Welcome to the wonderful family kitchen of Annette and Gustavo Gutierrez, in their 100-year-old Craftsman home! They previously lived across the street, and when they moved Annette and her husband had big plans for this architectural restoration. One of the biggest feats — and a total labor of love — was their complete restoration of this kitchen to recreate the look and feel of a California dream.
Annette is the owner of Potted, a wonderful flower and garden shop in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles. She brings her love of botany and landscape design home with her every day. Not only does the kitchen have an incredible view to the gorgeous backyard, they also created a folding glass door to seamlessly merge the patio to the kitchen.
Along with installing new hardware, Annette also rewired the electrical system and completely expanded the back end of the kitchen wall. Annette explains that she and her family LOVE to cook and entertain — so having ample room to do so was essential. Bright light and color are two things that were important design wise and have added the friendly ambience to this lovely kitchen.
• Visit Potted: Potted's website
10 Questions for Annette (and Her Kitchen)
1. What inspires your kitchen and your cooking?
This is so funny because in our home, I am the kitchen designer and my husband is the cook — and a passionate cook at that. We love to entertain, have parties, live in chaos, but when he cooks, he tends to get, how shall I say this...testy when too many people are underfoot. So I redesigned the kitchen. By changing the flow he got to be a part of everything but people weren't getting in his way. And by making other "stations," people could help (as they always want to do) again without being right on top of him. I have to say it has been a great marital aid.
2. What is your favorite kitchen tool or element?
Hands down my husband's favorite kitchen tool is the pot filler (I thought it was silly...you can't walk to the sink?) though his Wolf range is his real love.
My favorite element is the super wide window ledge I designed over the kitchen sink so I could be happy looking at all my lovely plants while I washed the dishes (he thought that was silly but see, we compromise).
3. What's the most memorable meal you've ever cooked in this kitchen?
As a present to his brother, my husband made a paella and tapas feast for 12 of his friends. The dinner went on for hours as Spanish meals do and everyone was having a wonderful time when suddenly our Jack Russell brought the night to a sudden end as he had just gotten skunked and then ran right into the middle of the living room. Talk about clearing out a room fast. After we stopped gagging, it was pretty funny.
4. The biggest challenge for cooking in your kitchen:
The only thing I wish we had was an actual pantry, but the old Indian hutch we use instead is a lot prettier so really, how can I complain?
5. Is there anything you wish you had done differently?
I wouldn't have used the same dishwasher but at some point you just run out of money.
6. What was your biggest indulgence or splurge in the kitchen?
The Caesarstone countertops and the crackled white subway tile backsplash. When our installer saw the price on the tile he thought I was crazy but I cannot tell you how happy that crazing makes me every time I see it. It looks like a million bucks (and even makes me forget the dishwasher).
7. Is there anything you hope to add or improve in your kitchen?
Have I mentioned the dishwasher?
8. How would you describe your cooking style?
I would say our eating style is very multicultural and so is our cooking (okay, it's my husband...who am I trying to kid here?). We eat fresh, even trying to grow our own produce but seem to be in a losing war with the local raccoons. Sigh. I think at the end of the day we'll leave it to the professionals at the farmers' market.
9. Best cooking advice or tip you ever received?
Marry well.
10. What are you cooking this week?
Okay, I am actually doing this myself for my book club meeting where we are reading a book set during the Armenian Genocide and I thought in honor of this area of the world I would do a spread of pistachios, dried apricots, hummus, pita, veggie tarts, grapes, tangerines and chocolate covered almonds. Can you say Trader Joe's?
Resources of Note
• My contractor - He's does great works and was the one who did the kitchen remodel and the upstairs deck. • The tile was bought at Mortarless in Atwater (they don't have a site, but here is a Yelp link) • The stove is a Wolf Range and the fridge and dishwasher are Fridgedaire which I HATE. All the sinks and faucet are Kohler which are great and they even replaced and paid to retile a sink for me once because the sink cracked on first use so I am a total Kohler girl now. • All the cabinets are wood done by some funky local place that I can't even remember the name of and all the glass is stained glass I had laid in by some place on Highland called Sunshine Glass Co. • The floor tiles are linoleum from Linoleum City on Santa Monica and they were actually cut down to give them a little more of a custom look. • The giant bi-fold door was purchased at Taylor Brothers and I believe it's from La Cantina and my advice there is to make sure you double check when you order a door so that the orientation is correct because it cost me $2500 to have it fixed! • Countertops are Caesarstone which I love, love, love (wanted concrete but was afraid of the upkeep) which I got from The Great Indoors which is now out of business.
Thanks, Annette!
(Images: Bethany Nauert)
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What a delightful, cheerful, whimsical kitchen. I like that it is not all matchy matchy and predictable. I do have two questions. Given how much you dislike your dishwasher, what would you prefer as a replacement? We have a tiny white galley kitchen and despite the popularity of stainless steel, we opted for a white Asko dishwasher with a flush handle. That way it disappears into the white cabinets. I would really like to know what the blue paint colour that you used is? We are looking for something similar. Thanks!
