Alvarado Street Victorian
Our clients were living in a beautiful Victorian among the San Francisco hills and asked us to rethink their kitchen and outdoor spaces. The house was full of character but needed some cohesion. For us, the challenge was to preserve its original charm while transforming the house with modern structural and architectural elements.
New square footage was ultimately created to replace an extant sun porch, which was structurally insufficient and possessed noticeable ceiling oddities. This addition enabled us to reorganize the kitchen, gathering workflow along an interior wall, and improve the kitchen privacy from the front door. To maximize storage, a shelving unit, designed with a tapered edge to soften the transition from the kitchen to the dining area, was installed beneath an original Victorian window. A new hutch fills the void between a wall and brick chimney, intentionally revealed as an architectural feature. It was important to the homeowners that the island have open elements, creating a challenge when incorporating the necessary plumbing for a sink and dishwasher. Our solution was to embrace solid cabinetry at one end while designing an open drawer system at the other. Exposed walnut shelves were integrated into the upper cabinets for additional open moments. Overall, Victorian trim and plaster medallions contrast with grey millwork, exposed red steel frames, and architectural metalwork.
The husband, an artist, was interested in a studio to work on his figure paintings, so an area beneath the kitchen was created for this purpose. An accordion door system opens the studio onto an adjacent patio showcasing a ceramic mid-century fireplace. A grate integrated into the decking above provides filtered light and a place for the clients to water their potted plants without water pooling on the deck. To maximize views of the garden by minimizing structural elements, it was decided to construct the deck and stair in steel.
At the upper level, the deck horizontally extends the lines of the house and visually joins the kitchen with the surrounding garden. The wide accordion door is often left open to allow local blue jays to fly in and visit the family parrot.
“Stacy and her team worked with us to transform our tired dark kitchen into a beautiful elegant workspace. The design combined modern elements while retaining the character of our 1903 Victorian. They also turned a garden level storage shed into a lovely art studio and home theater. A deck and patio extend both upper and lower levels creating indoor/outdoor living space. The project was extensive with many challenges. Stacy met them with creativity and good humor and it was a joy to work with her.”
- Cindy (Client)