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San Diego Historic Prairie Kitchen & Mud Room Remodel IS Architecture, a San Diego based architecture firm, recently received the Kitchen of the Year award from San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles Magazine. The remodel was part of a historical restoration of a 1923 Prairie School style home. IS Architecture’s Ione R. Stiegler, FAIA, an architect honored for historic preservation by the American Institute of Architects’ Distinguished Practice Award, developed a plan to to reconfigure and open up the space. Along with Project Manager Robert Davidson, Ione worked closely with the homeowners created a livable design with function and style, while maintaining the historic character and integrity of the house. This is the true hallmark of this kitchen remodel. This historic home is situated in the historic Mission Hills neighborhood of San Diego, CA. It was built by local master builder Martin Melhorn for future San Diego Mayor John F. Forward Jr. The house is designated as a local historic resource. The clients wished to remodel the existing 1980s era kitchen, laundry, and powder room in a way that would complement the historic character of the home. They also wanted to reconfigure the floor plan in order to achieve better flow and sight lines between the kitchen, living room, and backyard. In order to maintain the historic character and integrity of the house, windows and doors visible from the street could not be altered. With the window and door locations predetermined, reconfiguring the layout to include a full bath, laundry room, breakfast nook, and kitchen while adding direct access to the living room and backyard proved a challenge. The design sought to capture the essence of the Prairie School style with an updated layout suited for the way we live today. A large kitchen island featuring seating, storage, and a prep sink anchors the kitchen. The business side of the island allows the cook to connect with guests, watch television, or keep an eye on children playing in the backyard. The island and counters are topped with turtle green granite in a leathered finish. The kitchen faucets on the main farm sink feature a Waterstone Contemporary Pulldown Faucet with matching side spray and disposal switch. A Waterstone Parche Filtration Faucet completes the Suite. On the island, another Waterstone Pulldown Faucet allows for food prep. The casework features period appropriate flush inset doors and drawers. The original hardwood floors found throughout the rest of the house were matched and carried into the kitchen. A large apron front sink by Rohl takes center stage in the clean-up station. Backsplash tile includes a 1”x1” ceramic mosaic blend over the sink and 2”x6” ceramic tile in adobe over the stove. Three Harmon pendants from Restoration Hardware provide task lighting over the island while recessed lighting by Halo completes the room. A mudroom containing a washer and dryer concealed in cabinetry as well as a bench and drop zone for the kids backpacks was created by borrowing an exterior side door that had previously opened directly into the kitchen. The mudroom also serves to separate a new downstairs bath from the main living space. Read the full article in San Diego Home/Garden Magazine (June 2015) About IS Architecture IS Architecture is a highly qualified award-winning firm dedicated to the preservation and renewal of our built environment. The firm specializes in custom residential architecture and the historic restoration and adaptive reuse of existing structures, with an expertise in the technical, aesthetic, building code, and structural and agency review aspects of architectural design for historic structures and custom residences. IS Architecture’s design philosophy is that the purpose of architecture is to create buildings that are well-built, functionally efficient, aesthetically pleasing, and appropriate to both clients’ requests and a project’s location. Scale and proportion are critical – both in the relation of the rooms to each other and the house to the property outside. Our designs are grounded on the principles of assessing a client’s needs and creating extraordinary, livable spaces which complement and maximize the site or existing structures. IS ARCHITECTURE 5649 LA JOLLA BLVD. LA JOLLA, CA 92037 TEL: (858) 456-8555 FAX: (858) 456-8566 info@isarchitecture.com http://isarchitecture.com More Photos…

Colorado High Country Past Basket recently designed a kitchen space in a new rustic log second home for a Chicago area family in the Colorado Rockies. The home owner’s design goals were to create a living space where their large family could gather, relax, entertain and partake in the family’s mutual love – skiing. The overall kitchen design was to achieve timeless aesthetics by choosing materials and construction that could have been used 100 years ago. There were a few challenges and limitations along the way. The selection of cabinetry finishes that wouldn’t compete with the character of the natural construction materials was important. This was accomplished by selecting quartered white oak, which has a very straight grain and applying a mild distressing to complement the logs and floor. Painted finishes in lively colors for the coffee bar and sitting room, provide a visual relief. Our Design Goals Minimize congestion, as one sink serves as both the clean-up and prep sink. This was accomplished by placing the dishwasher at the end of the island near the table and glass door dish storage cabinet. The clean-up activity then doesn’t encroach on the prep triangle refrigerator/sink/range. Past Basket added a Waterstone Traditional Pull Down Faucet to compliment the sink area. Aesthetically, add enough design detail, but not over power the rustic feeling of the space. This was accomplished using moldings that are large but not fussy and letting the iron hood be the statement that says “look at me, I’ve been around for a long time”. Why Sub-Zero & Wolf Products The home owner was familiar with the quality of Sub-Zero & Wolf products, and selected them early in the design process. The 48″ side by side as the main refrigerator/freezer was chosen since there wasn’t space in the island for refrigerator drawers, and supplemented with an under counter refrigerator for drinks in the coffee bar. The flush inset version of the 48″ refrigerator/freezer, allowed us to achieve the integrated look with the end panels. The Wolf MC/Convection oven was added to the 48″ range to help when cooking for large groups. The cabinetry adjacent to the range was pulled flush, a small but important aesthetic detail. Why Award Winning The large log posts and beams create a “jaw dropping” aesthetic, with the rustic kitchen fitting in seamlessly. Although the cabinet storage isn’t large because of the open design, the kitchen layout functions well for both small and large groups. About Past Basket Past Basket is a Chicagoland kitchen design firm that takes special pride in their historical roots. Founded by a mechanical engineer, we are committed to delighting clients by applying our innovative thinking, problem-solving knowledge, and precise technical expertise to their unique kitchen and living space challenges. There are no big egos here, either. Mature professionals comprise our staff with an average Past Basket employee tenure of more than 20 years. Certifications and Awards Winner – First Place in the 2014 National Kitchen and Bath Association’s annual Design Competition Featured on HGTV Widely published in consumer and trade magazines and books Member of NKBA Past Basket Design 200 South Third Street Geneva Illinois 60134 (630) 208-1011 infogeneva@pastbasket.com www.pbkitchen.design