It started, as many renovation stories do, with a quiet frustration. The kind that builds over time: every time someone bumps into a corner cabinet, every time the dishwasher door blocks a walkway, every time a family gathering reminds you how little room there is to gather.
This Tierrasanta kitchen wasn’t broken. But it wasn’t working.
For this family, the dream was never about opulence or show-stopping drama. It was about flow. Light. Storage. A place to cook, of course, but also a place to be. With each other. With friends. With the rhythms of real life.
They didn’t need someone to just remodel a kitchen. They needed someone to help them imagine a different way of living in their home.
And they found that in Concepts by Design.
“She showed us more than one layout,” the homeowner recalled. “We had choices right away. And the designs weren’t just different—they were thoughtful. They actually helped us see what was possible.”
This is where Concepts by Design excels—not simply drawing up floor plans, but mapping lives. They don’t walk into a kitchen thinking about what to change. They walk in thinking about how people move, how they gather, where they pause, what they reach for.
The original kitchen layout was tight and boxed in. It pushed everything to the edges, creating dead zones in the middle and disconnecting the space from the rest of the home. Cooking meant isolation. Storage meant overflow into the garage. Hosting? A headache.
The first priority was redefining the boundaries. Not just opening up the kitchen, but expanding it. Literally.
A 6-by-20-foot addition would change everything.
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“We had a really tiny kitchen,” the husband said, standing in the finished space months later. “Now we have more cabinet space than we know what to do with.”
The addition wasn’t an afterthought. It was a surgical move—a way to carve out room for a massive island, longer countertop runs, deeper storage, and—perhaps most importantly—space to breathe.
The new kitchen feels generous without being excessive. It’s grounded in practicality, but elevated in its attention to detail. Light pours in through new windows. The flow is seamless. There’s space to prep, serve, clean, sit, and connect without bumping shoulders.
“You can cook while someone else is loading the dishwasher,” she said. “That never used to be possible.”
There are kitchens with islands, and then there are kitchens where the island is the center of gravity. This one falls into the latter.
“It’s the anchor,” said the homeowner. “We prep there. We serve food there. We do crafts. The kids hang out. It’s where we land.”
Concepts by Design worked closely with the couple to design an island that did it all: storage on one side, seating on the other, proportioned perfectly for the expanded space. It’s not just a surface; it’s a solution.
“It’s one of those things that you don’t realize how much you needed until you have it,” she added.
Nothing flashy. Nothing trendy. And yet, the kitchen feels fresh.
That’s the magic of Concepts by Design—quiet confidence. Together, they selected cabinetry in a soft neutral that reflects light without disappearing. The countertops are solid and subtle. The fixtures feel personal but not overly precious.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, “but we’re not afraid to live in it.”
Lighting plays a huge role. There’s ambient lighting for early mornings, task lighting for prep zones, and natural light flooding in through new windows that open the space to the outdoors.
And then there’s the storage—so much of it. What once lived in garage cabinets now has a place in the kitchen. Everything has a home.
“It just works,” they said. “It all works together.”
“We didn’t have to hunt down contractors or figure out who to call,” the couple said. “Concepts by Design helped with all of it.”
From hiring the right crew to guiding appliance selections, the project management was seamless. They brought clarity where there would’ve been overwhelm, and direction where most homeowners feel lost.
“There were hundreds of decisions,” they said. “But they helped us make each one with confidence.”
And when things inevitably came up—as they do on every project—Concepts by Design navigated them with calm, clear communication.
“They have great taste, yes. But they’re also just… steady. Which is exactly what you want when you’re going through something this big.”
Since finishing the renovation, life in the home has changed in a hundred subtle ways.
Meals are easier. Mornings are smoother. Entertaining is actually enjoyable.
But more than that, the space feels like it belongs to them now.
“We’re in here all the time,” they said. “We use every part of it.”
Whether it’s folding laundry at the counter, setting up for a party, or just sitting with a cup of coffee and a bit of sun pouring through the window—the kitchen finally feels like the heart of the home.
“I’ve already recommended Concepts by Design to so many people,” they added. “We couldn’t have done this without them.”
If your kitchen isn’t working for your life anymore, maybe it’s time to reimagine what it could be. Concepts by Design brings thoughtful design, expert planning, and calm leadership to every project—so you can feel confident every step of the way.
