It was spacious, but had a bad layout.

Fremont Kitchen by Nina Jizhar
Margaret Austin

It was an age-old story: The kitchen in a four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom house in Fremont, California, was spacious enough, but had a terrible layout. “The social flow was halted when there was more than one cook in the kitchen,” explains interior designer Nina Jizhar. “The flow was inconvenient. A separate dining room made it less convenient to serve meals and thus that room was rarely used.”

Before and After Fremont Kitchen by Nina Jizhar
“The old kitchen felt dark. We also hoped for more light and more openness,” Nina says. “We wanted there to be social togetherness while we were cooking and entertaining. We wanted more storage so that the counters would not be crowded with items.”

Margaret Austin

Additionally, the kitchen felt dark, which didn’t jibe with the homeowners’ wish for the space to feel light, open, and optimized for congregating. The counters were crowded with items so more storage was needed.

Kitchen Island in Fremont Kitchen by Nina Jizhar
The 15-foot kitchen island has two different seating areas.

Margaret Austin

Nina and team knocked down the wall between the kitchen and dining room to combine the two spaces and create a larger footprint. A 15-foot kitchen island was added with two different seating zones—one side has a counter height of 36 inches, while the other side has a drop-down table with the universal dining table height of 30 inches, which is perfect for everyday dining.

They also concealed many of the small appliances and took them off the counter to showcase the beautiful marble surface. “We carefully planned each location of the small appliances for good traffic flow when the whole family is using the kitchen,” Nina adds.

Appliance Cabinets in Fremont Kitchen by Nina Jizhar
The small appliances were cleverly hidden.

Margaret Austin

The rift white oak cabinetry is custom, and while it’s beautiful, Nina says it can be a tricky material to work with. “Each stain can be varied. Trying to achieve the consistency was a bit of a challenge,” she says. The custom cabinetry company was able to help them get the exact look they wanted.

Marble Backsplash in Fremont Kitchen by Nina Jizhar
The marble backsplash and counters have a seamless look.

Margaret Austin

Getting the look right was also important when it came to the marble counters and backsplash. “The mapping of the marble countertop and backsplash was a work of art where we want the veining to flow nicely throughout the space with a very subtle seamless transition,” Nina says. “We also didn’t want to see any power outlets throughout and implemented concealed receptacles framed with the same marble backsplash.”

Wine Fridge in Fremont Kitchen by Nina Jizhar
The wine fridge is a fun feature.

Margaret Austin

Those big and small, intricate details make the kitchen an inviting, chic space. “It is beautiful. Our kitchen is now a bright, open, and modern space, with an airy feel that blends style and functionality seamlessly,” one of the owners says. “We are absolutely thrilled with the design of our new kitchen; it’s everything we envisioned and more. It is peaceful, delightful to be in, and the heart of our home.”