Kitchen of the Week: Modern Teak Cabinetry Nods to Danish Design
An overhauled 1950s kitchen gains exquisite teak veneer, an open plan and views of San Francisco Bay
“After” images by Margot Hartford Photography
Kitchen at a Glance
Location: San Mateo, California
Size: 180 square feet (17 square meters); four bedrooms, 3½ bathrooms
Designers: Tiffiny Johnson of Peninsula Modern (interiors); John Lum Architecture
Before. This home sits on a hill with a beautiful view of the San Francisco Bay area, but unfortunately, the original layout wasn’t designed to take advantage. Only the family room and guest bedroom offered a view. The homeowners felt the existing kitchen, seen here, was particularly closed off to the view, in addition to feeling cramped and outdated. Small interior walls made it dark and choppy, limiting its connection to the rest of the living space and the exterior.
Kitchen at a Glance
Location: San Mateo, California
Size: 180 square feet (17 square meters); four bedrooms, 3½ bathrooms
Designers: Tiffiny Johnson of Peninsula Modern (interiors); John Lum Architecture
Before. This home sits on a hill with a beautiful view of the San Francisco Bay area, but unfortunately, the original layout wasn’t designed to take advantage. Only the family room and guest bedroom offered a view. The homeowners felt the existing kitchen, seen here, was particularly closed off to the view, in addition to feeling cramped and outdated. Small interior walls made it dark and choppy, limiting its connection to the rest of the living space and the exterior.
After. An extensive renovation completely rearranged the home’s interior to be more open-planned. The kitchen shifted from an interior area off the former living room to a central location on the rear exterior wall.
Fabulous views are now visible from every point of the kitchen, creating a wow factor when you walk in the front door, says designer Tiffiny Johnson. “The kitchen is the first thing you see, so we wanted it to be special,” she says.
A 12-foot-long island establishes a main focal point for seating eight guests. It also stores the homeowners’ platters and extra dishes and hides an integrated microwave drawer. The waterfall-edge countertop is a product called PaperStone, which is made from recycled paper and resin.
Countertop: PaperStone; custom teak cabinetry: Woodteck Construction
Fabulous views are now visible from every point of the kitchen, creating a wow factor when you walk in the front door, says designer Tiffiny Johnson. “The kitchen is the first thing you see, so we wanted it to be special,” she says.
A 12-foot-long island establishes a main focal point for seating eight guests. It also stores the homeowners’ platters and extra dishes and hides an integrated microwave drawer. The waterfall-edge countertop is a product called PaperStone, which is made from recycled paper and resin.
Countertop: PaperStone; custom teak cabinetry: Woodteck Construction
Pitched ceiling. The team expanded the living room over the garage and added space on the second floor above it, which meant there was an opportunity to change the ceiling level throughout the open kitchen, dining area and adjacent living room. (The living room is on the other side of this custom teak shelving unit, which is wired for the couple’s media equipment.) The added height, coupled with the new white painted wood plank ceiling, makes the areas look and feel more spacious.
Continuous flooring. The previous dark brown peel-and-stick vinyl tiles had to go. New 7-inch-wide hickory wood flooring now unifies the entire area. The wood also adds warmth and contrast to the stark walls and ceiling above.
Ceiling and wall paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore; pendant lights: Here Comes the Sun, Design Within Reach; browse kitchen lighting
See how to clean your hardwood floors
Continuous flooring. The previous dark brown peel-and-stick vinyl tiles had to go. New 7-inch-wide hickory wood flooring now unifies the entire area. The wood also adds warmth and contrast to the stark walls and ceiling above.
Ceiling and wall paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore; pendant lights: Here Comes the Sun, Design Within Reach; browse kitchen lighting
See how to clean your hardwood floors
Minimalist cabinet design. Custom-designed slab panel cabinetry with concealed hinges focuses attention on the gorgeous veneer and allows for specialized pocket doors on a storage pantry, seen below.
