Back to the source Back to the source (January 21, 2005)

Kitchen remodel connects cook with the garden

By Carol Blitzer

A fabulous cook who ordered all her organic vegetables delivered to her Palo Alto home was stymied by her dull, galley kitchen.

Her first request was to connect the kitchen to the back of the house -- closer to her "gorgeous garden," said designer Pamela Pennington. Her second was to let in the light.

A sheer wall simply could not be removed, so Pennington took out the wing walls in the doorway instead. Of course, the wing walls were supporting the second story -- and that added about $10,000 to the remodel project.

But the owner got what she wanted. A circular counter was built in, connecting the long kitchen to the living room. Stools were added, so people could sit and chat with the cook.

Because the owner loved to cook, she allocated a large part of her budget to upgrading her appliances, which included a Wolf range and SubZero refrigerator. "She spent four times as much on her appliances as on her cabinets," Pennington said.

Most of the cabinets were from IKEA, but the general contractor was a cabinet-maker who personalized the kitchen by building shelves that extended the display area. The floor -- which is made of rubber, but looks like linoleum -- coordinates well with the plastic-laminate counter top and stainless-steel appliances. A small area of granite was placed next to the stove, to accommodate hot pots.

Simple, cable lighting, skylights and a new awning on the window complete the job.

Looking over the remodeled kitchen, which stays true to its 50-year-old roots, Pennington added: "Every period has its time. The young people discover it and it looks young to them."
Design challenge: Connect the kitchen and living room; bring in more light Unexpected problems: Could not remove sheer wall; removing wing wall added significantly to budget Year home built: Late 1950s Size of project: Kitchen -- 132 sq. ft. Budget: Started at $60,000, but cost closer to $75,000
Resources: Interior designer: Pamela Pennington Studios, 947 Industrial Ave., Palo Alto, 813-1797 Building contractor: Michael Meyer Fine Woodworking, 2570 Leghorn St., #D, Mountain View; 960-3447 Cabinets: IKEA, East Palo Alto Appliances: Atherton Appliances, 3120 Middlefield Road, Redwood City; 368-8403

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