Twice as good

Retaining the character of an older home is often a priority when remodeling, and this project was no exception. The new kitchen, in a 1930s house with a French Normandy architectural influence, needed to complement the design of the house. It also needed to meet the needs of a busy family with four teenagers.

Laurie Allan of Studio Becker in San Francisco says the existing kitchen, which was smaller and more formal, needed to be enlarged to create a spacious, open layout. As well as providing a touchdown space for teenagers on the run, the kitchen had to be suitable for entertaining.

"The main challenge was to provide all the modern conveniences required, while preserving the architectural character of the house," she says.

Extra space was gained by removing a wall between the original kitchen and butler's pantry. Furniture-style painted oak cabinets in keeping with the age of the house were then added to three sides of the room's perimeter, along with a large central island. The design team also created a new coffered ceiling that echoes the woodwork on the cabinet doors.

"We retained the original small-paned windows, which are a distinctive feature of the architecture," says Allan. "The glass display cabinets mimic the design of these windows."

To enhance the aged furniture look, the cabinets feature a whitewash finish over gray or white linen. Granite countertops echo the color of the cabinets and are complemented by a rich-toned bubinga wood bar top. Allan says this helps to warm the space visually and matches the Brazilian cherry wood flooring.

The kitchen houses a multitude of appliances, including two refrigerator-freezers and two dishwashers that have been fully integrated into the cabinetry to avoid an overly modern appearance.

Story by: Colleen Hawkes