This Designer’s SoCal-Inspired Kitchen Belongs On The Coast

Design decisions come easily to Tanya Krpan. When she’s working with clients, she’s able to offer options, make recommendations with confidence and, generally, keep renovation projects moving. She and husband Jure Krpan, a contractor and builder, frequently collaborate on clients’ homes. But for their own new-build, it was a different story. “It was agonizing designing for myself,” says Tanya with a laugh. “You know every option, and it has to be good! It took a lot longer.”

Tanya’s design goal for the kitchen was to create an open-concept hub with Southern California flavor that was adjacent to the living and dining rooms. The Spanish Colonial influence is seen in the repeated arches and the pale yet warm color palette. The open sight lines of the space inspired Tanya to make a bold move: she added a small, secondary kitchen (sometimes known as a wok kitchen) with a sink, range and pantry storage. “It’s very handy,” says Tanya. “It’s great for entertaining, and when you have three kids, you don’t want mess everywhere. You can just whisk everything away to the second kitchen.”

All of Tanya’s sweating the details have paid off: between meals, homework assignments, crafts and, of course, entertaining, her family spends most of their time at the kitchen’s large island. “Kitchens have a certain energy, and people are drawn to them.” Scroll down to learn more about the sunny space!