KEY PLAYERS:
Design: Edi Sanford Interior Designs
Contractor: Keycon, Inc.
Cabinetry: Bonnett Cabinet Shop
Photography: Toerge Photography
Sharon and Greg Perl's original galley-style kitchen had great flow, but it was crying out for new finishes, updated appliances, and better storage.
"The oven was the original Thermador, I think," Sharon says. "There was no hood over the stove, so the smoke detector would frequently start beeping if we were stir-frying or otherwise cooking over high heat."
With the help of general contractor Keycon, Inc. and designer Edi Sanford, the Perls updated their kitchen as part of a larger home remodel.
Dining space was limited, so they created an eating area by adding an addition on a former outdoor patio entrance and a breakfast bar at one end of the galley. The entry hall was converted into a pantry since the family moved the hall forward into the new addition.
The cabinets, built by the Bonnett Cabinet Shop, were constructed of cherry, walnut, and maple. The Perls found the idea for the custom Mondrian-like veneer finish on the cabinets from a picture in one of Sarah Susanka's 'The Not So Big House' books.
"Our designer helped take the inkling of an idea and turn it into a workable design, and the contractor found a cabinetmaker who did a great job on the veneer," adds Sharon.
The couple cooks with a new Viking range and Thermador oven, and stainless steel and honed black-granite countertops dress up the workspaces.
The new kitchen boasts storage galore, thanks to a huge pantry closet at one end of the kitchen, which provides easy access to dry goods via pullouts. A cutout in the wall above the kitchen sink connects the kitchen and dining room but still conceals the cooking mess from the entry.
"We really enjoy using the kitchen now," Sharon says. "It is both beautiful and highly functional."
KEY PLAYERS:
Design: Klopf Architecture, AIA
Contractor: Marin Restoration
Cabinetry: AlterEco
Photography: Michael O'Callahan Photography
Peter and Denise Borocz needed better storage for their 1953 kitchen, which was bursting at the seams. Not only were the original cabinets starting to bind and sag, but several of the cabinets at the end of the galley could only be accessed by a person climbing onto the counters.
"We didn't have any spillover for pantry items, and we don't have a garage for storing bulk items," Denise says. The old kitchen also created a dead-end and was visually separated from the adjacent living space.
In response, architect John Klopf helped the Borocz family come up with a more open plan that melds well with the home's mid-century architecture. Away went the galley, and in its place appeared an L-shaped footprint that wraps around a large island with storage on two sides.
"It just works better having an island you can walk around instead of the galley-style kitchen we had that was just a dead-end," Denise explains. A new storage wall, complete with pantry and additional beverage refrigerator, provides plenty of space for day-to-day items.
The Boroczs chose bamboo cabinetry by AlterEco. Thick Corian countertops add heft to the counters, and a recycled glass backsplash adds a touch of color. Now, light fills the space even at night with the help of Tech lighting above, and familiar fluorescent strips for task and ambient lighting under and over the cabinetry.
The couple hung a katagami panel from Japan, lit with a backlight, as a decorative element above the range. "I wanted to have some sort of art in the kitchen, and I don't like traditional vent hoods," Denise says. "The simple, clean lines let the bamboo be the spokesperson of the design."
Contractors replaced the home's original sliding-glass doors with Fleetwoods and moved them to different bays. Now, when they're open, they align with the walking spaces on both sides of the island.