When this Montecito couple decided to transform their home into an authentic Spanish Colonial Revival masterpiece, they knew the kitchen would be a big part of the remodel.
What started as a modest cooking space became an 11-foot-wide culinary showcase—complete with dual La Cornue ranges, hand-plastered walls, and a hidden walk-in pantry disguised behind antique icebox doors.
Follow along as I share 30+ construction photos documenting how local artisan builders brought this luxury Spanish kitchen from a bare studs gutted shell… to a chef-worthy entertaining space.
Historically, many of the kitchens in early Spanish Colonial Revival homes were small and tucked away in a corner of the house. Larger estate homes had adjacent butler pantry rooms, but other kitchens were mostly simple, functional spaces to work in.
But today, there is a high demand for redesigned kitchens in high-end Spanish homes. These modern kitchens are made to be charming. At the same time, they are now being designed to become luxurious areas for enjoying and entertaining family and friends.
Spanish kitchen design Features Worth Noting
The pièce de résistance of this high-end Montecito Spanish kitchen design is the unusually wide cooking alcove.
The chefs cooking area is approximately 11 feet wide. Follow along as I show you how it was built.
Here you can see how the cooking alcove was initially created. It was framed with an engineered beam to span the full width of the space. Also, see how the wood beams are supported by the wall and ceiling framing.
A wide arch is framed next to the cooking alcove. The steps lead to the dining room, which are being framed with corbel details. An antique Spanish door is being installed in the far background.
An Artisan builder cuts custom wood venting. In the background you can see how blue board was installed at the cooking alcove. Blue board is the recommendation for veneer plastering, applied throughout the interior of this Spanish home.
Bags of veneer plaster are stacked in a central location in the house. This way the plasterers have easy access to their supplies as they work throughout the main level of the home.
Several weeks later, all of the blue board had been hung, and veneer plaster finishes applied. Here, a door specialist install antique door hardware on a Spanish arch top panel door.
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Planning a Spanish Colonial Revival kitchen design
Building a luxury Spanish Colonial Revival kitchen can include incorporating classic details from the era they first became popular in Montecito. There are countless decisions that go into creating a one-of-a-kind space. Each move you make will add to the unique character and design of your home.
The talented project owners are a great team. He has a building background, and she is an amazing designer. Here they cut a foam mock up for an exterior component for the facade of their home.
In the background, a new 42″ refrigerator is ready to be installed in one of the bays on the left wall. Positioned alongside a 42″ freezer, a 3rd bay is being built out as secret walk-in pantry. Fridge, freezer and pantry doors will be hidden behind an “antique ice box” facade.
Here, the homeowner, general contractor and talented cabinet makers have an impromptu meeting. They are deciding on the perfect placement for the nickel plated antique icebox hinges and handles. The project is both decorative and functional.
Here the cabinet maker installs one of the heavy metal latches for the fridge door.
The homeowners confirm the installed antique icebox handles are properly positioned for their easy use. The faux icebox doors were fabricated using high density fiberboard. This particular door was designed to hide the walk-in pantry.
The “Ice Box” wall is now complete. The hidden walk-in pantry on the far left, and the fridge and freezer units next to it. A perfect Spanish Colonial Revival kitchen design solution to hide the necessary large appliances.
Planning Spanish Colonial Revival Kitchen Details
Every surface of a high quality Spanish Colonial Revival kitchen will have design details that need to be addressed. Countertop edge details, cabinetry function and layout to backsplash materials.
On this day, the homeowners rough in a design for a custom sink backsplash to be cut from a slab of soapstone.
They placed a rough paper template (cut for the Spanish-style backsplash) on the wall to see how the shape would look with the surrounding elements, like the open shelving.
The general contractor discusses the technical aspects of the project. Getting the Spanish Colonial Revival sink backsplash to align with faucet plumbing was the task at hand in this photo.
Here, custom built open shelving with traditional Spanish-style wood brackets are mounted to the newly cured veneer plastered wall.
The cabinetmaker installs a furniture base detail to the bottom of the wood cabinets.
AFTER Photo: This is how the oversized farmhouse sink backsplash turned out. It fits perfectly with the surrounding Spanish Colonial Revival details.
Spanish kitchen design Ideas For Small Spaces
Montecito Spanish ADU’s (accessory dwelling units), guest houses and apartments can be improved with quality kitchen design features.
In another room not to far from the main kitchen, a mother-in-law apartment is being built. It is designed with a private entrance and could easily be used as a Spanish-style ADU. The backsplash and open shelving designs from the main kitchen were built into this small kitchen, as well.
This is how the apartment kitchen turned out once all the details were completed. My book sits on top of a leathered soapstone countertop.
AFTER Photo: The completed small Spanish style ADU kitchen. White cabinets and open shelving, soapstone countertops, terra cotta clay floors and dark stained beams. All look great with the Santa Barbara white veneer plaster on the walls, and the antique arch top door.
Materials & Finishes For Spanish Colonial Revival Kitchen Remodels
Materials and finishes are a big part of designing a Spanish Colonial Revival kitchen in Montecito. Lots to think about as you plan and build your own project.
This homeowner chose to do an entire wall of Calacatta Gold marble as a backsplash. Slabs were imported from Tuscany, Italy. The veining in Calacatta Gold is more pronounced than common Carrara marble.
Here the expert plasterer applies a thin coat of veneer plaster to a corner of the cooking alcove hood. He works the plaster with a tool for a natural, hand-formed bullnose edge detail (versus common metal bullnose you can get at Home Cheapo:)
AFTER PHOTO: A close up of the kitchen island with upholstered chairs, and two oversized pendant lights overhead. Also, the completed farm sink backsplash made of soapstone.
Installing Spanish Colonial Revival Flooring
Many of the Spanish homes I have designed include the Spanish clay floor patterns used a hundred years ago in Montecito and Santa Barbara.
Here an expert Spanish clay floor installer sets the Spanish Colonial Revival Squares and Pickets design pattern. Click the feature length story to see dozens more photos of his process for installing this floor.
AFTER Photo: A thick arch passageway leads from the dining room into the kitchen and family room. Note the Spanish-style recessed thermostat box and old style push button light switches. Nice design details and touches you can include in your own build, as well.
AFTER Photo: This is the completed Spanish Colonial Revival family room adjacent to the kitchen. Details include a simple fireplace design, dark stained wood ceiling beams. Plaster corbel details at the passage way, and Tecate clay floors in the classic Squares and Pickets floor pattern.
The ceiling was enhanced with real wood beams. The center beam supports the wall that was removed so the kitchen could be open to the family room.
Spanish Kitchen Design: More Details to Consider
An 11 foot long iron pot holder bar was installed along the full length of the cooking alcove. A wall niche was also incorporated into the nook. Unlacquered outlet plates combined with black outlets coordinate nicely with the La Cornue range finishes.
A pot filler was installed on the wall of Calacatta Gold marble. The oversized rectangular pieces were laid out in a herringbone pattern.
If you would like to learn more about the range ovens you can Find a La Cornue dealer near you HERE.
AFTER Photo: A final shot of the two separate 30 inch La Cornue ranges installed side by side. The 11 foot long bar with pans and utensils add a touch of class and yet another detail that went into this modern day Spanish kitchen design and renovation.