To make it happen, she asked the home’s original architect, Edan Asturi, to consult on the renovation, and a new kitchen was born. With the wall removed, that once-hidden window takes a starring role. The real estate gained by uniting the rooms meant Northart could include a pair of islands. One serves as a work area with storage and a dishwasher. The other, dubbed “the chef’s table,” is movable and offers a casual spot for dining, accommodating up to 10. “Everyone always wants to hang out in the kitchen, and in this one they easily can,” the designer notes. Asturi and Northart’s collaboration set off a domino effect of impactful changes executed by general contractor Cam Fraser and his team. “We improved the connection between the breakfast room and kitchen, we opened the kitchen to the living room, and we enlarged the dining room,” the architect says. “The new layout is much more modern than the previous one.”When working on a home, Northart, an avid hiker, often looks to the landscape. “I’ll walk around properties collecting small tree branches and leaves and then bring them to the office for color and texture inspiration,” she notes. She employed the same technique here, and the olive trees, old oaks and grapevines around the site informed many of her choices, which leaned toward creamy shades of tan (like the plaster walls selected to harmonize with the exterior) and the occasional flourish of green (such as the sage-hued kitchen cabinetry). One exception to her light-colored palette is the guest bedroom, where dark paneled walls create a cozy, cocooned feeling. “My designs are usually elegant, approachable and earthy,” the designer explains. “But there were some areas in this house that I thought should be dramatic and dark.”