Bungalow Redux
A typical California bungalow built in 1938. Each room(bedroom, dining, kitchen, living, sun porch) is self contained separate from the next. A cellular house, each room a use. When the house was built the dining room anchored the nuclear family and dinner was a nightly formal event. Not so today.
Our task was to open the house up to create a free plan and allow the morning light to filter through the open rooms. We exposed the structure to frame each area and opened up the entire back of the house with a huge set of sliding doors. All of the original cabinetry was re-used finding new uses through the house.
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Several new configurations for the kitchen open up the house to the morning sun and backyard garden. Interaction between individual spaces is enhanced.
A new open floor plan and a huge set of sliders opens up to the backyard.
Each area has its own feel but flow into one another. An open kitchen re-appropriates the original cabinetry. Exposed beams give texture and zone each distinct area.
The dining table and built in banquet sits tightly into the sunny south east corner.
View from the hammock.
Hisako was very excited to get a better idea of what the future backyard garden may look like so she made this sketch.
In the kitchen, the green tile is from Heath Ceramics. The client came to us with this gorgeous orange accent tile from her parents house. 
Happy to be in their new home.
Details
All of the original cabinetry including the knobs finds a new home. No waste!
The old 1930's ironing board gets a new life as cocktail bar. "I'll take an Old Fashioned please."
The sliders are single door panels set on multiple tracks. This keeps the cost down and gives the owners variety in how they want to make their openings. We had seen this system in Japan, but never here in California where one finds mostly French doors or expensive Nana Wall systems. Taylor Brothers worked with us to make this happen.
"Before Images"
The back porch had been enclosed in the 50's, but was unpermitted, not insulated and uncomfortable.
The front living room looking into the formal dining room at the center of the house with the kitchen not visible in this photo to the right behind the green wall.
The kitchen received great southern light and has nice original cabinets, but was separate from the rest of the house. The kitchen and dining room blocked any real access to the sunny backyard.
