White-and-Wood Kitchen Packed With Smart Storage
A 106-square-foot expansion, custom cabinetry and a new island transform a 1990s kitchen into an efficient hub
With three kids and packed schedules, this Encinitas, California, family needed a kitchen that could keep pace with daily life. The existing 170-square-foot space, dating to the 1990s, had short upper cabinets, expansive beige-brown granite surfaces and cramped circulation paths that made it difficult to navigate.
Seeking better storage, upgraded appliances, a more efficient layout and a fresh look, the homeowners hired designer Susie St. John. By extending the kitchen 4 feet into the backyard, St. John increased the footprint by 106 square feet, creating a spacious 276-square-foot hub with room for a coffee bar and appliance garage, countertop air fryer and steam oven, 48-inch workstation sink and 72-inch side-by-side fridge and freezer.
A square island improves traffic flow and offers an uninterrupted surface for prep work and unloading groceries, while two-tone white-and-wood cabinetry delivers tailored storage and added character. Thoughtful details — including a stand mixer lift, warming drawer and produce pantry drawer — make the space as functional as it is beautiful.
Seeking better storage, upgraded appliances, a more efficient layout and a fresh look, the homeowners hired designer Susie St. John. By extending the kitchen 4 feet into the backyard, St. John increased the footprint by 106 square feet, creating a spacious 276-square-foot hub with room for a coffee bar and appliance garage, countertop air fryer and steam oven, 48-inch workstation sink and 72-inch side-by-side fridge and freezer.
A square island improves traffic flow and offers an uninterrupted surface for prep work and unloading groceries, while two-tone white-and-wood cabinetry delivers tailored storage and added character. Thoughtful details — including a stand mixer lift, warming drawer and produce pantry drawer — make the space as functional as it is beautiful.
After: By extending the kitchen 4 feet into the backyard, St. John increased the footprint by 106 square feet. The new 5-by-5½-foot square island opens circulation paths and adds storage. “It allowed more space for cabinets and it’s more efficient,” St. John says. The island includes a stainless steel warming drawer.
Paint-grade wood cabinetry in a soft creamy white (Greek Villa by Sherwin-Williams) lines the sink and cooktop walls and has customized storage features. “We have a soffit there because we couldn’t go all the way to the ceiling without impacting the structural for the second floor,” St. John says. “Some people feel it’s taboo to have a soffit, but it finishes the cabinet top. Unfortunately it does reduce the height of your cabinets.”
Whitewashed rift-cut white oak cabinetry on the island and refrigerator-pantry wall adds warmth and visual depth. “The two-tone look emphasizes the oak more and makes it look more special instead of having a sea of it,” St. John says. Matte black hardware creates contrast.
Two white oak beams bring character to the 9-foot coffered ceiling, and wire-brushed oak flooring in a chestnut brown finish helps ground the light palette. A pocket door at left connects the kitchen and dining room. “I wanted to do an in-wall spice cabinet to the left and the right of the cooktop, but the pocket door would hit it,” St. John says. “The husband wanted the pocket door to stay so they could control the level of light coming into the room.”
Adjustable-height stools provide seating at the peninsula. Water-glass pendants and new LED recessed lights layer decorative and general illumination.
Pendant lights: Athens in matte black with clear water-glass shades, 14 inches, Lamps Plus; cabinetmaker: R. Manning Jr. Millworks; wall, ceiling and trim paint: Pure White, Sherwin-Williams
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Paint-grade wood cabinetry in a soft creamy white (Greek Villa by Sherwin-Williams) lines the sink and cooktop walls and has customized storage features. “We have a soffit there because we couldn’t go all the way to the ceiling without impacting the structural for the second floor,” St. John says. “Some people feel it’s taboo to have a soffit, but it finishes the cabinet top. Unfortunately it does reduce the height of your cabinets.”
Whitewashed rift-cut white oak cabinetry on the island and refrigerator-pantry wall adds warmth and visual depth. “The two-tone look emphasizes the oak more and makes it look more special instead of having a sea of it,” St. John says. Matte black hardware creates contrast.
Two white oak beams bring character to the 9-foot coffered ceiling, and wire-brushed oak flooring in a chestnut brown finish helps ground the light palette. A pocket door at left connects the kitchen and dining room. “I wanted to do an in-wall spice cabinet to the left and the right of the cooktop, but the pocket door would hit it,” St. John says. “The husband wanted the pocket door to stay so they could control the level of light coming into the room.”
Adjustable-height stools provide seating at the peninsula. Water-glass pendants and new LED recessed lights layer decorative and general illumination.
Pendant lights: Athens in matte black with clear water-glass shades, 14 inches, Lamps Plus; cabinetmaker: R. Manning Jr. Millworks; wall, ceiling and trim paint: Pure White, Sherwin-Williams
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Before: A gas cooktop and built-in steamer sat beneath a decorative overhang that made the cooking area feel cramped.
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Photo from Susie St. John
After: A new 36-inch black induction cooktop offers flexibility and power. “We reused the steamer,” St. John says. “They cook with a lot of clean ingredients. They also cook at home a lot to save money.”
The cabinets above the cooktop are recessed to allow more breathing room when making meals. LED light strips on the bottom of the upper cabinets illuminate the work area below. Ample drawer storage around the cooktop offers easy access to pots, pans and utensils. An integrated undercabinet hood has a powerful fan that keeps odors and smoke under control.
Cooktop: Benchmark, Bosch
After: A new 36-inch black induction cooktop offers flexibility and power. “We reused the steamer,” St. John says. “They cook with a lot of clean ingredients. They also cook at home a lot to save money.”
