Kitchen

In the kitchen, wall-to-wall cabinets hold files from the adjacent home office in addition to storing servingware and kitchen appliances. The custom island shows off Tan’s craft. The range hood is wrapped in millwork, and the countertop is a 1-inch slab of solid plantation teak. When there’s no cooking going on, “the kitchen can just disappear” behind another piece of wood, Ho Ping Kong says.

A wide cut across the top of the structure made room for a second-floor courtyard where the family can catch some sun but maintain their privacy. On the ground level, the front door is tucked into an ivy-covered alcove lined with ipe, a material used throughout the house.

Custom MDF cabinetry was built by local cabinetmakers InGrain Custom Millwork and painted a soft gray shade.

The homeowners love the flow of the kitchen, dining room, living room, and butler’s pantry—so much so that they've already had more parties since moving in than they did in 26 years at their prior residence.

The kitchenette includes just a small refrigerator under the countertop and no cooking range (because of the boathouse's pairing with the main house), but can easily be converted to a full kitchen.

In the main house kitchen, a puffy arched tile mimics the arches in other locations of the house, like the entrance patio of the ADU.

Shin Shin Architecture added a new level that holds the kitchen/dining/living area for the main residence.

The terrazzo floors of the new kitchen and the tall skylit ceilings create a feeling of openness and brightness.

For convenience, Eva and restoration architect Victor Drapszo moved the kitchen from the second floor to the first floor, which originally housed a garage, laundry, and guest room. The cabinetry is Gamma by Arclinea, the countertops are Lagoon quartz by Silestone, and the floor is polished concrete.