Our clients love hosting a crowd, but their small Lafayette kitchen and distant dining room made it harder than it needed to be. We had plans to change that, and then the pandemic arrived just after demolition. With only one trade able to work at a time, the renovation took longer than expected.

We removed the wall between the kitchen and a small living room to create one generous space, with plenty of island seating for gatherings. Shaker-style cabinetry, a farmhouse sink, and a bridge faucet gave the room a familiar warmth.

But the island is the real story. Our client used a felled redwood tree from his Santa Cruz property to make the countertop himself. The challenge was its natural taper, which didn't lend itself to the rectangular shape we needed. Together, we came up with a solution: split the top lengthwise and insert a smaller piece of wood, with butterfly joinery adding a beautiful detail. We kept the live edge, too, allowing the tree's natural character to remain part of the finished kitchen.

It took patience to get here, but that redwood island makes the finished kitchen unmistakably theirs.