A California “Forever Kitchen” Gets an Airy Reno with Tall Ceilings, a Gorgeous Island, and Dog-Friendly Flooring

Name: Chryslene Rebeiro
Location: San Jose, California
How long have you cooked in this kitchen? Less than a year
How many people regularly eat together in your kitchen? 2 humans, 2 dogs

For now, husband-and-wife duo Chryslene Rebeiro and Karan Iyer share their home with just two dogs (Shadow, a German Shepherd, and Sol, a Siberian husky). But they hope to start a family soon and, before the coronavirus, they used to have relatives stay with them for weeks at a time. “For the first six months that we lived in our house, my sister was living with us too,” explains Chryslene. That time showed them just how crowded their small, closed-off kitchen was and motivated them to enlarge it when the time was right.

Chryslene works for a program called Climate Smart San Jose, which is focused on sustainability, so the couple also knew they wanted to update the space with smart, eco-friendly features. After two years of living in their new home, Chryslene and Karan were ready to renovate: They picked responsible materials, switched to an induction cooktop, and drastically opened up the space.

We caught up with Chryslene to talk about living at home during a remodel, finding the best flooring for dog owners, and how she knows she’s in her Forever Kitchen.

How did you and Karan meet? And how did you end up in California?
My husband and I grew up in the Middle East. He actually gave me my very first Valentine’s Day card in middle school. We dated a little in college and then in grad school. In 2013, we were both single at the same time and it worked out. Basically my whole family is here now. My parents moved to the Bay Area about a year ago. My brother is about 15 or 20 miles north, and my younger sister is nearby.

This is all so adorable! Did you do anything to your kitchen when you moved in?
We lived in our home for about two years before remodeling. The previous owners had green cabinets in the kitchen. We painted the cabinets white within a few months of moving in and saw what a difference that made. We knew we could improve it even more, but our real estate agent encouraged us to live in it for at least six months before making any changes. By doing that, we decided three things: The workflow wasn’t smooth, there wasn’t enough storage space, and the lighting was inadequate.

What were your design goals?
We wanted to modernize it and make it more sustainable. We wanted a kitchen that was spacious, open, airy, and filled with light. We went with a minimalist aesthetic that’s filled with earth tones. We wanted it to work for community cooking and be aesthetically pleasing without compromising utility.

How disruptive were the renovations?
Initially, we thought we would do just the kitchen and living room, but the project expanded in scope. We have a two-level home, so we lived upstairs part of the time. We had a wet bar and an Instant Pot and joked that it was like living in an Airbnb in your own house. Then, for part of it, we had to move out and live on our sister’s couch. Our dogs lived with her for a long time.

What’s the biggest change you made?
The biggest change was tearing down the wall that was between the kitchen and the living room before. Once it was gone, there was room for an island, which created a seamless transition between the two spaces. Now you can sit at the island and have a conversation with someone at the dining table or in the living room easily. And the kitchen no longer feels so isolated, which I like. We also worked with a structural engineer to open up the ceiling, taking space from a guest bedroom on the second floor.

Let’s talk materials! What did you choose for the countertops and backsplash?
We didn’t want to get something light because of stains. We cook a lot of Indian food, which calls for turmeric — and turmeric stains white surfaces. We spent several weeks looking. We ended up choosing quartzite in a pattern that reminded us of the Great Wave of Kanagawa, the woodblock print by the Japanese ukiyo-e artist Hokusai. It reminded us of water — of waves and the ocean. We had two slabs and we cut them in such a way that we were able to use them on the island, with a waterfall effect on both sides, and on the backsplash. 

What kind of flooring did you select?
The previous owners had laminate floors in their kitchen and carpet in the living room, which we lived with for a year-and-a-half. People like hardwood because it lends itself to a certain aesthetic, but almost everyone discouraged us from getting it because our dogs weigh 40 and 80 pounds, and both shed a lot. We were told that engineered hardwood would only last a couple of years because the dogs would scratch it so badly. The style we chose by Republic Flooring is a good imitation of hardwood — the look of oak, with knots in it, but it’s plastic with stone polymer inside that it makes it really tough. It’s been on the market for a few years, but not a lot of people are aware of it, even though it’s FloorScore certified by SCS Global services for contributing to better indoor quality. I wanted a light shade that would hide both scratches and hair. After living in it and seeing how much the dogs run, we think we made the right choice. Especially because we love chasing our dogs around the island!

Can you talk a little bit about why you switched from gas to induction cooking?
At work, we encourage residents to move to all-electric homes, because natural gas releases particulate matter, which is not good for air quality, particularly for kids and seniors. Because I work in the sustainability field, that was important to me. Plus, induction cooktops heat really quickly and are energy-efficient. 

What do you and Karan like to cook?
We enjoy trying out different cuisines. In addition to Indian, we cook Mediterranean, Chinese, and Thai a lot. We like to grill and do different kinds of BBQs. Dessert is a big thing for us, too. I make this Nutella ganache pie for my younger sister who lives nearby. And we’ve brewed beer in the kitchen before!  

Do you usually entertain a lot?
Yes. We love sharing our home with friends and family. We’ve hosted delicious dinners and cooking sessions with family and friends. Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving celebrations have been fun because we’ve had turkey chili (to have some element of turkey) and I made a tandoori chicken. Once, we had 25 guests and ate pork shoulder and everything under the sun. Some ate at the island, some at our expandable dining room table, and some sat on sofas.

What do you love most about your finished kitchen?
I love that it’s so much more spacious and open now. The ceilings were 9 or 10 feet before. Now they are 14 feet. Also, there is a lot more light now. In addition to opening up the space, we removed a trellis outside that blocked a lot of light from coming in. 

How do you know this is your forever kitchen?
We spent hours designing a kitchen that’s functional, beautiful, and also an extension of our living room. The end result of our renovation was exactly how we pictured it to be. We coupled it with other projects in the house, so we have our forever home already. And again, we have family nearby, so we have no reason to move. 

We certainly wouldn’t move out of this kitchen! Thanks for sharing, Chryslene!