This Campbell, California remodel was close to designer Cathie Hong’s heart. “It’s coincidentally just a few doors down from my own childhood home,” she tells us. “The area is quaint, mostly residential, with many parks and small shops nearby.”

The homeowners—Cathie’s clients—are a family of four, including two children in elementary school. “They’re a homebody family with a software engineer dad who works from home and a homeschooling mom of two children” Cathie says. “They love to host often and wanted to make their home a place where each guest could feel a sense of belonging and feel like part of their family.”

The house had undergone a few cosmetic updates over the years, with new flooring, paint, and lighting, but overall, it felt a bit cramped and the bathrooms were particularly dated. “The project was originally supposed to be phased to be a primary bathroom remodel first, then a kitchen remodel,” Cathie shares. “It was challenging to find a good contractor who was willing to take on a single bathroom project, so we decided to roll it into one large project, which evolved to include the second guest bathroom as well.” 

The family’s top request was for a larger kitchen with plenty of natural light, warm and organic materials, and an open deck to enjoy California’s indoor/outdoor lifestyle. “They also wanted to maximize the storage in each space and make it so the rooms could be multi-functional as a schoolroom, office, play space, formal meeting space, dining room, and guest room as needed,” the designer explained. They developed the floor plan with their architect BK Kim of Story Build Design.

Cathie says that the interior style is “minimalist Japandi with soft, warm tones, shades of beige and brown, and a less-is-more aesthetic.” The primary bathroom and bedroom had a small adjacent atrium, which they took advantage of. “We turned their dark bathtub/shower combo bathroom into a bright and airy primary walk-in shower by adding a large picture window in the shower that looked out to the atrium, which we redid with a wood slat siding, decking, and a Japanese maple tree,” Cathie explains. “We also softened the finishes in the bathroom with a reeded floating vanity, custom medicine cabinet mirror, a marble countertop, and roman clay walls.” In the guest bathroom, they added Japanese kitkat tile to the vanity wall and a subtle terrazzo tile on the floors. 

The kitchen was the greatest transformation, with new high ceilings, a glass wall, muted rift white oak and warm white custom cabinetry with custom integrated handles from local millwork shop Strong Cabinetry, and warm bronze fixtures. In the adjacent living room, they added a new built-in reading nook with a large picture window to the backyard and plenty of storage below. 

The designer says the remodel took about 14 months, and the clients were thrilled. “They were grateful for all the people who worked with them on their home and happy to use their home exactly how they envisioned it.”