An Atelier for Family Living
A High Performance Eichler Kitchen
Los Altos, California
Part workshop. Part community center. Part creative studio.
A late-period Eichler, located in the Fallen Leaf Park enclave of Los Altos, California, was lovingly adopted and adapted by a family intent on retaining its architectural heritage and making it work for real living.
A late-period Eichler, located in the Fallen Leaf Park enclave of Los Altos, California, was lovingly adopted and adapted by a family intent on retaining its architectural heritage and making it work for real living.
The clients turned to Henrybuilt to accomplish what might feel like an impossibility: marrying sophisticated function with a friendly feel; integrating their day-to-day needs with an aesthetic that preserved the integrity of the home’s original design. In doing so, they found a partner to navigate the scores of individual decisions that affect what goes where, the proportional relationships of various forms, and the way they move through interactive spaces.
The first design conversation involved knitting together three separate spaces into a holistic family zone for work and play, conversation
and cuisine. The goal wasn’t to pull down walls, rather to make the collection of disparate rooms (with different functions) feel and work
like one unified space.
The closed utility room was transformed into a behind-the-scenes workspace for baking, catering, and meal planning, speaking the same
material language as the family kitchen and connecting via an open passageway.
The kitchen and the sometimes-bakeshop are tied together with functional closed and open pantry storage.
The space is a batterie de cuisine writ large. At the core of it all is the storage and placement of the essential tools that are the
bread and butter of cooking, working, and entertaining.
Henrybuilt’s Bar Block houses the awkward-to-store cutting boards and other essentials right where they are used. There is no need to hunt.
The clients just grab what they need and, when finished, can wash it off and tuck it away easily.
Beyond being a toolbox, the Bar Block’s form shields the work surface from the living space with crafted elegance.
PARTS OF THE WHOLE
A system-based kitchen brings function to your fingertips and joy to your table.
Henrybuilt’s functional Opencase wall panels and backsplash form a united front where cooking tools and ingredients are readily at hand -
and have a place to return to.
“We wanted key things out and accessible, not just for us but for our kids,” said the client. “The great thing is despite everything being in
plain sight, it feels calm and relaxed because everything has a place. The different storage solutions came together in a way that feels and
looks good.”
While each of these unique solutions - like the hidden outlet perfectly placed in the bar block to accommodate the charging of a cell phone - is a benefit on its own, how they come together makes the biggest impact. Because Henrybuilt’s products are designed as part of a system, the result doesn’t feel like a collage, rather a beautifully designed and functioning whole, enhancing and elevating everyday living.
That said, with visibility comes risk. What if needs or tools change? That’s where the built-in flexibility of the system comes to the rescue.
From the big picture: a baking room acts as a family self-serve cafeteria at lunch, an entertaining support zone where food and beverage is served out
of a pass-through window to the backyard for family gatherings, and a quiet planning station in between.
To the small snapshot: an Opencase pot rack is easily removed to be replaced with a wine rack before the party begins. Current and future needs anticipated
without guesswork.
HENRYBUILT WALL SYSTEMS
Make the most of every vertical inch.
The kitchen is all about tactile moments. An emphasis on material quality - and individualized elements that work together - enhances the experience in the kitchen and extends the hospitality to the host.
Too often, people talk about quality in terms of what it is when, in reality, it should be contextualized in terms of what it does. The ultimate definition of quality means the freedom to do more and worry less.
This is a place for family creativity.
Too often, people talk about quality in terms of what it is when, in reality, it should be contextualized in terms of what it does. The ultimate definition of quality means the freedom to do more and worry less.
This is a place for family creativity.
“We really embraced this as a highly usable kitchen. We wanted it to be a space where everyone in the family is allowed to be creative and experiment,”
said the client. “With Henrybuilt we can relax. The quality is there. Nothing is fragile. We don’t have to be overly protective of the kitchen or of
the users of it.”
The kitchen’s center of gravity is the island extension table. “This is our family table. We want everyone to be a part of it, not apart from it.”
Throughout the project storage was integrated wherever possible, including a lidded storage bin in the center of the table to keep utensils and linens at hand – for everyone.
Throughout the project storage was integrated wherever possible, including a lidded storage bin in the center of the table to keep utensils and linens at hand – for everyone.
Henrybuilt’s tailored system translates into the feeling that home is an oasis - permanent and personal - yet also unlimitedly flexible.
You can have your cake and eat it, too.