I really like the floor and the cabinets. And how there are two sinks but they are tucked away against the walls instead of being in the middle of the peninsula. (I think if you're going to put a breakfast bar in your kitchen it's best to not also put major fixtures in the same island/peninsula. It just looks/feels better.) I also really like how you actually have your tools and stuff out and accessible instead of having nothing on the counters but a coffee maker. The only thing I would really change is making the fridge enclosure actually go to the edge of the fridge. (Your dishwasher is completely not hideous by the way if it makes you feel better.)
Lovely kitchen -- I, too, like the blue, and especially with the green paint on the lower areas.
I do have a question - you have both a bar and a small table. A recent "good question" on AT asked about having both, plus a dining room. I'm curious if these two sitting/eating areas have evolved into having separate functions, or if one is used more than others. In my own kitchen remodel (planning stage), I'm considering eliminating the kitchen table in favor of a functional bar area.
Where did you get the light fixtures, please?
Rouquinne,
I believe she told me they were Roost.
Many retailers carry Roost products, but you have to do some digging :)
(I loved them too and asked her as well, when I was there.)
This one is going into my inspiration file. Love it.
A simple and nice kitchen but it seems cluttered to my eye. It looks more like most normal kitchen do when not being prepared for a photo shoot. I would have liked it photographed better with less clutter on the counters so that i could see it and not have so much visual distraction.
GORGEOUS! I used to live in a Craftsman as well and love all your charming touches. Where did you get your bar stools? Very funky & unique!
I love the cabinets. What material are the doors and drawer fronts made of? Painted MDF? Laminate on particleboard? Looks like paint to me. Gorgeous!
I love this kitchen! The blue and turquoise 3-footed bowls are wonderful - are they vintage or new? looove them!
Lizabeta,
You can get similar items on Fish's Eddy, http://www.fishseddy.com/new.htm
My 13 year old son was looking over my shoulder and described yours as "one cool kitchen!" I think that the dog paraphernalia area and the big hook for multiple potholders are great ideas. Please tell me where can I get a wooden flipper (spatula?) like yours? I have been looking around for one in stores and on line and I can't seem to find one.
Great job on the kitchen design and layout, but the total mix of strongly colored items spread around seems chaotic and make me slightly itchy. That said, the cabinets are gorgeous and I love the several paint colors used. Guess I just prefer more visual simplicity.
Beautiful! Thanks so much for this piece. Do you know the name of the shade/brand of the light grayish paint that was used on the ceiling and upper part of the walls?
WOW. What an aspirational kitchen. I love this kitchen so much.
My favorite kitchen tour by far!!!!! Love the outdoor seating too
I love this kitchen...it looks like a a 'working' one, rather than a show room. I, too, have a problem with the refrigerator, however. It should be counter-depth so it looks more built-in. Regarding the pot-filler over the stove. I thought I had to have one as well. Then I realized, you still have to carry the heavy pot filled with boiling water over to the sink to empty it. What's the point?
I love it! The different colored glass in the cabinet doors is splendid.
I'm also curious about the dishwasher. I'm in the market for one, so would like to hear what to avoid.
I really want to know about those two blue bowls.
I love this kitchen, it looks lively, fun and homey. I would love to be entertained in this space!!!
I like the linoleum, countertops, cabinets, and probably the subway tile thought I wish the crazing detail showed up better in photos. The floor is really blue (that's not just a reflection from the ceiling/walls)?
that's it, i'm moving in!
Would love to know the paint colors for the bi-color walls. Beautiful! Can we find out??
If you're talking about the blue, footed bowl (seen here: http://i-cdn.apartmenttherapy.com/uimages/kitchen/annettegutierrez-kitchentour-3.jpg ), I'm pretty sure that's a vintage Bauer Pottery piece.
I like that the fridge doesn't line up... so there is room for photos photos which can be magnetized on. When we moved into our house there was a formica panel on the fridge which didnt take magnets . ;( If anyone is interested in doors that open ALL the way to merge two rooms or kitchen and patio, there is a door system called Nana doors that does that.
There's a terminology problem in this post. This is not a "restoration" of a craftsman kitchen, it is a renovation, which included producing an entirely new kitchen in the craftsman style. The term "restoration" is generally used in the field to refer to restoring the original objects inhabiting the space, not to creating something from scratch. It's a beautiful house, and I would love to have this kitchen, but after reading the opening lines of the article I thought this was going to be about a restoration, which it is not.
Thanks for all the great comments. The hated dishwasher is more about function than form. I would love a Bosch. We have good friends in Berlin and we always marveled over the fact that they just throw in their dirty dishes without even a simple rinse and they actually come out clean. What a concept! But I like the stainless and black. As you can tell I don't like things to match too much.
Pottery is mostly vintage Bauer though some is available from our store new again or directly from Bauer (www.bauerpottery.com)
The lovely wooden spatula was a gift so I have no idea.
