Kitchens

The great room includes several hanging ceramic pendant lights made by Moshe's brother, Isaih Porter.

The kitchen receives plenty of natural light from the French doors in back as well as from a window-lined stairway wall.

Although finding a contractor who could build the project on budget was one of the biggest challenges -- until MR Studio found the right contractor, Uriel Rosales of Delta Development Construction.

Savings were made by selecting an IKEA kitchen with simple appliances and a Caesarstone countertop.

Relocating the kitchen to the southeast corner and removing a wall helped not only connect it to the rest of the house, but created a more cinematic view of the nearby wetlands.

Lisa added a window above the sink, and moved the sink from the island, so that Brendan could watch his kids play as he cooked.

Custom cabinets maximize storage in the kitchen, which has three tones of cabinetry and coordinating hardware.

"The tile backsplash creates a nice backdrop to the open shelf, where they display their cookbooks and Megan's photographs,

The main floor of the home features a living, dining, and kitchen area all in one place. "I think we went through 10 different teal paints before we landed on this one for the cabinets,

The new kitchen features green kit kat tiles, a terrazzo-effect rubber floor, white cabinetry, and cherry wood veneered cabinets. The client originally wanted teak cabinets, but 4 S Architecture recommended using cherry wood instead as it is more sustainable but has the same warm tones as teak. “We couldn’t get behind teak as a product so we used FSC certified European cherry that has less air miles than American cherry,” explains architect Julia Hamson. “The client was really pleased with the result.”

The custom shaker style cabinets were painted Benjamin Moore Knoxville Gray and mixed with walnut cabinets with an island overhang by Elite Remodeling Concepts, LLC. The stools are from Dovetail Furniture.

Amy worked with Josh Tomlinson of Tomlinson Woodworks to craft the island, which is as much of a showpiece as it is for storage. He also did the cabinetry.

"Around the time we were thinking of moving back [to San Francisco], I took a trip to Marfa, Texas, and fell in love with the agelessness of Donald Judd’s work," says Amy. "I liked the idea of having a classic American reference to the space, since we are influenced as much from America as we are by Asian culture."

The kitchen has Ikea cabinets with Colonial Bronze hardware that “elevates” them, topped with honed Carrara marble counters. Holly is familiar with using a high-low mix for clients. The stools are by PNW maker Phloem Studios and the ceiling lights were sourced from OneFortyThree.

The kitchen features custom-lacquered cabinets with white oak handles and, in lieu of upper cabinets, a wall niche to display dishes.

The interior is lined with Rimu, a native timber from New Zealand. This cladding follows the same gentle arch of the barrel vault and imbues the interior with warmth and the beauty of natural timber. “The curved rimu-lined barrel vaults are one of my favorite moments,” reveals architect William Samuels. “I love the way they draw the eye to the arched windows at either end and provide warmth and delight to the interiors.”

The maple farmhouse table doubles as a kitchen island. The custom sink can be used as a perch for the cutting board, and a small tabletop garden provides herbs for cooking.

Note Mansawataphaiboon cooks something up.