By Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar

When a California couple, both around age 50 and the founders of a creative marketing agency, purchased their 3,500-square-foot Spanish-style home in Los Feliz, Calif., in 2021, for $3.147 million, they were unfazed by its cramped 1920s kitchen, with its low ceilings and lack of circulation. They figured they could tackle the renovation once they moved in and enlisted designer Merissa Haas of Los Angeles--based studio M. Haas to lead the way.

At the time, Haas was living in Hawaii and took on the project remotely. Yet even from 2,500 miles away, she had a clear vision: to open up the kitchen by stripping it down to the studs and making it functional for a family of four. First, she removed the low false ceilings to expose the original wood rafters. She then reworked the layout to ensure better flow and create multiple hangout areas.

Haas blended her clients' love of Midcentury Modern design with the home's Spanish Revival architecture. There are Calacatta marble countertops, white oak cabinetry, unlacquered brass fixtures and Belgian black reproduction terracotta tiles underfoot.

Haas calls the island the kitchen's crown jewel. "The clients wanted a massive island, but didn't want a seam in the stone. The solution was to seamlessly bookend it with a walnut butcher block," she says.

The kitchen is filled with the family's favorite things: a full coffee bar with open shelves to display ceramic mugs, a record player ready for the next party and a green velvet couch perfect for after-dinner lounging.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 29, 2025 09:00 ET (14:00 GMT)

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