Elegant Update Honors a Childhood Home

21 August, 2025 fhd@epicshort.site 0 Comments 1 category

This empty-nest couple in California turned to designer Lori Ramsay to help reimagine the basic white kitchen in the wife’s Mediterranean-style childhood home, located in a San Diego master-planned community. Their goal was to honor cherished memories while improving function, storage and style in the 125-square-foot space. Ramsay kept the original footprint mostly intact but elevated the design with white-and-wood cabinetry, brass hardware, and countertops and a backsplash in striking white granite with bold veining and forest green crystals. A new peninsula adds storage, seating and a workstation sink, while the former breakfast area now houses a glamorous bar with glass-and-brass shelving.

Lori Ramsay Design

“After” photos by Elizabeth Patton Photography

Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: An empty-nest couple
Location: San Diego
Size: 125 square feet (11.6 square meters)
Designer: Lori Ramsay Design

Before: The nearly all-white kitchen included a short peninsula, white appliances, white solid-surface counters and basic cabinetry without hardware. A cove ceiling added to the dated look. “The cove ceiling was something I wanted to remove, but the budget wouldn’t allow it,” Ramsay says.

While the layout created an efficient work triangle between the sink, range and refrigerator, a small microwave above the range lacked proper ventilation, and the bulky refrigerator jutted into the walkway. “The kitchen functioned very well,” Ramsay says. “The primary concern was that the whole thing was dated and didn’t have style. This homeowner has great taste and the dated kitchen didn’t reflect her personality.” The wood-look laminate floor offered a visual break from all the white but was worn and ready for replacement.

Lori Ramsay Design

After: Ramsay mostly retained the original footprint. “Every time you move something like plumbing and gas lines, it adds to the expense,” she says. She also kept the cove ceiling but had the rest of the kitchen completely gutted and rebuilt. The upper cabinets and trim are painted a warm white (Pure White by Sherwin-Williams), which contrasts beautifully with the stained rift-cut white oak lower cabinets. The two-tone combination adds depth and warmth, while rich brass pulls tie the look together. “They didn’t have adequate storage before,” Ramsay says. “We increased storage capacity and accessibility by converting lower cabinets to all drawers.”

A soft white wall and ceiling color with warm khaki undertones (Neutral Ground by Sherwin-Williams) creates a cozy backdrop that helps the cabinetry stand out. Polished Alpine granite, with bold ebony, graphite and gray veining and forest green crystals, forms the countertops and slab backsplash, adding color, movement and drama. “That was the kickoff for the kitchen,” Ramsay says. “She found that slab and fell in love with it, and that informed all the other decisions.”

Cabinetry hardware: Erika pull in warm brass, Atlas Homewares

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Lori Ramsay Design

A white 30-inch, slide-in, dual-fuel smart range with double ovens has a 36-inch custom hood designed to coordinate with the upper cabinetry. The hood liner has LED lighting and a powerful blower that keeps odors and smoke from drifting into surrounding spaces. A white oak band brings the warmth of the lower cabinetry to the hood. “Creating the hood as a focal point elevates the design and increases functionality,” Ramsay says. “And by making the hood at least 6 inches larger, it gives the cook room and gives the hood more presence.”

In addition to the lights inside the hood, the kitchen also includes updated LED ceiling lights and undercabinet lights over task areas.

Range: Café; range hood insert: Monsoon Mini II, Zephyr

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Lori Ramsay Design

Before: Previously, the large side-by-side refrigerator in a corner of the kitchen stuck out past the cabinetry. The bulky appliance sat by a doorway that opens to the family room. “I thought that needed to be cabinet-depth or built-in,” Ramsay says.

A pantry cabinet next to the refrigerator had fixed shelves inside. “It was only 12 inches deep,” Ramsay says. “That’s why you see such a disparity between the full-depth refrigerator and the pantry.”

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Lori Ramsay Design

After: Ramsay shifted the location of the refrigerator and swapped in a white counter-depth, two-drawer French door smart fridge with gold hardware. Its location to the left meant she could add a full-height and full-depth pantry cabinet (right) for small appliances, with drawers underneath for breakfast supplies and dry goods. “Moving the refrigerator to the left and making it counter-depth made the entrance to the kitchen more spacious,” Ramsay says.

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Lori Ramsay Design

An appliance garage added in the corner by the fridge helps keep the counters free of clutter. “My concern with shifting the refrigerator was that there would be a deep hole in the corner of the kitchen,” Ramsay says. “So we did two things: We dropped the upper cabinetry to the countertop and added the appliance garage. And for the lower cabinet, we did a magic corner [organizer] on the range side and added a spice pullout by the refrigerator.”

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Lori Ramsay Design

A 30-inch fireclay farmhouse-style workstation sink sits across from the refrigerator. It features an extra-deep single bowl and a wood cutting board that slides along a built-in ledge for added function. The faucet, finished in luxe gold, has magnetic docking and a pull-down spray. “We extended the countertop behind the sink and added cabinets on the end to allow for storage and comfortable seating behind the sink,” Ramsay says. “That became the island for them.”

To the left of the sink is a double-drawer white-and-gold dishwasher that complements the fridge. A trash and recycling pullout sits in the peninsula, perpendicular to the sink. “We couldn’t fit the trash to the right of the sink, so that was the most logical place to put it,” Ramsay says. “Because these homeowners are empty nesters, using one small oven or one of the dishwasher drawers just makes sense.” Floating rift-cut white oak shelves at the end of the upper cabinetry provide a perfect spot for plants or decorative items.

Sink: Elkay; faucet: Artesso in luxe gold, Brizo

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Lori Ramsay Design

Before: A small breakfast area with a table and chairs sat just off the kitchen but wasn’t used regularly. “They didn’t use it often and she wanted a bar,” Ramsay says. A pot rack hung over the sink, adding visual clutter. A structural post in the space needed to remain in place, as removing it would have been too costly.

Lori Ramsay Design

After: Removing the cluttered pots and pans gave Ramsay the opportunity to install elegant brass-and-glass pendant lights, which now illuminate the counter seating area. She replaced the table and chairs with a glamorous bar setup, creating a more functional space for entertaining. A beverage fridge in the peninsula keeps cold drinks nearby and allows guests to grab what they like without entering the kitchen. Medium brown luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring extends through the kitchen and bar area, offering the look of warm wood but with improved durability and water resistance.

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Lori Ramsay Design

The elegant bar has raised-panel cabinetry painted a rich, dramatic green (Black Evergreen by Behr). The brass-and-glass shelving showcases the homeowners’ tequila collection. A mirrored backsplash adds depth and a touch of glamour, while the white granite countertop coordinates with the stone used in the kitchen. “Both the cabinet style and color are different from the kitchen, but the emerald crystals in the kitchen granite tied everything together,” Ramsay says. “By eliminating that table, it allowed space for entertaining.”

Custom brass shelving: Soil & Oak Design; glass shelving: RB Glass & Mirror

Lori Ramsay Design

Category: Outdoor & Patio