Kitchen reno

Mutuus Studio cofounders Saul and Kristen Becker remodeled the kitchen of their 1954 dwelling over a three year period, finishing it this year.

Carrara marble countertops and backsplash add a luxurious feel, as does the dark green leather upholstery on the bench seating which, in a space-saving move, is essentially part of the kitchen island. The Highline linear pendant light is from Archier.

Kitchen

The kitchen is a central gathering place for the Baker family. The custom cabinetry was painted a light white color to make it feel a part of the wall.

Banana leaves grow right outside the window over the prep sink. “It’s the most beautiful painting in our house,” says Andrew.

The kitchen features white oak cabinetry and an island topped with Caesarstone in Rugged Concrete. The Torii stools are from Bensen and the Compendium pendant is from Luceplan, while the oven is by Wolf and the faucet is by California Faucets. The long white wall was meant for hanging art but so far remains bare. “It feels like a gallery that was ransacked,” jokes Jim, “but we’ve grown attached to the clean expanse.”

Stippled glass partition and cast concrete basin and counter

In the light-filled kitchen, gray sardo granite by Peraway Marble lines the backsplash and countertop. The kitchen island is built from Plyco birch plywood.

Calacatta Superwhite Quartzite and white oak decorate the kitchen, as well as (

Mouser Cabinetry’s textured laminate flat-front doors were used throughout. The slim, black hardware is Europa by Top Knobs.

The kitchen layout was reconfigured so that the focus is on the view—the wall of windows, which look out on the ocean, is now underscored by one long, uncluttered counter. There, the faucet is Delta and the dishwasher is Bosch. The range stayed in nearly the same spot, and the opposite wall has been thickened with storage and the refrigerator column. Both the refrigerator and range are by Bertazzoni.

The new kitchen is an IKEA kitchen with Reform fronts painted a moody blue color, not unlike the ocean itself. "Sometimes it looks really gray, and sometimes it looks way more green-blue," says Jocie. "I like that. Depending on the light, it has a very different feel." The countertops are Richlite Black Diamond.

The flooring in the main room and bedroom is Worthwood Solid End Grain from Oregon Lumber.

The family share a love for the color teal, which was already featured in the home. So, when selecting a backsplash tile, teal was the obvious choice. The tiles are locally sourced from Yeomans Bagno & Ceramiche in Eltham.

"Anthony and Sherry love to entertain, so they wanted something that felt a little more austere from the street and then became warm and cozy on the interio,” says architect Eric Hughes.