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OTM Designs & Remodeling Inc.
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Pro Spotlight: 3 Steps to a More Inviting Interior
A Sherman Oaks builder shows how opening up your home can give you more light and space
Contenido patrocinado
Who: Offer Steuer of OTM Designs & Remodeling
Where: Sherman Oaks, California
In his own words: “An open floor plan can make your kitchen and living-dining room area more inviting.”
Designing an open floor plan isn’t just about knocking down walls between your kitchen and living area to create more space. “The kitchen is the social center of your house,” says Offer Steuer, the owner of OTM Designs & Remodeling in Sherman Oaks. “It’s where family and guests tend to congregate. Opening up the floor plan can create more light, better flow and an overall more inviting space.”
Where: Sherman Oaks, California
In his own words: “An open floor plan can make your kitchen and living-dining room area more inviting.”
Designing an open floor plan isn’t just about knocking down walls between your kitchen and living area to create more space. “The kitchen is the social center of your house,” says Offer Steuer, the owner of OTM Designs & Remodeling in Sherman Oaks. “It’s where family and guests tend to congregate. Opening up the floor plan can create more light, better flow and an overall more inviting space.”
Hands-on builder. Steuer started as a one-man construction operation in the late ’80s and now manages OTM, a design-build firm that specializes in kitchen and bath remodels. “I mostly oversee projects, but I still enjoy everything from laying tile to framing walls,” he says. “It’s a great feeling to be part of turning our clients’ visions for their homes into reality.”
3-D design. “You want to use every inch of available space in the most effective way possible,” Steuer says. “We use three-dimensional computer design that allows for inputting the exact dimensions of every drawer and shelf, how far the island is from the room perimeters, the available space for appliances — everything. You get a 360-degree view of the finished remodel. That way, there are no surprises during the building stage.”
Below are Steuer’s steps for opening up your home to create a more inviting interior.
Below are Steuer’s steps for opening up your home to create a more inviting interior.
1. Combine Spaces
Take down the wall that divides the kitchen and the adjacent space, typically the living or dining room. “Check to see if it’s a supportive wall,” Steuer says. “If not, there’s no reason not to open up the space and create a better flow.”
Before Steuer and his team removed the wall separating the kitchen from the dining-living room of this Northridge home, there was a 32-inch opening between the rooms, and the kitchen was quite dark. “We created an opening of nearly 20 feet wide, which brought in lots of natural light and brightened up the entire space,” Steuer says. “We also removed the tile in the kitchen and the carpet in the other room, and installed wood flooring throughout.”
See more of this project
Take down the wall that divides the kitchen and the adjacent space, typically the living or dining room. “Check to see if it’s a supportive wall,” Steuer says. “If not, there’s no reason not to open up the space and create a better flow.”
Before Steuer and his team removed the wall separating the kitchen from the dining-living room of this Northridge home, there was a 32-inch opening between the rooms, and the kitchen was quite dark. “We created an opening of nearly 20 feet wide, which brought in lots of natural light and brightened up the entire space,” Steuer says. “We also removed the tile in the kitchen and the carpet in the other room, and installed wood flooring throughout.”
See more of this project
2. Bring in the Outdoors
Take full advantage of natural light and outdoor views by removing obstructions to give your new space an airy, expansive feel. That could be a wall or, in the case of this Studio City home, a massive free-standing fireplace.
The fireplace, which had sat between the kitchen and living room, not only took up a lot of space but also blocked a lot of natural light. “We broke down the fireplace to combine the living room, dining room and kitchen into one airy space with beautiful views of the greenery in the yard,” Steuer says.
See more of this project
Take full advantage of natural light and outdoor views by removing obstructions to give your new space an airy, expansive feel. That could be a wall or, in the case of this Studio City home, a massive free-standing fireplace.
The fireplace, which had sat between the kitchen and living room, not only took up a lot of space but also blocked a lot of natural light. “We broke down the fireplace to combine the living room, dining room and kitchen into one airy space with beautiful views of the greenery in the yard,” Steuer says.
See more of this project
3. Lighten Up
Add plenty of lighting to brighten up areas that don’t get a lot of natural light. “Sometimes knocking down walls alone doesn’t provide the light and airy feel you want,” Steuer says. “The right lighting can make a room feel larger.”
Steuer and his team designed this Sherman Oaks kitchen using LED recessed lights in the ceiling and undercabinet lighting that accentuates the streamlined design features. Pendant lights over the island and a contemporary chandelier over the breakfast bar also brighten the room and make it feel more spacious.
See more of this project
More: For more information on Offer Steuer and examples of his work, visit OTM Designs & Remodeling’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Add plenty of lighting to brighten up areas that don’t get a lot of natural light. “Sometimes knocking down walls alone doesn’t provide the light and airy feel you want,” Steuer says. “The right lighting can make a room feel larger.”
Steuer and his team designed this Sherman Oaks kitchen using LED recessed lights in the ceiling and undercabinet lighting that accentuates the streamlined design features. Pendant lights over the island and a contemporary chandelier over the breakfast bar also brighten the room and make it feel more spacious.
See more of this project
More: For more information on Offer Steuer and examples of his work, visit OTM Designs & Remodeling’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
For over 30 years, OTM Designs & Remodeling Inc. has been recognized as one of the leading residential General... Leer más
Valoración de Lance West:
Exceptional craftsmanship and a seamless remodeling experience! That is what I experienced by hiring the OTM Designs & Remodeling team. From the initial meeting to the final finishing touches, Offer a...Más
Looks great!
Absolutely! As a Design/build Remodeler here in Saratoga, NY our clients love the ability to "Pre-View" through our 3D Cad. It takes the guess work and fear out of a remodel and allows the process to flow smoothly from concept to completion!
Great tip to point out that a good lighting plan is just as important as knocking down a wall to brighten a space