Opening the kitchen to the living spaces
In this 1972 two-story stucco home on Estrella Place, the kitchen is currently defined by a partition that separates it from the living and dining rooms. The family wants these rooms to function as one open space, so my plan centers on removing the wall between the kitchen/family room and the dining and living areas. The house’s open-beam ceilings, vaulted living room, and already open connection between living and dining provide a strong foundation for this change. The property record confirms a kitchen/family combo, but the partition between kitchen and living spaces is still present.
On the kitchen side, the partition currently divides the kitchen from the main living area, with wood-look flooring running throughout. On the living and dining side, the vaulted ceiling, large corner windows, and suspended fireplace create a dramatic, light-filled space oriented toward the pool and yard. The entryway, with its tall ceiling, glass sidelights, and black door, sits adjacent to these main rooms, reinforcing the home’s modernist geometry.
This wall likely carries some load, given the home’s two-story structure and open-beam ceiling. In a house with composition and elastomeric flat roofing, like this one, a load-bearing wall between kitchen and living is common. If the wall is structural, a new beam or flush header would be required to support the ceiling and any upper-level loads. A dropped beam would interrupt the open-beam line, while a flush header could maintain ceiling continuity, provided the framing above allows it. My priority is to achieve the cleanest possible opening that the house’s structure supports, so I would have the wall’s framing traced before finalizing the design.
The wood-look flooring in this home makes floor continuity critical. Before removing the wall, I would check if the flooring runs beneath it and compare finished heights on both sides. If the existing flooring cannot be seamlessly continued, I would specify a new, compatible surface to run through the connected kitchen, dining, and living areas, avoiding any patched thresholds that would diminish the open effect.
Reworking the kitchen in the new space
Once the wall is removed, the kitchen island can become the hub for weekday meals and homework, connecting the kitchen to both the dining area and the living room’s large windows with pool views. The kitchen is already equipped with a gas cooktop, built-in electric oven, double oven, and 220-volt electric service, as listed in the MLS record. Before selecting new appliances, I would verify the electrical panel’s capacity and the location of circuits, since the home’s 220-volt service is a starting point but not a guarantee for supporting an induction range or additional ovens.
The kitchen’s main sink should stay oriented toward the yard if the plumbing allows, taking advantage of the view and keeping the work zone connected to the rest of the household. The current kitchen/family combo suggests the plumbing is already in a favorable location, but moving the sink across the room could require opening the floor and rerouting waste piping. The property record does not specify whether the foundation is slab or crawlspace, which affects how drains can be moved. I would confirm the foundation type and drain route before finalizing the island’s position.
For the new island, I would ensure drawers and everyday dishes are accessible for children, keeping them out of the direct cooking zone. An island hood would need a planned exhaust route through the home’s flat, composition and elastomeric roof, and its airflow must be coordinated with the home’s central heating and cooling to ensure proper makeup air.
Connecting comfort and views
With the kitchen, dining, and living areas functioning as one space, the home’s central heating, cooling, and ceiling fans must be evaluated for how they serve the larger volume. The house features two fireplaces, including a suspended cone-shaped fireplace in the living room, and cathedral/vaulted ceilings with clerestory windows. I would check the supply and return air locations to ensure comfort throughout the open space, especially given the Davis climate zone 12 and the home’s orientation to the pool and yard.
The living room’s corner windows and fireplace should remain the visual anchor of the space, with the kitchen designed to complement, not compete with, these features. The television would be placed on a solid wall away from the main windows, and the island’s seating would be kept out of the main path between kitchen and patio. Lighting would be layered: focused task lighting at counters and the island, softer light over the dining area, and dimmable ambient fixtures that work with the tall ceilings and clerestory windows.
Finishes and local requirements
The home’s smooth white stucco exterior, black-framed glazing, and exposed beams give it a strong late modern character. I would keep the walls a warm white, run a calm wood-tone floor through the main spaces, and add a subtle textured finish to the dining wall for depth. The fireplace surround could be simplified for a cleaner look against the vaulted living room, and window treatments would be chosen to soften afternoon light while preserving views of the garden and pool.
For the bathrooms and any new landscaping, the City of Davis requires water-efficient fixtures and encourages drought-tolerant planting. I would specify water-saving fixtures and ensure the family confirms requirements with the City Building Division. (City of Davis Building Division)
The lot’s Yolo silty clay loam soil, with its well-drained profile and up to 3.9% shrink-swell, supports lush landscaping and mature trees, as seen in the current yard. The home sits in FEMA flood zone X, with minimal flood risk, and is connected to public sewer and water, which is relevant for any plumbing changes.
If you are ready to open up your own Estrella Place home, I would love to talk through the wall, the structure, and the first steps toward a more connected living space.