Decorating & Design
This Designer’s SoCal-Inspired Kitchen Belongs On The Coast
Published on November 5, 2020

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!

“I’ve always been a fan of brass; I love it and wasn’t afraid of it,” says Tanya, referring to the three scenestealing pendants over the kitchen island. “It’s my home, so I could just go for it!”

“For families, the more seating you can get around the island, the better,” she says. “We took a chunk out of the storage capacity of our island to get in another stool around the corner.”

“We used a Carrara marble slab as the backsplash,” says Tanya. “It’s expensive so, to save a little, we finished the slab at the line of the cabinets and had drywall above.” Nestled in the arch over the kitchen’s main sink are statement sconces.

Mixed with brass hardware, the white faucets are unexpected and fresh. A small, secondary kitchen is tucked behind this door.

Tanya’s choice to combine white oak cabinets with high-gloss white, different marble for the backsplash and island, and engineered stone on the counters moves the eye around the space while maintaining visual harmony.

Every home needs a spot where keys and mail can be dropped and messages can be jotted down. Tanya created this one with open shelving to allow for a little prettiness, too

The dining table runs parallel to the island in the open-concept space. Tanya had it custom-built to accommodate a big crowd.
Janis Nicolay
House & Home Kitchens + Baths 2020
Tanya Krpan