Yes you are right, it was a major renovation, not restoration. The original kitchen was completely different and the only way outside was to walk through the middle of it. The cabinets are solid wood but we actually did a simple renovation when we first got the house so we bought some of the cabinets then and reused them on this major renovations (hence why the fridge cabinet doesn't come out all the way which doesn't bother me but I understand the aesthetic issue...plus I love the photos)
The bar, the kitchen, the dining room...this is embarrassing, we eat in the living room. But all the areas get used one way or the other, especially during parties. If I had to chose I would probably get rid of the table and keep the bar and the dining room but luckily I didn't have to choose because I've had that old table forever and I love it.
The paint is all Benjamin Moore and I promise I will post what the colors are but I'm out of town at the moment so I don't remember off the top of my head.
Yes, the floor is actually blue and black. I kinda freaked out when I first did it as it was a tad stronger than I had imagined but then I took a deep breath and all was well. And it's great for not showing dirt!
Sorry, forgot about the bar stools and lights. Lights are from Roost in Sausalito carried by many fine home decor stores across the country (go on their site for a local retailer). Stools were from a really great manufacturer called Peddlers which is now defunct though I was just at the NY Gift show and saw something similar. I which I could tell you who to go to for retail. We don't sell them at my store because we really concentrate more on outdoor decor.
And believe it or not I did par down for this photo shoot but at the end of the day, I love my stuff, it's who I am...but I'm not offended at all by your itching.
Very nicely done. We are just finishing a kitchen remodel using IKEA Adel Medium Brown cabinets to within 2 inches of the ceiling; granite countertops, an Induction Cooktop and tons of LED down lights plus LED under cabinet lighting. I still have a bit of trim to finish, and we need to pick tile for a backsplash, but after a year this homeowner project is almost finished.
Beautiful. It is great to see a real working kitchen, rather than a showroom. The slag glass cabinet doors and the floor really make it for me. Makes me want to paint my kitchen.
FYI: We have a Bosch dishwasher and love it. Super quiet and awesome cleaning. I pre-wash nothing.
LOVE this kitchen ... would love to see the whole house, too! As for the pantry, I have a vintage, rustic cupboard for my linen cabinet. Hated the 80's, cheap, built in tract home one we had ... it was SO UGLY!!! So, we ripped it out, finished the wall, added flooring where it was, and put in the cupboard. Not as practical (holds less and the doors are a little funky to open and close) but I don't regret it!!
Pretty irrelevant, I know, but where did you get the great wall-mounted bottle opener? Thanks!
I've spent many nights hanging out in this amazing kitchen, eating incredible meals. Annette, I love your style and the way you make everyone feel at home in your wonderful home. Love the photos too!
I really like this kitchen, pretty much everything about it! The floors are awesome, I love the checkered look in colors other than the standard black/white. A question for Annette or anyone else with linoleum: do you need to do any special polishing or maintenance to keep them in shape?
Having the good fortune of attending a couple Christmas Eve parties at the Gutierrez's, the rest of the house and grounds are as fantastic as the kitchen! They are perfect hosts. I can't recommend Potted more highly - Annette and Mary have a perfect design eye.
That kitchen looks like a dream to use!
It encourages me to see a linoleum floor that looks so wonderful. It's my favorite type of kitchen flooring because of the way it feels, but it's so often seen as a "lesser" material. It's good to know you can have it and still look so lovely.
Aw, thank you guys for your kind words. As for the linoleum, yes there is a special sealer you put on it and then once in a while you "buff" it but in all honesty we never did it for this floor because it's so large we just couldn't make ourselves do it. I wish I had but at this point I just don't stare at it too closely.
And very funny you should ask about the bottle opener...it was a gift from my brother in law and I absolutely love it and just today I found the manufacturer at the NY Gift show so we will be selling them at Potted very soon. Check out our website in probably April (unless you happen to live in LA, then come by and see us!)
I love the look of this kitchen but cannot stand lino and while it fits very well here I'd much prefer tiles. To me all lino looks old and old-fashioned-obviously still traumatized by my university days. Also, I cannot understand why the splash-back tiles were so expensive-what is crazing? (Is that a US thing?) They look like plain white tiles to me so I'm not sure the photos are doing them justice if there is a special finish on them.
My first thought on seeing this kitchen was "oh my gosh that's my floor". We did green and black with a red border so we had ours painted. It's really pretty, but showing a decade of wear and tear. Any comments on the durability of linoleum?
Annette, please don't forget to tell us the paint colors. And if it's possible, not just the "blue" & "green" in the kitchen, I'd like to also know the names of the "yellow" and "orange" you used in the rooms we can see in the background. I LOVE how you made those transitions work. Thanks for so much inspiration.
For anyone who still wants to know the paint colors, please see today's (2/6/12) Apartment Therapy Home Tour of our whole house and I listed all the colors and you can see the rest of the house if you're interested.
Annette, I just wanted to say how absolutely lovely your kitchen is (and I'm an architect so I know about these things) and how lucky your husband is to have you to cook for (cause you seem pretty funny as well as knowing how to pick out potholders).