The existing plain-vanilla kitchen that confronted interior designer Lou Ann Bauer said nothing about the people who owned this Palo Alto house. Their aesthetic embraced color and a contemporary art collection that Bauer describes as “out there.” So she got rid of the boring white wood cabinets, white laminate counter, white appliances, and dark hardwood floor and replaced them with a feast of color, pattern, and texture.
Working with a local cabinet shop, Bauer speced paint-grade faces for some of the cabinets and hired an artist to comb paint on them in a variety of patterns. The remaining cabinets have sycamore faces colored with aniline dyes. Setting off the cabinets are concrete counters in three separate colors.
The cabinets have an angular layout that saves steps for the cook and keeps the rectangular room from looking like a tunnel. To shine light on all the color, Bauer added a new bay window over the sink. A patterned, cast-glass panel behind the range lets the dining room enjoy some of that light as well.
Project Credits: Entrant/designer: Bauer Interior Design, San Francisco; Builder: Farrell Co., Los Altos, Calif.; Cabinet painter: Erik J. Seniska, San Francisco; Photographer: David Duncan Livingston.
Resources: Decorative hardware: Bauerware, Circle 477; Dishwasher: Miele, Circle 478; Disposal: In-Sink-Erator, Circle 479; Faucets: Kroin, Circle 480, and KWC Faucets, Circle 481; Glass backsplash: UltraGlas, Circle 482; Lighting: Resolute, Circle 483; Microwave oven: GE Appliances, Circle 484; Range: Wolf Range, Circle 485; Range hood: Best by Broan, Circle 486; Refrigerator: Sub-Zero, Circle 487; Sinks: Franke, Circle 488, and Elkay, Circle 489; Warming drawer: Thermador, Circle 490; Water purifier: Everpure, Circle 491.
