From the moment we saw Ryan Atwood on screen, we fell in love with his brusque looks, accompanied by a tenderly scared young man who had no direction of his own. Enter the Cohen family, led by Sandy Cohen, Ryan’s public defender, with his loving wife Kirsten and her feisty son Seth. They are a unique group living among the filthy wealthy of Orange County, California. One of the most striking things about watching the show for the first time is the sheer size of the Coen family’s home. And the moment he saw it, Ryan fell to the floor just like us.
Over the years, we’ve spent a lot of time getting to know the Coen family and watching them welcome Ryan not just into their home, but into their entire family. Many of their most important stories unfold in this giant L-shaped kitchen of his. It’s exactly what you’d expect from an early 2000s California kitchen. Let’s get down to business!
First of all, the vaulted ceiling catches the eye and combines with recessed lighting and a stunning cast iron chandelier to create a light and airy space. California homes are known for offering indoor and outdoor living experiences. In weather like this, who wouldn’t want to bring sunshine and 75 indoors?
One of my favorite parts of this kitchen is the mismatched color of the countertops. They are complementary but unique in their own right. Give this kitchen the dimension it needs while keeping the look together with the same edge. The bright hues throughout the space are broken up by this beautiful slate panel on the island.
At Kitchen Magic we love to give our customers glass front cabinets and this kitchen shows them how to best use them. As with their other homes, the Cohens use this transparent space to showcase fine china and glassware, making the TV-equipped kitchen feel even more like home.
This iconic TV-equipped kitchen has sliding glass doors overlooking the pool and guest house, providing a glimpse of what’s going on outside. For Ryan, it has become a veritable escape from his old life in Chino.
Don’t ignore the early 2000s trend of decorative moldings and corbels.
Like many of us, watching the Coen family welcome Ryan into the family was an emotional journey, one that has stayed with viewers of The OC since it premiered in 2003. From the first time he walked into their home to the last time we saw the OC cast years after the devastating earthquake, as adults with our own lives, we were all engrossed in the characters and stories unfolding at the heart of the Coen family’s Southern California kitchen.
