Finding a way to remodel your kitchenin a modernist style while retaining a friendly, relaxed ambiance can be tricky. It can be done, though one option is to choose materials and shapes that soften sharp lines and metallic tones. That was the approach taken by Michael Tauber, the architect commissioned to design this kitchen and adjacent study and dining room.
The first job was to restructure the room: the kitchen was small, lacked storage space, and hadn't been remodeled since the early 70s. The owners, both enthusiastic cooks, wanted to create a space where they could entertain friends while keeping an eye on their children in the study. They also wanted a kitchen that linked visually and spatially to the rest of their 1940s ranch-style home.
A wall dividing the kitchen from the dining room was removed, as was an awkward lobby area leading from the kitchen to a side yard. Removing the wall and lobby immediately opened up and enlarged the kitchen area, and improved the visual connection with the rest of the house, says Tauber.
The kitchen's position was also addressed. A re-orientation to the north and south allowed for prevailing east-west breezes to flow through the windows especially useful as the kitchen has no air conditioning. The new orientation draws in the local mountain views, which are now clearly visible to anyone sitting at the kitchen island or working at the sink. Finally, a large skylight was installed in the center of the kitchen, directly above the island.
"In a spot that is often the darkest part of the room, the light coming through the skylight draws you in, a bit like the light at the end of a tunnel," says Tauber. "It's really a zone within a zone."