Check Out Melissa's California Kitchen
Only a fanatical home cook would buy a house and convert the entire living room into a kitchen — and that’s exactly what Melissa d'Arabian did. When the Guy’s Grocery Games judge and her husband, Philippe, first saw the 11-by-14-foot kitchen in this Coronado house, they knew the room wouldn’t cut it for their family of six (their four daughters are Valentine, 12, Charlotte, 11, and twins Margaux and Océane, 9). So the couple did some reconfiguring, turning the old kitchen into a guest bedroom and knocking down walls between the dining room, living room and family room to create one big space. The open plan now includes a small dining area, a den and an enormous kitchen where they have plenty of room for meal prep — and for hanging out with the kids and all their friends. The oversize quartz-topped island seats eight, but for parties (and they host some big ones here!) the island turns into a giant buffet table. "Food and community are really important to us," Melissa says. "That drove our design completely."
