London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 21, 2025

An Architect’s Dream Kitchen Channels SoCal’s Laid-Back Vibes With a Fusion of Homey Materials

An Architect’s Dream Kitchen Channels SoCal’s Laid-Back Vibes With a Fusion of Homey Materials

Eric Olsen layered lustrous finishes with warm wood surfaces to create an inviting space for friends and family.

After several years living at the same address in Newport Beach, California, architect Eric Olsen and his family were ready for a change. Rather than move, they decided to rebuild on the same plot-reorienting the new structure toward views of the Pacific Ocean and excavating 11 feet into the hillside to create a two-story sunken courtyard. The resulting floor plan allows natural light to flood the rear-facing living spaces, including a handsome kitchen that Olsen outfitted with moody hues of navy, grey, and wood tones.



Architect Eric Olsen imagined a space that employs contrasting colors, textures, and shapes to create a warm and inviting interior. One of many such details includes a custom light fixture above the island, which he designed in collaboration with Buzzell Studios.

"Our home is certainly modern in terms of the emphasis on rectangular forms, as well as clean, horizontal and vertical planes; yet, the combination of tactile and organic materials creates a warm feeling," Olsen says. "For instance, we opted for steel windows and doors throughout the home, along with reclaimed French brick walls, stained Douglas fir ceilings, and dark-painted wall paneling-all of which works together to create a very textural, layered space."



The kitchen features oak cabinets stained in a dark grey and navy tile from Heath Ceramics. These darker elements are balanced by the tongue-and-groove wood ceiling and floors, as well as ample sunlight entering through the steel-framed glass doors.

In many ways, Olsen’s material choices harken back to the overall philosophy he brings to each project. "I always like to combine a number of different materials that not only vary in texture and color but also relate to one another-for example, juxtaposing dark and light, or smooth and rough," he explains. "The doors bring a ton of sunlight into the open-concept kitchen and living/dining room, so I designed the space with dark materials that would absorb instead of reflect a lot of that light."



Flanking both sides of the backsplash are grey Heath tiles that were installed backwards to reveal the unglazed side. Leathered granite countertops add yet another contrasting texture within the space.

"When I was in college, I studied at the Institute of Architecture in Venice, Italy, for a year, and I was blown away by the work of Carlo Scarpa, a Venetian architect whose attention to detail and use of materials made his designs both approachable and emotional experiences," Olsen adds. "Similarly, I did not want our home to feel pretentious in any way; it needed to be a fun, comfortable family home."



The kitchen also features a La Specialista Espresso Machine from De'Longhi, which allows Olsen to prepare the kind of bold espressos he recalls from his time in Italy. With variety and simplicity in mind, the La Specialista’s easy-to-use features also provide café-quality lattes and cappuccinos at home, while a separate hot water spout enables the creation of authentic Americanos or teas.

Olsen’s appreciation of design and detail extends to the everyday objects he and his family chose to surround themselves. "When the architecture of a home is on display, what you display in rooms such as the kitchen is also a very considered decision," he says. The Italian-designed La Specialista Espresso Machine from De'Longhi is a statement of purposeful design and craftsmanship in itself. Having easy access to authentic, espresso-based drinks also lends to the home’s laid-back comforts.



Olsen enjoys a cup of coffee made by the La Specialista machine. "It’s the perfect fit in a kitchen that is personalized for our own style and life," he comments.

"There’s a notion that a premium coffee-making experience is difficult to replicate at home," adds Maria Colon, VP of Marketing and Consumer Experience at De’Longhi. "The La Specialista offers features that assist in every stage of the coffee making process, ensuring the perfect, desired result. Yet there’s enough flexibility for aficionados that are a bit more advanced."



Another view of the glazed rear facade shows the wall of steel windows and doors that enclose the living area and kitchen.

As an architect, Olsen relishes the tactile experience, but appreciates things like the integrated sensor grinder for ensuring the optional bean ratio, or the Smart Tamping Station that applies just the right amount of pressure. The ritual of coffee making is also a sensory experience, one that he views as rewarding and calming, befitting the warmth of the home’s living environment.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
×