Here is an example of some studies I did for a client to help visualize how the kitchen addition could look. The slanted roof up helps to capture the Western facing views of the mountain top ridge that is currently blocked with a down sloping low roof eave.
Happy Holidays!
Wishing you all a wonderful Holiday!
Here is our house up in Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, WA all decked out for the Holidays. The great room has a vaulted ceiling with a scissor truss above, but we added the cross beams as a way to break up the space and add lighting. The Coast Salish lived in "Long Houses" on our Mitchell Bay 5,000 years ago for the summer months. It was "communal living" at its finest with partitions off the main space for each individual family that shared the Long House. So the house I designed on Mitchell Bay has one huge open space with the traditional Long House in mind. We rent it out as a vacation rental on VRBO.com ( https://www.vrbo.com/344649 ) with 4 bedrooms (2 mini-Masters facing Mitchell Bay West). It is great for a family vacation, where everyone can hang out in the huge kitchen and enjoy sunsets off the central deck facing West. Much cheaper then renting 4 hotel rooms! Blessings to all for the New Year!
Small Windowless Bathroom Solution
Small Bathroom Solution: Glass Pebble Floor adds a nice texture and contrast to the dark slate border. Even though this bathroom has no windows, the visual interest gives it character. Also the dark slate might be counter-intuitive about what to do in a bathroom with no windows, but it actually gives the small space a sense of security and refuge. The pebbles flowing into the shower give the room a sculptural feeling.
Hot Powder Rooms
Don't be afraid to punch out a color with a Powder Room. Here we have an integral colored plastered wall powder room. The sink is a real Chinese antique table with a stone insert and a carved green marble sink. The black anodized faucet is wall mounted and has a matching towel bar. The mirror is custom Cherry with pegged corners. The flooring is green slate. You might think that using green & red is too Christmas like, but it actually does not come off that way at all. Red and Green are complimentary colors.
Award for 2015
New Portrait
Credit goes to photographer Vaschelle Andre who captured a Rodeo Beach sunset mood to update my portrait.
Before and After
The before and after pictures are sometimes hard to show on a website, so my blog is the perfect space to look at some of my past projects. This was a vintage 1965 kitchen that got totally re-built- yes we raised the roof and changed the pitch when we added on the dining room wing.
Lighting Thoughts
I see so many older homes where lighting was not addressed, in earlier time periods, with a single light source. This kitchen displays numerous sources with natural light coming from Cupola Windows above with MR-16 track lights with integral transformers mounted below the beams. Track lights are an easy transition from a single source light fixture, as your electrician can connect to the j-box and expand your light options!
Cherry Kitchens
Cherry Cabinets with stainless steel handles are a timeless choice for this kitchen in a SF Victorian. The red marble floor accents add interest and relate to the color of the cabinets. The diagonal pattern on the floor draws your eye to the rear dining area that faces the rear garden. By extending the counter up 6" with a shelf in the back, it helps to de-clutter the counters.
Another Cherry Kitchen
Some people think that you have to have a contrast between the Kitchen Cabinets and the flooring, but I beg to differ. Here we have Cherry cabinets and Cherry floors. With plenty of storage, the things that pop in this kitchen are the appliances and backsplash. This kitchen is 15 years old in Mill Valley, Ca. and the house is in a Victorian Style, so the beamed ceilings and high ceilings give it character. But you could do the same thing with modern materials.