For this Edwardian flat in San Francisco, Andrew Mann, principal of locally based Andrew Mann Architecture, was tasked with adapting a kitchen to suit its owners’ modern sensibilities with additional cooking space and natural light. “My design aesthetic is always rooted in creating clean, simple spaces with crisp details enhanced by a sophisticated play on natural light,” he explained of the room’s new narrative.
To accomplish both goals, Mann merged the kitchen and adjacent dining room, where classic elements feature more prominently in contrast to the nouvelle-style cooking space.
The dining room features traditional wood molding, built-in cabinetry and a fireplace fronted with tile, which are all original to the flat.
A newly added opening between the two rooms improves circulation and allows natural light to permeate both spaces. To create a layered visual effect, three sides of the island reference dining room walls with the same white board-and-batten paneling.
Punctuated by modern pendant lights, the three-seat island sits adjacent to a stained glass transom window.
To accommodate the clients’ penchant for cooking, the kitchen was updated with a commercial-style range, a second oven and an adjacent bar that augments workspace with additional counters also clad in black soapstone.
The bar area features wine storage, a sink and decorative shelving.
Full-height kitchen cabinetry now offers ample storage with spice pull-outs located between the upper cabinets and soapstone countertop.
A surplus in storage allowed for the inclusion of decorative wall space to one side of the range. Natural materials, such as wood and stone, contrast with gray ceramic tiles along the backsplash.