The cabinets above the cooktop are recessed to allow more breathing room when making meals. LED light strips on the bottom of the upper cabinets illuminate the work area below. Ample drawer storage around the cooktop offers easy access to pots, pans and utensils. An integrated undercabinet hood has a powerful fan that keeps odors and smoke under control.
Cooktop: Benchmark, Bosch
A dual-tier 48-inch workstation sink is paired with two matte black pull-down faucets and an instant hot water faucet. Built-in accessories slide along an integrated track, creating flexible space for prep and cleanup. “They wanted the workstation sink because everybody helps do the dishes and the prepping in this family,” St. John says. Matte black industrial-style sconces provide task lighting. A stainless steel dishwasher sits to the left, and to the left of that are open shelves offering easy access to cookbooks. Identical open shelves sit to the right of the sink next to a pullout trash-and-compost center.
Above the sink, a fixed window with sliders below replaces the former garden window. “It’s flat and takes up less square footage than the garden window that pops out,” St. John says. “We couldn’t expand the kitchen into the backyard without eliminating the garden window.”
A new corner window brightens a previously dark area and frames views of the backyard. “They have coyotes, deer and other wildlife and like to know what’s going on in the backyard,” St. John says. An iron-and-wood shelf hangs above a countertop air fryer.
Sink: Ruvati; faucets: Edalyn by Studio McGee in matte black, Kohler
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Above the sink, a fixed window with sliders below replaces the former garden window. “It’s flat and takes up less square footage than the garden window that pops out,” St. John says. “We couldn’t expand the kitchen into the backyard without eliminating the garden window.”
A new corner window brightens a previously dark area and frames views of the backyard. “They have coyotes, deer and other wildlife and like to know what’s going on in the backyard,” St. John says. An iron-and-wood shelf hangs above a countertop air fryer.
Sink: Ruvati; faucets: Edalyn by Studio McGee in matte black, Kohler
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This drawer-within-a-drawer in the island sits across from the sink, maximizing storage and simplifying unloading of the dishwasher. Marble-look quartz countertops and backsplashes add subtle pattern and durability. “We wanted something that looked clean but had some movement so it would camouflage crumbs and any dirt,” St. John says.
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A mixer lift at the inner side of the peninsula makes a heavy countertop appliance easier to access. “It was a specific request for convenience,” St. John says. “It’s such a heavy item and they wanted to be able to bake conveniently.”
A pullout to the right of the lift houses a recycling center separate from the trash-and-compost pullout by the sink. Another corner window brings in natural light above a countertop steam oven and a wood-and-iron shelf. “The corner windows are equally spaced and located on each side of the sink,” St. John says.
A pullout to the right of the lift houses a recycling center separate from the trash-and-compost pullout by the sink. Another corner window brings in natural light above a countertop steam oven and a wood-and-iron shelf. “The corner windows are equally spaced and located on each side of the sink,” St. John says.
Wide drawers in the peninsula beside the recycling pullout store foil, plastic wrap and food storage bags.
Whitewashed rift-cut white oak cabinetry lines the wall opposite the sink, serving as the kitchen’s primary storage hub. It incorporates a coffee bar and appliance garage behind arched reeded glass doors, double ovens, paneled refrigerator and freezer columns, and a tall pantry cabinet with rollouts. “This was our only wall that didn’t have a cooktop, window or door,” St. John says. “It’s a full height, non-interrupted wall. We wanted it to be very efficient with tall cabinetry.”
The arched glass doors retract to reveal the coffee bar and small appliances. “We also created a bridge shelf that allows them to store coffee mugs there,” St. John says. “It doubles the storage.”
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A paneled 36-inch refrigerator column and 36-inch freezer column with LED lighting and easy-touch controls offer ample fresh and frozen storage for the family.
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A pantry drawer next to the fridge includes baskets for garlic, onions and potatoes. “Before, they had these items jammed into their pantry and it was hard to identify what was inside the bags,” St. John says. “And the peelings and shavings would get all over the place. Here you can just grab one piece of garlic instead of grabbing or digging into a whole bag.”
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A 30-inch stainless steel warming drawer in the island keeps food and plates warm for serving. “It’s sort of out of the way in an area not used as frequently, so this was a good spot,” St. John says. “This spot is convenient for grabbing and going to the bar at the peninsula or to the dining room for a meal.”
Warming drawer: 500 series in stainless steel, 30 inches, Bosch
Warming drawer: 500 series in stainless steel, 30 inches, Bosch
Floor plan: The updated layout centers on the new square island, with the workstation sink along the bottom wall and the storage wall along the top. (In these plans, the countertop air fryer and steam oven are reversed from the installed kitchen.) “Everything is accessible now because there are so many drawers,” St. John says. “The drawers allow you to see everything. It’s so much more efficient.”
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of five and its two guinea pigs
Location: Encinitas, California
Size: 276 square feet (26 square meters)
Designers: Susie St. John of Embrio Design Studio (interior design) and Richard Haeger Design & Planning (architecture)
General contractor: Chad Emery of 11 11 Construction
Before: Located in the Olivenhain neighborhood of Encinitas, the home enjoys a lush country setting. But the former 170-square-foot kitchen felt dated and impractical. Basic white cabinets lacked hardware, offered difficult-to-access storage and had doors that were starting to pull away from their hinges. “The cabinets were also primarily all doors, which is super inefficient,” St. John says. “They weren’t able to get to the back of the cabinets.”
Beige-and-brown granite countertops and backsplashes contributed to a bland look, while numerous small appliances crowded the counters. “They’re probably the only clients I’ve ever had that have practically every small appliance under the sun,” St. John says. A large island restricted movement through the room, and the refrigerator placement created a major bottleneck. “It was difficult for them to use their refrigerator and get past it,” St. John says. “As soon as you opened the refrigerator, all function and movement stopped.” The interior corner at left felt especially dark and underutilized.
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