How an Outdated Kitchen Became the Heart of a Carlsbad Home Again

This kitchen in a four-bedroom, four-bathroom Carlsbad, California, home was most certainly not a reflection of the lively family of four who inhabited it. Katie Betyar, principal and owner of Solstice Interiors, says it was outdated and very small in relation to the rest of the house.

Charlotte Lea

“Issues included a lack of storage, dead space in the corner where there was a single kitchen door that went to the backyard, and some finishes that needed to go,” she explains. 

On Katie’s clients’ wishlist? More counter space, storage, custom cabinetry that went up to the ceiling, a larger island, a larger pantry, and a coffee/bar area. 

Charlotte Lea

“The old kitchen had granite countertops and worn wood cabinets, it somehow felt dark in what is a really spacious and open room,” Katie says. “They wanted the kitchen to be open and inviting, wanted a larger island for guests and family to gather around while meals are prepared. The clients also requested a reeded wood detail somewhere, and arches if they worked which we had a fun way of incorporating through the pantry doors.”

Charlotte Lea

The overall footprint of the kitchen stayed the same—Katie kept the placement of the sink, range, fridge/freezer, and wall oven where they were since those locations made sense. But she and her team made a few layout adjustments to achieve her clients’ goals.

Charlotte Lea

“By closing off a door on that right return wall when facing what become the breakfast nook corner, we were able to gain a built-in dining bench with storage below, the island increased in size, they got a larger fridge/ freezer, a larger cooktop, and a coffee/ bar zone on the way to the dining room,” Katie says. “We ran all millwork to the ceiling so they gained storage, while also mixing in some open shelving to break it up.”

Charlotte Lea

The homeowners were fans of arched elements, so Katie found a way to incorporate that detail into the redesign. She says there was an opportunity to create an arched opening with arched doors in the pantry, but it didn’t feel like it made sense with the style of the home. Instead, she designed the pantry doors to have a regular square-edge opening, but furred out an arched detail on the doors that was subtle, yet still gave the clients what they wanted.

Charlotte Lea

A special tiled dining table was also designed for the breakfast nook. “We love a tiled dining table moment as its special, custom, and extremely functional—and the two-toned random tile pattern was a fun little touch,” Katie adds.

Charlotte Lea

The kitchen is now personalized for the family’s lifestyle and tastes—and of course, they love it. “The kitchen is the heart of their home, and hearing how much they’ve enjoyed using and living in the space is truly what it’s all about,” says Katie.