Transition struggle. Johnson says one of the project challenges was integrating the beams with the grooved ceiling planks and the upper kitchen cabinets so they all transitioned together to leave no element overpowering another. “In the end, we decided to center the custom teak [vent] hood between the beams,” she says.
Bar stools: 1950s Oak Tractor seat stool, RH
See how to get custom cabinetry
Transition struggle. Johnson says one of the project challenges was integrating the beams with the grooved ceiling planks and the upper kitchen cabinets so they all transitioned together to leave no element overpowering another. “In the end, we decided to center the custom teak [vent] hood between the beams,” she says.
Bar stools: 1950s Oak Tractor seat stool, RH
See how to get custom cabinetry
Warm, modern finishes inspired by Danish furniture. To keep the kitchen inviting and contrast with the white walls and ceiling, Johnson tapped warm wood and brass metal finishes. She says the idea to go with a teak veneer on the cabinetry originated with the couple’s love of their teak Danish midcentury dining set, seen in an earlier image.
Exquisite veneer. Johnson says she and contractor and cabinetmaker Noel O’Rourke of Woodteck Construction found a source that sells large sheets of teak veneer. They were able to hand-pick the sheets and bookmatch them along the entire span of the main wall, as well as on the drawer fronts and appliance panels, to create a visually striking pattern. Installing the grain horizontally, versus a standard vertical orientation, emphasizes the linear thrust of the home’s layout and nods at new ceiling planks. At $25 a square foot, the veneer was a primary budget splurge.
Backsplash tile: Jade Manganese-Olive, Heath Ceramics; cabinet pulls and appliance handles: solid satin brass, Colonial Hardware; wall-mounted pot filler: Concord, vintage brass, Kingston Brass
Exquisite veneer. Johnson says she and contractor and cabinetmaker Noel O’Rourke of Woodteck Construction found a source that sells large sheets of teak veneer. They were able to hand-pick the sheets and bookmatch them along the entire span of the main wall, as well as on the drawer fronts and appliance panels, to create a visually striking pattern. Installing the grain horizontally, versus a standard vertical orientation, emphasizes the linear thrust of the home’s layout and nods at new ceiling planks. At $25 a square foot, the veneer was a primary budget splurge.
Backsplash tile: Jade Manganese-Olive, Heath Ceramics; cabinet pulls and appliance handles: solid satin brass, Colonial Hardware; wall-mounted pot filler: Concord, vintage brass, Kingston Brass
Disappearing doors. To the right of the range area, a floor-to-ceiling pantry used as a coffee and tea station features door fronts that pivot and slide into custom-designed pockets that let them sit flush with the surrounding cabinetry. Painting its interior blue-gray protects the wood against any rogue drips and also adds a touch of colorful contrast to the wood, as the clients usually leave it open.
The appliances have matching veneer fronts to blend into the surrounding installation.
The appliances have matching veneer fronts to blend into the surrounding installation.
To the far left of the range area, a dividing shelf that holds glassware separates a bar area. The window above flips up and functions as a pass-through to hand drinks and snacks out to the new exterior patio.
A beverage fridge and ice maker in the base cabinet allows for quick drink access. For dirty kitchen towels and aprons, a laundry chute to the lower level laundry room hides behind the skinny cabinet door underneath the glassware shelf.
Ice maker: Hoshizaki; beverage fridge: U-Line; window: Flip Out Windows
Contractor and cabinet maker: Noel O’Rourke of Woodteck Construction
More
How to Add a Laundry Chute
Find kitchen designers in your area
Browse Kitchens of the Week
A beverage fridge and ice maker in the base cabinet allows for quick drink access. For dirty kitchen towels and aprons, a laundry chute to the lower level laundry room hides behind the skinny cabinet door underneath the glassware shelf.
Ice maker: Hoshizaki; beverage fridge: U-Line; window: Flip Out Windows
Contractor and cabinet maker: Noel O’Rourke of Woodteck Construction
More
How to Add a Laundry Chute
Find kitchen designers in your area
Browse Kitchens of the Week
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Hope Anderson