Los Cedros Addition / Kitchen Remodel
This kitchen project is still ongoing, although it is in the final phases. Besides a full remodel it also involved a large addition to the original home. The photos were taken from similar angles.
A point of reference in the photos is the white door on the right, as it is one of the few elements still remaining from the original room.
A point of reference in the photos is the white door on the right, as it is one of the few elements still remaining from the original room.
These countertops speak for themselves... Ug.
Sausalito Victorian Addition
This beautiful Sausalito Victorian was built in 1904 and served as one of the city's first inns. Recently, the owners set out to design an addition that was to include a garden room and a second downstairs bathroom with shower. An important variable was natural light. The original home didn’t get enough westerly daylight, which kept the house quite shadowy in the afternoons. The owners also wanted to be able to better enjoy the views of their backyard garden. The original plans called for a run-of-the-mill rectangular shaped room that would serve these various purposes. However, I urged that the addition should not stray from the home’s original Victorian flare. I designed a curved 7-sided wall addition that incorporated custom angled French doors and four large windows with transom details. The transoms were a very important window design because Victorians showcase their windows as artworks. The transom art-glass detail above the windows was key to a convincing Victorian design. As the project was nearing completion, a visitor stopped by and innocently asked the owners about the addition they had been hearing so much about, all the while not realizing that they were standing in the middle of it. When told, the visitor exclaimed that they would never have guessed that the addition was not part of the original 100 year old design. Convincing to perfection and a happy ending. Below are photos that include old images of the backyard, the building process and the finished product.
The small shed on the left was removed to make space for the new addition
The original kitchen window will eventually be transformed into double-sided glass cabinets, allowing the natural light into the new kitchen while also conecting the kitchen with the garden room.
The addition nearing completion
Tea and biscuits anyone?
Pouring the new footing and concrete slab
The room from the inside showcases an authentic victorian style garden room, featuring large amounts of natural light through out the day.
Lovely reading corner
Novato Townhouse Remodel
This townhouse was built in the 1940's as military housing in the Hamilton base area. In the eighties, the units were converted to privatized housing and were sold without any updating. Although the two story townhouse is narrow and smallish, during the sixties it was in style to try and create as many different rooms and divided sections out of the available space as possible. The downstairs of this townhouse included a narrow hallway that had a doorway opening into a small kitchen before leading into the living area. The kitchen itself was a closed room with a window and another doorway opening leading to a small separated dining area. The owners wanted to update the space without spending too much. They also wanted to update the kitchen without the expense of installing all new cabinets and appliances. Below are some photos that show the progress of this project and the finished design.
All the townhouses have this small hallway leading into the living area and kitchen. On the left is the narrow dining area and kichen behind it. As you can see both the hallway & dinning area remain dark. Even during daytime the lights had to be turned on.
Slowly dismantling the old kitchen.
With the dark entrance hallway removed, the space becomes welcoming and inviting.
Removing the walls, as well as adding the new bamboo floor through out the downstairs area, makes the space so much lighter and brighte and spacious.
Big difference
