Semi-retirees Steve and Barbara Velazquez said they enjoy hosting their large extended family in their Poway home.
But the frequent gathering spot, their relatively dark and dated kitchen, was not as hospitable as the rest of their Old World-styled home that has undergone several renovations over their 30 years there.
“We have a large family and host a lot of family functions at the house,” Steve Velazquez said. “The kitchen is where everybody congregates … so everything needed to be new and made nicer.”
They decided to make a change — one that cost $300,000 and took nearly a year.

Steve and Barbara Velazquez’s kitchen before its extensive remodel. They described it as dark and dated.
(Courtesy of Jackson Design and Remodeling)
Now their extensively remodeled kitchen is up for a national design award after winning the Southwest region honor in the “residential kitchens over $150,000” category.
Jackson Design and