The staircase’s open treads and slim, cable railing avoid blocking sight lines outside. A modest material palette, including a concrete floor, wood cabinetry, and charcoal laminate counters, cedes to the views.
Whereas others might look at a board-formed cement wall in a basement and see, well, a concrete wall, Jess and Jonathan Taylor, the design duo behind the L.A.-based firm Taylor + Taylor, were inspired. The couple had purchased a virtually untouched 1952 house in east L.A. and that concrete wall became the backdrop for a new guest kitchen in the basement. "It was really the starting point of the whole design," says Jess Taylor. "As designers, our goal is to always try to incorporate the existing surroundings whenever possible, utilize them in practical ways, and be inspired by them."
A staircase with white oak treads accesses the loft-style bedroom. The kitchen counters and bathroom flooring are crafted from concrete mixed with glass beads that give the material an organic feel and a lighter weight.
A green linoleum countertop and black cabinets add a pop of color to the wood interiors. Open shelving provides additional storage.
Marlatt built the cabinets in place from Russian Birch plywood, and the counters are a thin application of Neolith stone. The backsplash is glass, making for easy clean-up, and a few of the cabinet fronts are painted Masonite, for fun pops of color. The ceramics on the shelves are by Burgevin.
Kerf cabinetry, Heath Ceramics tile, and a BlueStar range complement stainless steel countertops and a porcelain sink in the kitchen.
Bespoke inbuilt solutions, such as the cut-out cabinetry knobs, enhance the minimalist flair.
Custom oak cabinetry in the kitchenette was given a modern treatment to balance the more rustic elements in the setting, like the ceiling and antique table-turned-kitchen island. The faucet is by Kingston Brass.
A green laminate countertop by Abet Laminati is surrounded by Norman Foster’s Emeco 20-06 counter stools at the island in the kitchen, which has an integrated Frigidaire induction range, Faber Cylindra Isola range hood, Blomberg dishwasher, Fisher & Paykel fridge, and flat-grain fir plywood cabinets by Portland craftsman Doug Chamblin.
Rick outfitted the kitchen with plywood cabinetry, engineered oak flooring, and open shelving.