Spruce

2M Architecture was our partner in the remodel, from beginning to end. We had ideas about what we wanted our kitchen to be and how we wanted it to function; 2M was able to educate us when we needed that, to get us to focus, to synthesize the info we gave them and to make our dream for a functional, beautiful kitchen come true.

— LINDA G.

Project Description

After growing up with his family in the house, the current owner went off to college and started a new life in San Francisco. Years later, the house came to him, and he and his partner decided to relocate to Berkeley and make this place a home for them to share their lives.

The original house had a hallway, bathroom, laundry complex right between the Dining Room and Kitchen. This utility core also “blocked” easy access to the deck and rear yard. The design solution was to remove these functions and relocate them elsewhere in the plan and to create a new, more open space for cooking and entertaining. The design also featured an open “sculptural” room divider that helped to give each room a sense of identity yet still feel connected. This divider also has a functional purpose as it has a custom serving buffet on the Dining Room side and has a bench seat (with storage below) facing the Kitchen so guests can relax with a cocktail and chat while dinner is being prepared.

New windows and a large sliding door opened the spaces up to the deck and the spacious rear yard. The larger bedroom on the upper floor was converted into a new Master Suite, with the addition of a new Bathroom. The house received finish upgrades throughout the plan to include new painting and refinished floors.