Stacy and David Eisenmann’s 1,000-square-foot home outside San Francisco was long on ambiance but short on space for themselves, six-year-old Emma, and four-year-old Laurel. Stacy, an architectural designer, collaborated with architect Sarah Willmer on the whole-house remodeling of the 1924 bungalow. Together, they blended the functionality and aesthetics of a contemporary kitchen with details sensitive to the scale and era of the original house. Here, Stacy Eisenmann explains the hows and whys of this stylish redo.
How did you change the space?
“To create a more open and integrated space, we extended the back wall of the house by three feet, which enabled us to include an island. We also used a former bedroom as a media space, which was important to David, who works in film. Because the project included a new second story, we could expose the kitchen’s beams and ceiling, adding a foot to the original height. All this extra volume, plus bringing the back windows down to floor level, allowed us to achieve our goal.”.
What were your main priorities?
“Good circulation was essential. We reorganized the kitchen to create a direct path from the front of the house right out to the deck. A freestanding wall cabinet holds the refrigeration units, pantry, and bookcase, serving as a divider between the media room and kitchen proper. It effectively pushes the appliances and storage out of the main traffic flow. Another goal was to enable the kids to be self-sufficient, so we included accessible, low cabinet drawers and even designated one of the Sub-Zero refrigerator drawers for their snacks. Finally, the palette of materials was critical to achieving the blend of old and new.”.
How would you describe the color scheme?
“David, Sarah, and I wanted to accentuate a feeling
of spaciousness through contrast. The cabinets are all finished in conversion varnish—the base units in a yellow-green and the upper and tall units in a soothing blue-green. The Douglas-fir ceiling provides a warm mid-tone and introduces an organic component. Bright-white trim, the ebony-stained oak floor, and Basaltina stone counters provide bolder contrast. The slabs are Italian lava rock in a matte finish, the pores filled with matching resin. The stainless-steel handles and hood act as a bright accent to offset the other, primarily matte finishes.” .
How does it all function?
“The major work space between the sink in the perimeter wall and the cooktop in the island opposite provide plenty of counter surface for prepping meals. The refrigerator, freezer, and pantry are on the other side of the island, so when we come in with groceries, we can unload them on the island and immediately put them away..
How did you compensate for the kitchen’s small size?
“I actually feel that it’s easier to work in a thoughtfully laid-out smaller kitchen because it’s only one step here, two steps there. But you have to make every inch of real estate count. It’s key to create stations for prepping, cooking, plating, and cleaning up. Pullouts take full advantage of potentially difficult areas. For instance, near the sink there is a ‘magic-corner’ system, a space-saving alternative to a lazy Susan. The door has two baskets attached to it and as it opens, two more baskets mounted in the back of the cabinet move forward. Then, of course, we included two sets of pullout trash units for garbage and recycling.
“Using a banquette rather than a freestanding kitchen table is another space-saver. Not only do we eat there, but the girls also use it for homework and art projects.”