Kitchen

The kitchen and dining area opens out to a narrow balcony that overlooks the internal courtyard and has views over the bay. The DC09 dining chairs are by Inoda + Sveje for Miyazaki Chair Company, and sourced from Great Dane Furniture.

The countertops and cabinetry in the kitchen were constructed on-site from terrazzo and reclaimed wood.

There is no overhead lighting here, but that’s just fine by Szczerbicki, who prefers to avoid “blasting one massive level of light.” Working closely with The Lighting Guild, he went for a more layered approach. Above the cabinetry, LED lights point up to illuminate the rafter, and a custom, linear pendant hangs above the island. “Every piece of lighting was designed with a specific task in mind,” says Szczerbicki. “As it gets darker, you slowly turn on key lights in key locations so the light level gradually grows.”

"By utilizing more windows, our homes bring the outdoors in, providing lots of natural light," says Mackay.

The banquette, countertops, floating shelves, niches, and bedframe are made from reclaimed pine.

The cabinetry in the kitchen is rift-sawn, dark-stained white oak that complements the ceilings and contrasts with the white walls. The dark-pigmented concrete floors were intentionally left untreated in order to convey a sense of time. “As the home ages, the floor ‘records’ the construction process, foot traffic, wine spilled at birthday parties, drips of olive oil from anniversary dinners, watermarks from relaxing showers, and so on,” says architect Hunter Gundersen. “Every action will be subtly set in stone before it’s quickly cleaned up or swept away. Over the years, a patina of life will build up, adding depth and beauty to the interior.”

La Paloma Miro brick meets charcoal-colored polished concrete in the kitchen. A stainless-steel backsplash matches the bottom set of cabinetry.

Architect Eric Olsen imagined a space that employs contrasting colors, textures, and shapes to create a warm and inviting interior. One of many such details includes a custom light fixture above the island, which he designed in collaboration with Buzzell Studios.

The kitchen also features a La Specialista Espresso Machine from De'Longhi, which allows Olsen to prepare the kind of bold espressos he recalls from his time in Italy. With variety and simplicity in mind, the La Specialista’s easy-to-use features also provide café-quality lattes and cappuccinos at home, while a separate hot water spout enables the creation of authentic Americanos or teas.

In the kitchen, concrete floors and counters are offset by wood cabinetry and doors that add warmth to the space.

The kitchen sits at the center of the home beneath the void. Beneath the stair, sliding pocket doors conceal a pantry and kitchen appliances (such as the toaster and kettle).

The open-plan kitchen is a particular point of pride for Lara, who designed every detail with a local carpenter, from the textured zellige tile to the spice drawers.

Loader Monteith tends to have a "fabric-first" approach to sustainability. Any work happening on the roof or walls received a thick coat of insulation, and all glass is triple-glazed. "It’s like the house has a warm hat and jacket and a dry pair of Welly boots," says Loader. "Once you’ve done a lot of the hard work, you can make the heating system as small as possible." Photovoltaic solar panels on the roof collect energy throughout the day.

Garcia says people often comment that the ADU just needs a refrigerator and dishwasher, not realizing that both are seamlessly concealed in the cabinetry. “It’s actually a fully-functioning kitchen,” says Garcia, including a 15-inch WOLF cooktop, a TK dishwasher drawer, and TK refrigerator drawer. The counter is Caesarstone.

The kitchen peninsula, perfect for casual dining, is one of four designated eating spaces in the home, along with the formal dining room, back deck, and roof deck. Getting creative in lockdown, "we pretended they were different restaurants or cafés and would use each for different meals and coffee breaks throughout the day," says Melanie.