Saturday, May 22, 2010

WHeRE iT ALL cAME FROm... Deysi!!!

THIS BELIEVE IT OR NOT IS WHERE MY DESIRE TO BECOME AN ARCHITECT AND INTERIOR DESIGNER ALL CAME FROM. IT WAS MY CHILDHOOD HOME AND STILL MY FAMILIES CURRENT HOME IN LOS ANGELES. THIS CALIFORNIA 1927 SPANISH BUNGALOW WAS MY PROJECT IN THE MAKING OVER MY YOUNGER YEARS AND STILL SO IN THE PRESENT. IT WAS DURING RENO'S THAT I BEGAN TO DEVELOP THE DESIRE TO DESIGN AND SPACE PLAN AND ENVELOP MYSELF IN ALL THINGS DESIGN.

DRIVING AROUND THE MORE WELL TO DO NEIGHBORHOODS OF BEVERLY HILLS, LADERA HEIGHTS, AND ARCADIA OPENED MY EYES TO WHAT COULD BE IF ONLY WE APPLIED SOME TIME AND THOUGHT TO IT. oK...SO THE PAINT I CHOOSE LIKE 7 YEARS AGO...IT WAS A NICE GOLDEN SUNSET YELLOW BEFORE AND IT WILL PROBABLY GO BACK TO THAT AS SOON AS I GET MY MOM TO TRUST THAT ILL CHOOSE A NICE COLOR...THAT WAS THE WORST DECISION EVER...BUT ITS DONE...I THINK ITS TIME TO REPAINT. CANT REMEMBER MY THOUGHTS THEN BUT I ASSURE THE WORLD I WILL NEVER CHOOSE THAT PAINT COLOR AGAIN..



I DID GAIN MY PARENTS TRUST ENOUGH TO HAVE THEM ALLOW ME BEGIN RIPPING OUT OUR OLD NON FUNCTIONING KITCHEN, 3 DAYS BEFORE I MADE MY TRIP ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO BEGIN MY COLLEGE CAREER. JUST iMAGINE A DARK SANDSTONE COLORED PANELING WITH YELLOW STRIPES ALTERNATING FROM FLOOR TO CEILING... DARK CABINETS AND AVOCADO GREEN APPLIANCES. HIDEOUS RIGHT? i COULDN'T LEAVE BEFORE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT. I PLANNED THIS RENO ALL ALONE UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE OF MY MOTHER DEYSI, KEEPING BUDGET IN MIND AND STAYING TRUE TO THE SPANISH STYLE. a SOLID STONE WAS NOT AT THE TIME CLOSE TO BEING AN OPTION SO i TOOK A SPANISH TILE AND RUST COLORED GROUT AND USED IT AS THE BACK SPLASH AND THE COUNTER TOP TO BRING SOME INTEREST TO SEA OF WHITE TILE.

aFTER CAREFULLY MEASURING THE ROOM AND THINKING OF THE THINGS MY MOTHER WOULD NEED TO MAKE HER LIFE EASIER, I THOUGHT TO LOOK INTO THE CABINET MAKER AND FOUND AN GREAT CHOICE WITHIN MY BUDGET. hAVE TO LOVE MY LATINOS FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE...LOL... I CHOSE A STAIN THAT WOULD HAVE SOME FUN LATIN HUES AND KEEP THE SPACE BRIGHT GIVEN I WAS LOSING 2 EAST FACING WINDOWS...WE ALSO ADDED A BEDROOM AND BATHROOM BEHIND THE KITCHEN WHICH CUT ALOT OF NATURAL LIGHT FROM THE SPACE. I DIDNT KNOW I WAS GONNA HAVE THE MOST TROUBLE WITH MY MAKESHIFT CLIENT[MOTHER]...DEYSI WAS COMPLETELY OPPOSED TO A DISHWASHER...I MEAN SHE WAS SERIOUS ABOUT NOT NEEDING ONE...AND TIL THIS DAY DOES NOT USE IT...ITS BECOME STORAGE LOL..

oNE OF THE MAJOR THINGS THAT I USED TO DESPISE WAS THE DIVIDED KITCHEN AND LIVING ROOMS. mY MOTHER IS A COOK OF ALL COOKS THAT WILL SERVE AND FEED EVERYONE BEFORE SHE SITS TO EAT HERSELF. wHEN ENTERTAINING IN THE OLD KITCHEN I REMEMBER EVERYONE TRYING TO CROWD IN THERE AND IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE..OR EVERYONE WOULD BE IN THE DINING AND LIVING AREA AWAY FROM HER...SO I CHOSE TO OPEN THE WALL BEHIND THE STOVE WHICH WAS RECESSED IN THE DINING ROOM TO MAKE ROOM FOR A CHINA CABINET OR BUILT IN... IT WAS THE PERFECT PLACE FOR A BAR AND ACCENT LIGHTING. wORKS JUST AS I INTENDED IT TO. THE ONLY FLAW IS THE RANGE HOOD IS UP VERY HIGH AND SOMETIMES I THINK IT DOESN'T WORK EFFECTIVELY...EVEN AFTER ALL THE WORK TO CREATE A HOOD ENCLOSURE THAT WORKED WITH THE SCHEME.

aLL IN ALL MY INITIAL SKETCH TURNED OUT VERY SIMILAR TO THE ACTUAL THING... THE WASHER AND DRYER ENDED UP IN A CLOSET LIKE ENCLOSURE OFF TO THE SIDE RATHER THAN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE KITCHEN...I THINK THAT WAS BEST. USED SOME THRIFT STORE FINDS AND MADE A CUSTOM VALANCE THAT FINISHED OFF THE ACCESSORIES.

eVERYTIME I GO HOME I FALL IN LOVE WITH THIS SMALL KITCHEN. IT FUNCTIONS WELL...SPEAKS TO MY HERITAGE...AND WAS JUST WHAT DEYSI WANTED...I DESIGNED IT WITH HOPES THAT SHE WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE AND WOULD BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DO WHAT SHE LOVES...BECAUSE IF YOU EVER TRIED HER FOOD YOU'D KNOW SHE NEEDED A KITCHEN TO WORK FOR HER BECAUSE THE RESULTS ARE SPECTACULAR.

i LOVE WHERE IT ALL CAME FROM!!!

No comments:

Post a Comment