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This new kitchen-dining room, in one of the oldest houses in San Francisco, was designed to play a multifunctional role

The original dining rooms (1 and 2) have architecture, area, design, elevation, facade, floor plan, home, house, plan, product design, property, real estate, white — The original dining rooms (1 and 2) have been combined to create one large kitchen-dining area.

The kitchen features parallel walls of walnut cabinetry, ceiling, dining room, furniture, interior design, kitchen, room, table, wood, brown, gray

Blue Louise granite countertops are complemented by an cabinetry, countertop, cuisine classique, floor, flooring, hardwood, interior design, kitchen, real estate, room, gray

Built in the 1860s, this historic house in chair, dining room, floor, flooring, furniture, hardwood, interior design, room, table, wood, gray, brown

Built in the 1860s, this historic house in cabinetry, countertop, floor, flooring, hardwood, home, interior design, kitchen, room, tile, window, wood, wood flooring, gray

The original dining rooms (1 and 2) have angle, area, design, diagram, drawing, floor plan, font, line, plan, product, product design, square, technical drawing, text, white

Houses in historic neighbourhoods are always subject to local bylaws. And while these are intended to retain the character of a city, they can make a renovation project more challenging.

This house, on Telegraph Hill in San Francisco, is one of the oldest houses on one of the smallest sites in the city. And although it had been extended and modified over the years, the dining room and kitchen on the first floor were not conducive to entertaining, says architect Michael Tauber.

"These spaces were a vestige of the original Victorian-era design," he says. "They felt small, cramped and disconnected from the rest of the house. But providing another extension to the house was simply not possible."

Rethinking their plans, Tauber and the owner decided to insert a modern, open, single room into the shell of the house, integrating the new and the old. To this end, the kitchen and dining room were opened up to create one large informal space.

"The house already had entertainment spaces on the upper floor and roof deck," says Tauber. "Providing this new informal kitchen and dining space enhanced the flow between all the floors."

The focal point of the new space is a split island. At one end is a raised granite benchtop for cooking and food preparation, and at the other a solid walnut dining table, which is anchored by matching wood bookshelves.

"Parallel walls of walnut cabinetry, and bamboo flooring help to emphasise the linearity of the space, while making it appear longer and therefore larger," says Tauber. "The cabinet wall finishes just below the ceiling line to provide space for cove lighting, which also makes the space feel taller."

The main cabinetry houses customised storage and integrated refrigeration. A separate walnut cabinet has a bar area and file drawers, and can double as a home office.