Looking at Ayse and Haluk Tezcan’s home in Davis today, you’d never guess that the remodeled downstairs space was once a collection of architectural oddities. A weird curved island curtained off the kitchen, a bank of skinny windows rudely interrupted views of the yard, three kinds of tile covered the floor, one-half of a split double stairway was almost useless. . . . Enough said. “This is where we live now,” Ayse says about the new configuration, which unified the kitchen, computer center, and dining and entertaining areas into one big room. “We wanted a place that had good flow and where we could cook and eat and talk, have fun and get our family together,” she says. By working with MAK Design + Build Inc. of Davis on a four-month overhaul, that’s precisely what the couple got. Here’s good news: You can see for yourself how smart design, the right materials and spot-on color selection banished visual clutter and modernized the look and function. The Tezcans’ home is one of six featured on the Heart of the Home Tour in Yolo County, Oct. 20. Check it out. It’s well worth the price of admission.
THE HEAVY LIFTING: MAK Design + Build Inc. of Davis won a 2011 Contractor of the Year award from the Greater Sacramento chapter of NARI (National Association of the Remodeling Industry) for the project. Pearson Hardwood of Davis installed 1,000 square feet of maple flooring.
RENOVATION RUNDOWN: Updated floorplan, adding about 160 square feet to the original footprint; replaced windows and doors, rearranged positions of kitchen appliances, flush-mounted the refrigerator, built new kitchen island, countertops, tiled backsplash. Redesigned and reconstructed cabinetry, bookshelves and fireplace; demo’d half of the peculiar stairway to make way for a pantry, added a second row of upper cabinets and tons of storage in the kitchen.
KEY ELEMENTS: Ayse chose bold red dragon granite for the countertops, island and desk in the computer center.
DESIGN ACCENT: There’s a slim, eye-catching accent band of the granite above the new fireplace with copper surround.
ON THE ISLAND: Recycle center, dishwasher, double stainless steel sink. Hidden steel brackets support the breakfast bar without legs or corbels. So cool.
COLOR STORY: Ayse selected a green color she calls ÇaÄŸla for the walls. It’s a Turkish word for the color of almonds when they are fresh and soft, she explains.
CREATURE COMFORTS: A dining table with benches is great for everyday use and perfect for parties. “We want everybody at the table, and we want it to be fun and casual,” Haluk says.
Twofer: When MAK Design + Build aligned the refrigerator with the front edge of the countertop, it also created a super-deep cabinet right next to the appliance. The niche is just the right size for keeping a family favorite close at hand: a commercial-grade blender/juicer for whipping up smoothies. Cabinets are alder wood with a sesame-colored finish.
