For this whole-house remodel and expansion, Anita Dawson, principal of San Diego, Calif.-based Dawson Design Group, was called to walk a fine line with her design, particularly in the kitchen remodel. The clients were interested in keeping a bit of original Asian-inflected midcentury modern vibe while updating and enlarging the home.
Built in the 1960s, the existing house was a 1,500-square-foot, single-story building that had fallen into disrepair. The program called for constructing a 3,600-square-foot, two-story structure on a footprint that was very similar to the original.
Now and Zen Kitchen Design
To achieve the melding of the two aesthetics in the kitchen, Dawson focused on the casework.
“I designed cabinetry that has a slightly mid-century feel by using dark borders and light door and drawer faces,” she said. With the orthogonal geometry of the cabinets highlighted in this way, and with decorative hardware kept to a minimum, the effect recalls tatami; even the woodgrain of the cabinet fronts invokes the texture of the woven straw used in the Japanese mats.
The designer continued to infuse contemporary tranquility into other spaces in the home. “As a modern design, we paid attention to making the architectural detailing consistent throughout the house,” she said. “This results in an overall ‘zen’ feeling in the home.”
—By Leslie Clagett, KBB Managing Editor
