Two toned transitional Kitchen remodel featuring white main cabinets with black cabinets on the island. Also features quartzite countertops and natural stone backsplash.

Two toned transitional Kitchen remodel featuring white main cabinets with black cabinets on the island. Also features quartzite countertops and natural stone backsplash.

Two toned transitional Kitchen remodel featuring white main cabinets with black cabinets on the island. Also features quartzite countertops and natural stone backsplash.

Two toned transitional Kitchen remodel featuring white main cabinets with black cabinets on the island. Also features quartzite countertops and natural stone backsplash.

Two toned transitional Kitchen remodel featuring white main cabinets with black cabinets on the island. Also features quartzite countertops and natural stone backsplash.

Two toned transitional Kitchen remodel featuring white main cabinets with black cabinets on the island. Also features quartzite countertops and natural stone backsplash.

Two toned transitional Kitchen remodel featuring white main cabinets with black cabinets on the island. Also features quartzite countertops and natural stone backsplash.

Two toned transitional Kitchen remodel featuring white main cabinets with black cabinets on the island. Also features quartzite countertops and natural stone backsplash.

Two toned transitional Kitchen remodel featuring white main cabinets with black cabinets on the island. Also features quartzite countertops and natural stone backsplash.

Two toned transitional Kitchen remodel featuring white main cabinets with black cabinets on the island. Also features quartzite countertops and natural stone backsplash.

Two toned transitional Kitchen remodel featuring white main cabinets with black cabinets on the island. Also features quartzite countertops and natural stone backsplash.

Two toned transitional Kitchen remodel featuring white main cabinets with black cabinets on the island. Also features quartzite countertops and natural stone backsplash.

Two toned transitional Kitchen remodel featuring white main cabinets with black cabinets on the island. Also features quartzite countertops and natural stone backsplash.

Two toned transitional Kitchen remodel featuring white main cabinets with black cabinets on the island. Also features quartzite countertops and natural stone backsplash.

Two toned transitional Kitchen remodel featuring white main cabinets with black cabinets on the island. Also features quartzite countertops and natural stone backsplash.

San Marino based clients were interested in developing a property that had been in their family for generations. This was an exciting proposition as it was one of the last surviving bayside double lots on the scenic Coronado peninsula in San Diego. They desired a holiday home that would be a gathering place for their large, close- knit family. San Marino based clients were interested in developing a property that had been in their family for generations. This was an exciting proposition as it was one of the last surviving bayside double lots on the scenic Coronado peninsula in San Diego. They desired a holiday home that would be a gathering place for their large, close-knit family. Facing the Back Bay, overlooking downtown and the Bay Bridge, this property presented us with a unique opportunity to design a vacation home with a dual personality. One side faces a bustling harbor with a constant parade of yachts, cargo vessels and military ships while the other opens onto a deep, quiet contemplative garden. The home’s shingle-style influence carries on the historical Coronado tradition of clapboard and Craftsman bungalows built in the shadow of the great Hotel Del Coronado which was erected at the turn of the last century. In order to create an informal feel to the residence, we devised a concept that eliminated the need for a “front door”. Instead, one walks through the garden and enters the “Great Hall” through either one of two French doors flanking a walk-in stone fireplace. Both two-story bedroom wings bookend this central wood beam vaulted room which serves as the “heart of the home”, and opens to both views. Three sets of stairs are discretely tucked away inside the bedroom wings. In lieu of a formal dining room, the family convenes and dines around a beautiful table and banquette set into a circular window bay off the kitchen which overlooks the lights of the city beyond the harbor. Working with noted interior designer Betty Ann Marshall, we designed a unique kitchen that was inspired by the colors and textures of a fossil the couple found on a honeymoon trip to the quarries of Montana. We set that ancient fossil into a matte glass backsplash behind the professional cook’s stove. A warm library with walnut paneling and a bayed window seat affords a refuge for the family to read or play board games. The couple’s fine craft and folk art collection is on prominent display throughout the house and helps to set an intimate and whimsical tone. Another architectural feature devoted to family is the play room lit by a dramatic cupola which beacons the older grandchildren and their friends. Below the play room is a four car garage that allows the patriarch space to refurbish an antique fire truck, a mahogany launch boat and several vintage cars. Their jet skis and kayaks are housed in another garage designed for that purpose. Lattice covered skylights that allow dappled sunlight to bathe the loggia affords a comfortable refuge to watch the kids swim and gaze out upon the rushing water, the Coronado Bay Bridge and the romantic downtown San Diego skyline. Architect: Ward Jewell Architect, AIA Interior Design: Betty Ann Marshall Construction: Bill Lyons Photographer: Laura Hull Styling: Zale Design Studio

The homeowner of this new build came to us for help with the design of their new home. They wanted a more contemporary look than what they're used to. The large island is a great gathering point with in the open concept of the dining/kitchen/living space. Using two different colors of quartz countertops added contrast that highlights the marble backsplash. The backsplash adds texture and richness to the space. Shaker style cabinets help modernize the space with the clean lines. Function was key to this kitchen working with utensil pullouts, spice racks, rollouts, hidden storage and a knife block. Design Connection, Inc. Kansas City interior designer provided space planning, architectural drawings, barstools, tile, plumbing fixtures, countertops, cabinets and hardware, lighting, paint colors, coordination with the builder and project management to ensure that the high standards of Design Connection, Inc. were maintained.

Previously renovated with a two-story addition in the 80’s, the home’s square footage had been increased, but the current homeowners struggled to integrate the old with the new. An oversized fireplace and awkward jogged walls added to the challenges on the main floor, along with dated finishes. While on the second floor, a poorly configured layout was not functional for this expanding family. From the front entrance, we can see the fireplace was removed between the living room and dining rooms, creating greater sight lines and allowing for more traditional archways between rooms. At the back of the home, we created a new mudroom area, and updated the kitchen with custom two-tone millwork, countertops and finishes. These main floor changes work together to create a home more reflective of the homeowners’ tastes. On the second floor, the master suite was relocated and now features a beautiful custom ensuite, walk-in closet and convenient adjacency to the new laundry room. Gordon King Photography

The three-level Mediterranean revival home started as a 1930s summer cottage that expanded downward and upward over time. We used a clean, crisp white wall plaster with bronze hardware throughout the interiors to give the house continuity. A neutral color palette and minimalist furnishings create a sense of calm restraint. Subtle and nuanced textures and variations in tints add visual interest. The stair risers from the living room to the primary suite are hand-painted terra cotta tile in gray and off-white. We used the same tile resource in the kitchen for the island's toe kick.