A Luxurious Traditional Design and Remodel in Laguna Hills Orange County

Comparing the before to the after of this Orange County home would make it difficult to see that it was even the same home.

Before the APlus team started work, this Laguna Hills home featured a narrow, dark, closed in and incredibly small kitchen. The overall layout of the kitchen and living area was not just cramped, but was choppy and felt illogical. The kitchen was separated from the dining room by a complete wall, with only a narrow doorway leading from one space to the next. The kitchen was not only small but also lacking in functionality, with incredibly limited countertop space.

Decadent Custom Cabinets

The remodel allowed this Laguna Hills home to be completed transformed into a space that’s large, bright and high-end. This started with the custom cabinetry, designed by the APlus team and built in the onsite shop.

The cabinets are traditional in their style and color. The homeowners selected maple cabinets in the signature Victorian Ryan door style, and they’re paired with a matching edge band.

The color, which is so striking in this kitchen, is Manganese, a dark, chocolatey shade of brown that adds depth, richness and a feeling of sumptuousness throughout the kitchen.

Over the range is a custom hood, and there’s also a valance over the sink.

Built into the island cabinets is ample storage including a combination of shelving and drawers.

To the left of the double ovens is a custom, built-in banquette-style seating area, with storage underneath.

A standalone pantry was designed by the homeowners and APlus to serve as a creative, beautiful place to store food and additional dishes and kitchen supplies. The pantry features a combination of shelves and pull-out drawers and extends to the now-high ceilings.

The Island

The island is in and of itself a masterpiece in this kitchen. What was once a small space with only a few feet of countertop space has become an oasis.

The island features an expansive granite countertop that’s thick, solid and eye-catching. The granite features a cream backdrop with varying shades of brown, black and gray running throughout the slab. The island countertop is thicker than the granite perimeter countertops, which feature a 1 1/2 -inch waterfall edge. There is not only storage and prep space as part of the island, but also, bar seating on either side.

The island also features columned supports on the far end, with more seating and detailed trim additions.

A small basin sink adds additional preparation space, and over the island hangs ornate pendant lights adding Old World charm.

The Appliances

This is truly a chef’s kitchen, and the appliances reflect that. Along with the double-door massive stainless steel refrigerator, the kitchen also includes a Thermador double oven with soft-close doors and a large commercial style rotisserie, as well as two telescopic racks.

The Thermador 36-inch gas Pro Harmony Range features professional grates and a custom hood insert with blower.

Flooring and Tile

This kitchen features a backsplash with a horizontal pattern, and glass tiles in varying shades of gray and brown, reflecting the colors of the granite countertops. This backsplash adds depth and dimension to the space.

From the kitchen to the family room the choppy design has been reconfigured and smartly opened up, and very light, washed pine-style hardwood flooring with hints of gray undertones runs from in the kitchen through to the family room, tying the design together and uniting what was once a broken and ill-configured design.

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Coto De Caza – Traditional white U-shaped designed build kitchen remodel with APlus custom cabinets

In the illustrious neighborhood of Coto de Caza, the owners of a dated home wanted a renovation that would make their abode as effortlessly stylish as the locale. After researching the competition, they decided that APlus was the only team of contractors with the skills to execute it perfectly.

Before

Originally, the home’s design was very standard. There wasn’t much in the way of character, as most of the construction and materials were fairly basic. Our task was to change all of that by incorporating personalized style and functionality into every part of the renovated rooms.

Restructuring

The first step of building what the owners praise as their new “mastercraft” U-shaped kitchen was to remove everything - even much of the left outer wall. In the new open space, we installed a lengthy accordion glass door that opened up to the backyard pool deck. This created a refreshingly airy atmosphere by letting the natural light spill in, and also added the option of making the room an open-air kitchen.

Another brightening factor was the installation of recessed lighting and sleek hanging lamps with dimmer adjusters, enabling the owners to control the intensity of their illumination. The ceiling’s light fixtures draw attention to the thick Beaded Colonial crown moulding that tops the custom cabinets, which were built in a Euro-style construction out of maple wood, with Victorian doors, Glenmore Dark Bronze hardware and a Straight White finish. Many of the upper cabinets have built-in interior lighting, glass-panel door inserts and glass shelving. We also added lighting to the undersides of the upper cabinets, for extra visibility and a touch of cozy ambiance. The refrigerator was housed within the cabinetry for a more cohesive look. Storage perks include lazy-susans built into the corner shelves (which have folding doors), and vertical spice pulls. At the center of the kitchen, we built an island with the same stately moulding patterns found on the rest of the new construction.

All of the surfaces were topped with thick slabs of granite featuring mottled earth tones. Upon the back and right wall of the kitchen, we put in a natural stone tile backsplash to add to the warmth and complement both the countertops and the subtly rustic hardwood flooring.

Custom Hood

The star of the kitchen is the custom hood, which we designed and built ourselves. The process entailed carving the hood from raw wood materials, then sanding it smooth so that it could be coated with the white finish on the upper and lower sections, and a contrasting Manganese finish at the center. It features its own elegant moulding, as well as graceful corbels and interior lighting.

Appliances

The client chose all stainless steel appliances to add a modern touch to the otherwise fully traditional kitchen. There’s an Imperial Ventilator Insert within the custom hood, which rests above a KitchenAid Commercial Style Gas Cooktop. The KitchenAid Architect Series II Built-In Double Ovens, GE Monogram 1.1 Cu. Ft. Microwave Oven, and Sub-Zero 48” Built-In Side-by-Side Refrigerator with Internal Dispenser are clustered together on the kitchen’s right side. In the center island, a Rohl Shaws Original Single-Bowl Fireclay Apron Sink is set between a Bosch 24” Bar Handle Dishwasher and a GE Monogram Wine Reserve.

Living Room

The crown moulding of the kitchen was extended into and throughout the living room, which was given a section of bright white wall paneling with a built-in compartment to mount the large flat-screen TV.

Have you considered upgrading your home’s value and style through renovation? APlus contractors provides top of the line remodeling services in Coto de Caza and the rest of the Orange County area. Contact us today for a free quote!

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