group
- Counters:
- Delicatas Extra granite, from Pacific Stone
- Faucet:
- Grohe, from Ferguson
- Microwave:
- Kitchen Aid built-in, from Pacific Appliance Group
- Oven:
- Monogram, from Servco Home and Appliance Showroom
- Refrigerator:
- Kitchen Aid 42” built-in, from Pacific Appliance Group
