The Novak Residence kitchen (it is called the 12th Street Kitchen on our Houzz page) has been featured (again!) on Houzz, in an article called “A Nook of One’s Own”. This is also the project that was recently a finalist in Dwell Magazine’s Caesarstone Challenge contest.
We are so honored by the outpouring of support for our projects, and these articles are proof that good design can resonate with many people. Thanks all!
Our Novak Residence kitchen design made the top 30 out of 323 entries for the Dwell Magazine Caesarstone Challenge! (Look for “Craftsman Kitchen Transformation” under the Kitchen & Bath category). Please vote here. The entry with the most votes wins two slabs of beautiful Caesarstone, which we will donate to a local non-profit. Leave a comment below, we will give YOU a special discount on our services if we win! Also, every voter is entered for a chance to win a HD Flip camera from Dwell. Voting ends at 11:59 p.m. PST this Thursday, 3/1/12, so don’t delay.
Be sure to peruse the other entries for inspiration, too.
Special thanks to Mike and Rachel Novak, the owners who made the magic happen; to Scene Construction for their excellent craftsmanship; and to Lincoln Barbour, for his beautiful photography.
The Novak Residence kitchen (it is called the 12th Street Kitchen on our Houzz page) has been featured (again!) on Houzz, in an article called “8 Cozy Tables for Two”. This is timely for me, since I was sitting with a friend at a bar counter in a coffee shop today and was noticing how much more intimate it is to sit next to each other, than to sit across the table. Pair it with a view and you’ll never want to leave!
We had the pleasure of working with Lincoln Barbour for the first time, in 2011. We are honored to be included in his year-in-review.
You can also check out our blog post about our experience with Lincoln. We look forward to more fun shoots with him this year!
photo by Randy Rasmussen
Happy New Year everyone! We hope your year is off to a great start.
We just found out that the one of our projects, the Kovtunovich Residence, was mentioned in the Best of 2011 in the Homes and Gardens section of The Oregonian. You can find it in the “Trends of the Year” section, where they praise the owners, Ian and Tonia Kovtunovich, for “mixing it up” by building a very modern addition to their traditional bungalow. The original article for the project was published in January, but we are so flattered to be mentioned again at the end of the year.
Thanks again for all your support, and we look forward to another exciting year.
Our recent flurry of kitchen features has prompted us to look back at our past kitchen projects, and see the variety of different styles and needs we have encountered. Each one is unique, which is what makes kitchens so interesting. It’s one the most intricate rooms to design in a house.
The Recinos/Cooper Residence kitchen is a study in efficiency. Peg Cooper is a pastry chef, and wanted the flexibility to conduct classes in her kitchen. Even through the confines of the house limited the size of the kitchen, both Peg and Andrew wanted it to operate like a commercial kitchen: with separate and efficient areas for prepping, cooking, and cleaning. In addition, they wanted the style of the kitchen to stay true to the era of their Craftsman House.
As always, we started by looking at the house as a whole, and evaluating essential design issues like natural lighting, traffic flow, and utility. By relocating the rear entrance and studying the movements between the three workstations, we worked with the owners to create a spacious kitchen with distinct work areas and lots of storage.
We recently asked the owners to share how they felt about the experience of working with us, from initial concept to project completion. Here is what they said:
“It is hard to believe that a kitchen remodel could change your life, but in many ways this is the case with the remodel designed and managed by Ogawa Fisher Architects. Prior to the remodel, the kitchen was already the focal point of the house (so often the case, and more so with a toddler), which just exacerbated its deficiency. Poorly laid out, dark, and cut off from the rest of the house, the kitchen was a constant source of frustration. The Ogawa Fisher team imagined a new kitchen in the same space, which was well lit, well designed and integrated into the flow of the house – a focal point we actually want to spend time in. The first time friends entered our house post-renovation, they tended to say the same thing – ‘this didn’t just change your kitchen, it changed your whole house!’”
Thank you, Andrew and Peg! It’s so rewarding to know that changes in one room can transform the feel of the whole house. We really enjoyed working with you and hope we have the opportunity to collaborate with you again soon.
Special thanks to Scorpion Construction for their hard work and craftsmanship; and to Kristin Beadle for the beautiful photography.
For more images of this kitchen, feel free to browse the project album on our facebook page.
Two of our projects (the Samaras/Sorensen Residence dining room and Novak Residence kitchen) were chosen for a featured Ideabook on Houzz’s home page. Woot!
For more photos of both projects, feel free to peruse the albums on our Facebook page.
The Novak Residence project was featured as Kitchen of the Week on Houzz.com. Check it out!
We recently completed our design and construction administration services on a major remodel and addition in Berkeley, California. We thoroughly enjoyed working with the owners, Curtis and Sharon Sakai, who really embraced the idea of a modern addition that contrasts with their existing Craftsman home. The project entailed a two-story rear addition and detached studio.
We recently asked the owners to share how they felt about the experience of working with us, from initial concept to project completion. Here is what they said:
‘Our experience working with Ogawa Fisher Architects was the complete package. Both partners, Lynn and Hiromi, took the time to listen to our priorities and present us with concepts and options which were on track and easy to work from. We started with a vision of adding a modern addition to a typical older craftsman but knew it might be tricky to come up with a graceful integration of the old with the new. Through productive meetings and suggestions both practical and creative, we worked out a formidable “wish list”, specific requirements and in the end the final drawing was a distilled version of what would be our dream home.
We can’t speak enough of what a pleasure it was working with both of them. The process, particularly when you’re building in the Berkeley Hills, is extremely grueling and their professionalism and good humor to help support and push through the red tape was a blessed relief. They were also a very big and integral part of the build out. [They were] very helpful in sorting out many contractor errors, revising drawings and acting on the best interest of the homeowner on various occasions.
The end product has been more than we anticipated as a family. One of the key features of our architectural design was to have an openness and flow to our large under-utilized backyard. We opened up our floor plan to integrate a larger kitchen with adjacent breakfast nook and family room. Large windows surrounding the view [of] the bay directs you to our decking and large back yard which we are now in the process of completing. We have already spent wonderful times cooking to our heart’s delight and entertaining in the Kitchen/Family room, as a family and with guests. In the years to come we anticipate enjoyment of this space and the backyard area providing us with great indoor-outdoor living.
Another key feature of our new home is the master suite which we built upstairs. The thought and care put into this space has created a haven for both of us. We wake up to a view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco cityscape . The openness and finishes in the suite including the bath are light and tranquil. We thought we were at a resort for the first month of living there. We pinch each other daily and are grateful beyond words. There are so many other features in our home which we could point out which were created with a lot of care, attention to detail and listening to the homeowner.
I would recommend the Ogawa Fisher team to anyone with a project to enhance their living space. [They are] good professionals, who we now consider good friends.’
Thank you, Curtis and Sharon! We also thoroughly enjoyed working with both of you. We are so grateful that you had faith in our abilities. You deserve the credit for pursuing good design, even through multiple hurdles. We’d love to work with you again soon.
