North Bay Woman

F A L L 2 0 1 4 | NORTH BAY WOMAN 15 "Our client is an amazing lady who really wanted the kitchen to work for everybody," recounts Rosemarie Halajian, who with her husband, Krikor Halajian, owns the San Rafael design/build firm, Kitchens and More. "We worked closely with her to fulfill her vision." The space is designed efficiently and logically so that anyone can find exactly what they're looking for and put it back in its place easily. Espresso and cappuccino cups are stored near the espresso machine, small appliances are stored together, a pair of corner pullout wire baskets hold stacks of utilitarian bowls and pans, and glassware – from juice glasses to stemware, place mats, napkins and napkin rings are all kept orderly within their own divided drawers. "Every cabinet has its purpose," Halajian says. And, these easy-to-clean cabinets, in a high-gloss white, have no need for door pulls as they open with a push. Besides being efficient, this kitchen was designed not to distract from the command- ing Pacific Ocean view visible from the kitch- en and adjacent living and dining rooms. So, everything is clean-lined and concealed. In fact, the only visible appliance is the Wolf range, but even its hood is camouflaged so the clean line was maintained. "The look demands no clutter," Halajian points out. "It's very sleek and the interior of the cabinets have to do all the work." Even the Porcelanosa tile backsplash is carefully stacked to avoid any unnecessary cuts in the tile, and therefore grout lines, were kept quiet with a wave-like pattern mimicking the patterns of the ocean. "It's the most inviting space," Halajian says. "It always feels ready for you." Angling for more space Janine Peck, a certified kitchen designer and principal of Design Orendain, got a designer's dream request when her clients wanted to renovate their Mill Valley kitchen. "It was unusual," she admits. "They were tired of their kitchen but they didn't have a direction for it. They just liked my work and were open to new ideas." First, she removed an interior wall that allowed the formerly enclosed kitchen to embrace a breakfast room with a great view. And, instead of a standard post, she used a slim steel column, coated with a paint that contains suspended light-reflecting glass beads. "The column becomes a sculptural element as well as a structural support," she says, adding that it also helps make the 200-square foot kitchen appear larger. She also reversed the positions of the cooktop and the sink, placing the cooktop along the perimeter wall and the sink in the peninsula. "This way the cook can interact with family and friends," she says. "People think that they're at the cooktop the most, but it's really the sink area that gets the most use. This is where the produce, hands and dishes get washed and it's where the food is cut and prepped." The bar, made of Giallo Reale marble, floats above the angled Sapele Pomele wood wall below it. "This angled peninsula is the focal point of the kitchen and my client says it is what everyone comments on when they walk in," she reveals. Peck employed another angle when she slightly curved the Ooba Tooba granite countertops into a subtle crescent shape to meet the edge of the cooktop eliminating any snags between the two. For added light and a view of the hillside garden, she replaced the portion of the wall between the cabinets and the backsplash on either side of the cooktop with windows. "There's a big sweeping view of the canyon and the bay from the other direction of the kitchen and when a home has sweep- ing views, it is also nice to have intimate ones," she says. The owners' cats weren't forgotten in the process. Peck measured them from ear to paw to create an open space in a lower cabinet that was big enough for them to comfortably access their food and water bowls as well as their bed. "It's great because you never accidentally kick their dishes and the cats love to play hide-and-seek in there." > Left: Every drawer and cabinet is outfitted with dividers so that all utensils, plates, glassware, flatware, bake ware and linens have their own places and the counter is left clear of distractions. Right: Small windows, that capture an intimate view of the garden, provide an ever-changing "backsplash" in the kitchen while the slim support column, chosen over a bigger post, gives the space a more open feel in this kitchen designed by Janine Peck. – Photos by Stuart Lirette. Above: The homeowner's cats were measured from tail to toe to make sure they could eat comfortably in their own eating area under a cabinet, a design trick that also prevents cat dishes from being kicked and spilled. – Photo by Stuart Lirette.

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