Laura Birns Design - Magazine Articles on Del Mar Great Room

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.: Better Homes And Gardens Kitchen and Bath Ideas, May/June 2008 'GREEN WE ENVY'
.: San Diego At Home Magazine - April 2008 'GREENER PASTURES'
.: Better Homes And Gardens Kitchen and Bath Ideas, May/June 2007 'GREEN GETAWAY'
.: San Diego At Home Magazine - April 2007 'GOING GREEN'

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San Diego Magazine First Place Winner

2001 BEST KITCHEN Designed by a Professional

By Virginia Butterfield July 2001

This kitchen is part of a "great room" that was created by taking down the interior walls of the second story of a remodeled house. The actual kitchen workspace was limited (15 by 8 feet), and the space is galley-like. The trick was to open up this space to create a sophisticated -- as well as functional -- environment. The family does much entertaining, so it was important that an atmosphere of gracious elegance prevail, yet the kitchen also had to feed a family that includes a 10-year-old and friends.

Then owners went to designer Laura Birns with an idea. They wanted something contemporary, but not too cold. The husband's taste leaned toward industrial, Birns says, the wife's toward a warm look. "Somewhere in the middle, we got it," says Birns.

By removing the heavy oak cabinetry and the busy blue tile that had covered the counters, the splash and part of the wall, the space was allowed to breathe. The goal was to simplify but to keep a sophisticated look.

"The simpler you get, the more difficult." says Birns. "Nothing can be hidden. The design must be clean. Any miscalculation in craftsmanship can't be hidden. There can be no disruption. Everything must be open and clean."

The Bendheim glass cabinets are textured, and because of its unusual thickness, the frames -- oversized and over-height -- are custom designed. The body of the cabinets facing the living space is maple, with a bronze kick. The glass counter is a custom-made curved piece of tempered glass. The unique, asymmetrical curves in the base cabinetry create movement within this long space.

The countertop is honed black slate with marble full-height splash. A 24-inch-square butcher block is strategically placed next to the stovetop.

San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles Magazine Winner

2001 BEST KITCHEN

By Wayne Carlson June 2001 - Breathing Space

Laura Birns said she "nearly suffocated" when she entered her Del Mar clients kitchen for the first time. It was small, dark, clunky and claustrophobic.

"They do a lot of entertaining, and they wanted to simplify, update and open up the space to create an atmosphere of gracious elegance and congeniality," Birns said.

Birns did all that, and much more, creating a rich, bright, undulating space that's now part of -- not apart from -- the rest of the house. Centerpiece of the space is an island with eating counter that beautifully blends honed black-gray-green slate, robin's-egg-blue marble, glass, maple and bronze.

"The kitchen is just 15 by 8 feet, but when we removed the busy original tile, heavy oak cabinetry, enclosing walls and miscellaneous wood details, the space was allowed to breathe," Birns said.

Now the space not only breathes, it sings.

Held by steel and bronze bracket, a curved tempered-glass counter floats over the slate-topped island, faced with an arc of maple and a monolithic marble slab that rises to form the backsplash. A built-in 24 inch square maple butcher block is embedded in the slate.

The drawers are big, painted a bold blue, with stainless-steel pulls. Textured- glass panels with stainless frames adorn oversized upper cabinets. Appliances including a pair of Viking dishwashers, are stainless steel.

"What an inspired use of space and light," said juror Linda Medina. "I just love the Del Mar blue!"

Juror Amiko Gubbins gave high grades to the lighting and clean lines. "I also like the flow -- the open floor plan makes the space seem larger."

"A very strong entry." agreed juror Richard Gatling. "The kitchen now is well integrated into the whole house. The project is well thought out. The designer achieved what we all want with a small kitchen space -- one that looks and works much larger."