Lars Remodeling Project

Canyon-View Second-Story Addition & Remodel in Kensington

A substantial San Diego remodel expands the home with a new kitchen and dining area, a second-story primary suite and guest bedroom, and two outdoor spaces oriented toward the canyon. Improved storage, circulation, and indoor-outdoor connections make the home more functional for everyday living while adding valuable new square footage.

Whole House Remodeling Additions Outdoor Living Normal Heights

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Remodeled San Diego kitchen with large island, white cabinetry, stainless appliances and wide canyon-facing window

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Project Highlights

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The new dining addition creates a more generous gathering space while opening the main living areas directly to the canyon-facing deck. Wide glass doors strengthen the indoor-outdoor connection, while continuous hardwood flooring visually links the dining room to the remodeled kitchen and improves circulation between cooking, dining and outdoor entertaining.

The remodeled kitchen pairs extensive white cabinetry with a darker island, giving the homeowners the contrast they wanted while adding substantial work surface and storage. Pendant and recessed lighting, hardwood flooring and a distinctive backsplash carry through their original design preferences while helping the kitchen feel connected to the surrounding living spaces.

The new second-story primary bath gives the homeowners a dedicated space within the expanded primary suite rather than relying solely on the home’s existing bathroom layout. A long double vanity provides separate grooming areas and useful storage, while the dark wood cabinetry and trim create visual continuity with other warm wood elements used throughout the remodel.

Extending outdoor living toward the canyon was an important part of the homeowners’ plans, and the new 387-square-foot cantilevered deck turns that goal into a substantial everyday living space. Its open railing preserves sightlines across the canyon, while direct access from the expanded interior makes the deck a natural extension of the home for dining, relaxing and gathering.

The 684-square-foot second-story addition adds a primary suite, full bath, walk-in closet and guest bedroom without separating the new construction visually from the original home. Coordinated rooflines, stucco and trim give the expanded exterior a cohesive appearance while the added floor provides the private living space the remodeled interior needed.

The Project Story

Designed for Daily Life

This Kensington remodel was designed to do more than refresh a few rooms—it reorganized and expanded the home to create more usable living space while taking better advantage of its canyon setting. The project combined a new kitchen, a 217-square-foot dining room addition, a remodeled hall bath, a pantry within the existing footprint, a 387-square-foot cantilevered canyon deck, and a 684-square-foot second-story addition with a primary suite, full bath, walk-in closet, guest bedroom, and its own 133-square-foot canyon-view deck.

Early planning focused on making the existing home feel more connected and functional. The homeowners wanted to extend the deck, while their kitchen preferences called for white cabinetry, contrasting dark quartz, a more playful backsplash, pendant and recessed lighting, and hardwood that would relate to the adjacent living space. They also preferred a drop-in cooktop with the oven directly below, keeping the cooking zone familiar and efficient. In the hall bath, limited clearance around the toilet due to the door swing influenced the selection of a compact round-front model.

The larger design challenge was fitting substantial new program into and above the existing house. Adding a second story required a new interior stair, while the dining addition and cantilevered canyon deck had to be thoughtfully integrated with the original footprint and the home’s canyon-facing orientation. The available project notes do not document a specific hidden-condition discovery or structural repair, so the project is best described as one of careful expansion and integration rather than remediation.

The finished layout gives the homeowners meaningful separation between shared and private spaces. Downstairs, the remodeled kitchen, added dining area, pantry, updated hall bath, and expanded deck support everyday cooking, gathering, storage, and indoor-outdoor living. Upstairs, the new primary suite creates a dedicated retreat with a full bath, walk-in closet, and canyon-facing outdoor space, while the guest bedroom adds flexibility for visitors or changing household needs.

Together, the additions and remodel increase usable square footage, improve circulation and storage, and create multiple ways to enjoy the canyon setting. The result is a more functional, comfortable home that supports daily life while adding long-term value through thoughtful expansion and better use of the property.