With more than 50 kitchen projects under his belt, Jerome Buttrick of Buttrick Projects (formerly Buttrick Wong Architects) is a veteran of kitchen design.
A kitchen with cathedral ceilings and shiplap paneling in San Francisco’s Filbert Cottages, reenvisioned by Buttrick; see On the Market: The Historic Filbert Cottages in San Francisco’s Russian Hill for a look.
Jerome Buttrick: Kitchens are really the soul of the house and are for more than just cooking but also for congregating, so they need to be put in the context of the home’s public spaces or the adjacent spaces.
Julie’s Mill Valley kitchen, designed by Buttrick, has display niches built into the under-counter cabinets. RM: What are people looking for in a kitchen?
Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.
JB: They want an efficient workspace, they always want storage, and, even if they don’t immediately realize it, they want some basic parameters to separate the wine-drinking guests from the action in the kitchen. I am not troubled by patina, but you have to seal Carrara with Porous Plus by Miracle.
A window was added to let light into this pre-war kitchen in San Francisco; a shade acts as a scrim between the owners and their neighbors. You can put in obscure (frosted or ridged) glass, but that only goes so far—the Disney mugs will still be visible.
In this Indoor/Outdoor Kitchen, Buttrick created a custom stainless drain board behind the sink, which frees up the area on either side.
The marble recessed backsplash is built into the raised walnut counter that sits six inches taller than the marble counter, concealing the work area from guests but still making it visually gratifying for guests on the other side.
In Julie’s Mill Valley kitchen, Buttrick separated kitchen from dining with a maple plywood shelf. You need cabinets and a fridge, but if you cook a lot, go for the Wolf Range or go for the best you can afford.
For more insights into kitchen design, check out our Architect Is In post with Jerome Buttrick.