Cole Street Victorian

An artist and a Burning Man aficionado asked for a creative update to their kitchen and powder room. They were excited to be living in their San Francisco Victorian, but being creative they were driven to add their own taste to their beautiful home. 

The kitchen, located at the back of the house, was connected to the garden with an elevated deck, and to the dining room via the original Victorian double pocket doors. Important goals included weaving a powder room into the open floor plan while still maintaining privacy, and providing designated kitchen workstations to match their lifestyle. These included a workbench for their son, a drop zone with a phone charging station, and a wet bar with a glass rinser for the husband.

Deep grey cabinets stretch across either side of the room to minimize the glare from the south-facing windows and accentuate the height of the room. Rhythmic lines routed into the doors and brass pulls, which almost appear to slide up and down, add further to the sense of verticality. Open oak cubbies showcase the family's pottery and sculpture, adding contrast and depth to the coolness of the grey door panels. Two islands fill the central space, one of stainless steel with an oak topper, the other oak with a quartz counter. These provide functional stations while continuing to play with the kitchen’s warm and cool theme.

Cleverly hidden behind a kitchen cabinet door is the powder room covered in cat motif wallpaper. The reason? The kitty litter boxes are concealed inside the custom vanity. So that the cats couldn't be locked out of the bathroom, a small wood tunnel accesses the vanity directly from the kitchen. Motion sensor lights and fans allow the cats to do their business without being left in the dark, or leaving behind unwanted smells. 

We reorganized the basement to include a new legal bedroom and steam bathroom for a visiting grandfather. The steam room, designed for minimal size, is a shower room with a toilet and sink. An integrated shower bench is graphically tiled for visibility in the steam.  The bedroom opens up to the rear garden for easy access to the hot tub and a new outdoor shower.