The raised concrete-perimeter foundation, central forced-air heating and public sewer are three fixed conditions this remodel has to work with. In a three-story wood-frame house, opening the kitchen to the living and dining rooms is not simply a matter of taking out a wall: the framing, existing floor levels and the way warm air reaches the larger room all affect how that opening should be made. This is Amy’s project plan for the house on Alsace Loraine Avenue in Alsace Lorraine, Half Moon Bay.
The kitchen connection, without losing the living room
The galley kitchen sits beside the living and dining area, but its eat-in space and side-yard outlook give it a different relationship to the rest of the ground floor. The living room already meets the dining area, and sliding doors connect that space to the patio. For a family in this house, the problem is that the kitchen remains a narrow work zone beside, rather than part of, the rooms where people gather. I would open the kitchen toward the dining area and give it a clearer connection to the living room, while keeping the route to the side yard and the patio doors legible.
This is a 1989 wood-frame house with three stories, so the opening has to respond to what the partition carries. The width should follow the framing that is actually there, not an assumed picture of an open-plan room. I would keep the kitchen’s water and waste connections near their present zone rather than make a long relocation the price of a more open view. The house is on public sewer, but the connection’s route is not specified; the raised foundation makes the space below the floor relevant to planning, not a guarantee of easy access. The kitchen’s granite counters are part of what is there now. If they are sound and suit the revised layout, keeping them would avoid replacing a durable surface just to make the room feel new.
The citywide sales pattern is useful context, not a design prescription: Redfin reports a 1978 median build year among 104 single-family homes that closed in the twelve months to November 2026, with 52% built before 1980 (Redfin sold data). This house was built in 1989, so I would work from its actual wood-frame construction and existing rooms, rather than impose a generic period look. Its two wood-burning fireplaces, one in the living room and one in the upstairs family room, are worth keeping as distinct gathering points.
One larger room, one heating system
The existing central forced-air system has to serve a ground floor that would become more connected. A closed kitchen and adjoining living and dining rooms can behave as separate zones; after the opening, the air paths and return locations matter more. I would first map the existing supply and return grilles, then shape the kitchen opening and any new ceiling or lighting work around what the system can support. That keeps the project from treating a wall opening as a purely visual change. The system’s capacity and duct layout are not provided, so they need to be checked before the final room and equipment decisions are fixed.
The house has a raised concrete-perimeter foundation and no basement. That supports a plan that avoids unnecessary changes to plumbing below the kitchen, while the floor surfaces at the kitchen and adjoining rooms should be measured before deciding how continuous the finished floor can be. I would choose one durable floor finish across the opened area only if the existing elevations allow a clean transition; otherwise, a deliberate threshold is better than a forced, uneven match.
Keep the fireplaces, quiet the exterior
The house’s gray horizontal siding, white window trim, brick chimney and red double front doors give the exterior its strongest contrasts. I would keep the chimney and trim, and consider a lighter, muted coastal color for the siding so the white edges read clearly without competing with the brick. The composition-shingle roof and multiple dormers are prominent parts of the three-story profile; I would leave their shape alone in this scope rather than turn a whole-home interior remodel into a roof redesign. A more restrained front-door color and carefully placed exterior lighting could make the entry feel calmer while preserving the house’s traditional character.
Upstairs, the family room separates the bedrooms and has its own fireplace and wet bar. I would keep it as a second, quieter gathering room instead of making the ground floor do every job. Reworking the bar into a compact kitchenette could make the upper floor more useful, but only if its plumbing and electrical needs fit the existing services. The finished attic already offers flexible space and a limited ocean view; enlarging its window could bring in more light, but that decision belongs with a review of the existing roof openings and structure.
For the family who owns a house like this, the finished plan would make the kitchen part of the conversation without erasing the living room, preserve two separate places to gather, and give the bedrooms a little more separation from ground-floor activity. If your house has this same mix of a tucked-away kitchen, multiple levels and rooms you want to connect without flattening its character, get in touch with Amy.
