Typical of ranch-style homes in the area, this original 1940's J-shaped house in Redwood City felt long, narrow, and disconnected. The homeowners, a husband and wife from the Bay Area with roots in India, had been living in their 1,300-square-foot home for close to 5 years when they decided it was finally time for a makeover.
The couple wanted a home where they could be doing different things in the same or adjacent space, sensing each other's presence and being able to flow in and out of doing things together. They also shared that they spend 50+ hours per week cooking, baking, curing, and fermenting.
The owners’ passion for cooking and desire for room-to-room flow inspired us to create a brand-new 330-square-foot kitchen addition, taking up part of the backyard to create a donut-shaped floorplan centered around a small, elevated courtyard in the middle that doubled as circulation. The courtyard (“aangan”) was a familiar and appealing architectural typology for the homeowners, too, as it reminded them of homes in India. Our collective intent was to transform the home's interior into a lovely, open, practical, and joyful home while taking care not to lose the scale and charm of the home's cottage-like exterior.
The new kitchen was vaulted to bring in plentiful light and take in views of the magnificent oak tree in the back. It was also highly customized to their daily cooking habits and preferences: open roll-out shelves under the cooktop for easy storage; a long, trough sink where multiple things can be in production; open shelves above the counter where everyday dishes and ingredients can be within reach; a butcher block counter on the island for baking; a large chalkboard at the kitchen entrance for writing down shopping lists and recipes; his-and-hers apron hooks; and a curing cabinet with an inset metal mesh that allowed the items inside to breathe.
Other modifications were made to the layout to increase ease of circulation: The entry was relocated to the former kitchen area closer to the garage for better flow and increased storage. The other half of the former kitchen became a sitting/reading nook adjacent to the kitchen and dining room, with a view of the courtyard. A new guest bath was added at the former entry so relatives could come for extended stays, and the existing bathroom, living room, and bedrooms were updated to make the whole house feel bright, refreshed, and thoughtful.
