Priorities
Bring in more natural light; update the kitchen’s design; create a more open floor plan
Solutions
To update this stuffy, dark kitchen in a midcentury home in San Francisco’s Sea Cliff neighborhood, designer Jonathan Feldman and Lisa Lougee literally broke down barriers. Walls and entire rooms were eliminated to bring the feeling of the nearby Pacific Ocean as far into the interior as possible. A heavy wall enclosing a staircase between the kitchen and the front hallway was replaced with a translucent glass panel, flooding the kitchen with natural light.
Feldman and Lougee expanded the kitchen, losing a bedroom and full bath in the process, but gaining a breakfast nook and a built-in desk. Frosted glass behind the desk allows light to filter through. Lighter finishes and modern appliances help bring contemporary panache to the new, open-plan kitchen while still respecting the home’s midcentury heritage.
Judges’ comments
“It takes the transition from dark and dated to light and airy to a whole new level.” —Mark A. Newman, senior editor, REMODELING.
Project Team
Spec List
Countertops: Caeserstone
Dishwasher: Bosch
Kitchen plumbing fittings: Franke
Lighting fixtures: Ameico; Lampa
Microwave: Dacor
Oven: Bluestar
Paints/stains: ICI Paints
Windows: SF Windows & Doors
