The challenge was both visual and structural.   The clients desire was for an open, flowing spacious plan working within the existing home and that the kitchen would not look so much like a kitchen.  The existing home already had insufficient shear walls to protect them in an earthquake. The key item that allowed us to remove walls to create this open plan was to change out existing posts supporting the roof overhang to be steel moment frames conencting back into the roof plane. Therefore in addition to creating an opening flowing space, we improved the home's eartquake protection attributes.  The two bathrooms were remodeled to feel larger & more open within the confines of existing bedroom & hall walls.  Our Remodel was the Recipient of Honorable interior for the 2007 kitchen contest of the Design for Living Magazine.

Photographs by Indivar Sivanathan