The clients for this project initially asked for their kitchen to be upgraded with more counter space, additional storage and new appliances.

Project Team: Richard Lucas; Daiki Kato

The clients also expressed a desire for the Kitchen to be more open and integrated with the rest of the Apartment, as well as a larger Dining Room with additional storage and display space, and better lighting throughout.

The solution involved the demolition and reconfiguring of a walk-in closet, creating a fully open kitchen with ample storage and a wrap-around counter that provides room for barstool seating on one side. In addition, relocating a Dining Room wall afforded better circulation around the Dining table and allowed space for a side counter with storage above and below.

Movement into and through the Apartment is suggested by a new dropped ceiling that begins at the Entry area, extends past the Dining Room and ends over a window in the Kitchen. This element unifies and expands the different spaces, provides room for recessed and cove lighting above, and helps resolve an awkward ceiling condition where a lowered concrete slab from above protrudes into a portion of the Kitchen and former walk-in closet.

Unable to place recessed lights in the lowered concrete ceiling slab in the Kitchen, suspended pendants and surface mounted track lights were used instead to accent the counter and seating area. Cabinets were selected and arranged using pre-fabricated sizes and shapes but with custom Corian countertops with full height turned-down edges to provide a more built-in appearance.

Full-bodied porcelain floor tile running from the Entry into the Kitchen reflects the path of circulation suggested by the dropped ceiling above, and also helps to define the various spaces without the confining use of walls and partitions.

Extended horizontal lines and surfaces punctuated by accent- colored vertical planes, reflective surfaces and furnishings with thin and narrow profiles contribute to the expanded proportions and open character of the renovation.