For private chefs, the kitchen is essentially their office — like an artist in a studio or a personal trainer in a gym. It’s supposed to be a space that inspires, encourages, and cultivates creativity. However, private chef Rebecca Taylor’s kitchen in her rustic 1960s Ojai, California, home was anything but that.
Her laundry list of problem areas was long and totally valid: “The kitchen island was a piece of plywood with stone contact paper over it, so you could immediately tell it wasn’t intentionally designed,” Rebecca says. “There was no ventilation hood above the stove, so years’ worth of grease had collected on the walls and ceiling. The appliances were dated, there were yellow tiles as backsplash that had to be removed, and the counter along the wall wasn’t L-shaped.”
Rebecca knew she would spend a ton of time in the room, either cooking for work or entertaining, so she wanted to create a “chef-style kitchen with a touch of personality.” Rebecca’s husband, Max, had poured new concrete countertops himself and painted the cabinets a lively shade of green (Valspar’s Sea Turtle) — both choices Rebecca immediately loved.
One element that wasn’t an immediate yes? The red oven Max selected. Eventually Rebecca leaned in; she embraced it, and even added more pops of red throughout the space. She credits the oven as the reason for all the color and patterns in the room.
Rebecca also needed a seating area for work and gathering. “I added those elements slowly, sourcing most things secondhand — including a glass door display case and hanging shelves for our collection of props, cookbooks, and personal items that help color the space,” she explains. “I added the nook recently because a long table with chairs just wasn’t functional. I work from home, so I needed my own little café corner — and it has more than exceeded that intention.”
The couple took their time transforming the space (about four years, although Rebecca says her projects are always ongoing). And although neither has a professional design background, they’re thrilled with the uniqueness of the space. “This kitchen is so ‘us.’ I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like it,” Rebecca says. “I pulled inspiration from years of travel, collected memories, childhood experiences, and simply working with the space as it was.”
The couple spent somewhere between $8,000 and $10,000 on the makeover — often in smaller installments of couple-hundred-dollar projects. When they’re not having dinner with their pup, Oli, the kitchen might be used as a workspace or creative hub. One day, Rebecca wants to turn it into a little shop.
“When you come to our home, the kitchen is the heart,” Rebecca says. “There are jars of things we’ve made and preserved from the yuzu and walnut trees around us. There’s always a playlist to match the mood, and we hope you leave feeling inspired and creatively alive.” To see more of this wonderful home, visit the full house tour on Apartment Therapy.