Residential / Kitchens / Weissman
Weissman Kitchen
Berkeley, California
• 2002 Preservation Award, Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association
• 2002 Small Firms, Great Projects Exhibit, American Institute of Architects, SF
• 2009 Preservation Award, Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association
Putting the Craft Back in a Craftsman
This landmark Arts & Crafts house was located on a small corner lot which gave the kitchen close proximity to property lines and very few outside views. These issues required a complete reorientation of the kitchen and elimination of all interior walls in this quadrant of the house.
Lots of windows were added to gain light and to make the kitchen feel more spacious but required two steel moment frames which were skillfully hidden inside original walls. The remodeled kitchen replicates the beauty of the older home yet still contains all the amenities found in a modern kitchen: a central island, lots of counter space, a bookcase, a 6-burner stove/oven, great lighting, a dishwasher, wine cooler, two sinks, large refrigerator, a small laundry room, and even an office workspace.
The oak cabinets and woodwork were stained for a traditional finish while materials were used that might have been used in an Arts & Craft kitchen: granite countertops that look like soapstone, oak floors and cabinets, traditional lighting fixtures and hardware, farmhouse sink, and a backsplash of subway tile. The end result is a kitchen that looks like it was built at the turn of the 20th Century, but one that will last well into the 21st Century.
