Stand the Test of Time

Author:Lindsey Shook

Studio Munroe realizes a timeless, contemporary kitchen suitable for all stages of life

When overhauling kitchens in city apartments, designers are tasked with creating maximum storage and flow. And while that was a hurdle Studio Munroe faced when redesigning a kitchen for a young San Francisco family, the bigger challenge was to conceive a style that would satisfy the clients for decades to come. “They wanted a timeless design that served a wide array of life stages, from the single urban worker to a growing family to a pied à terre for retirement years,” says founder and principal designer Emilie Munroe. “We brought a modern European feel to the unit by creating an open-plan layout, adding custom cabinetry throughout by Brimer Workshop and installing luxury finishes, fittings and appliances.”

Munroe and the team worked with Zeus Remodeling to gut the existing enclosed galley kitchen and envisioned a completely new cabinet system with storage and efficiency top of mind. “The updated kitchen features include a storage peninsula with an under-counter microwave drawer, touch-powered sink faucet, an exposed range hood and integrated Liebherr refrigerator,” says Munroe. “The kitchen counter perimeter cabinetry extends along the dining room wall to include two bookcases and a two-person desk with views of the Golden Gate Bridge.”

Custom grey stained white oak cabinets complemented by Offset Brick Mosaic Carrara tiles by Akdo and flat black Mackinaw pulls by Park Studio create a classic palette sure to evolve with the family over time. “By re- envisioning the existing enclosed galley kitchen into an open peninsula with countertop seating, the spirit of the entire home was reinvented into an integrated, crisp, airy slice of modern San Francisco life,” notes Munroe of the transformation.

By far one of their fastest installations, Studio Munroe completed the work just in time for the arrival of the couple’s second child. Munroe notes, “It was a sweet reminder of the success of our collaboration when we would hear the hustle and bustle of a thriving urban family and their sweet new babe in the background of our post-installation calls.”