Have you seen House Beautiful’s Kitchen of the Year?
Designer Steven Miller was tapped to “reimagine” the kitchen and adjoining family room in a Presidio Heights estate where the 2014 San Francisco Decorator’s Showcase was held.
The Kitchen After:
It’s like day and night, going from a casual white kitchen with butcher-block countertops and hardwood floors to a sleek, black room with “Ultra White” painted floors.
What used to be a fairly simple and unassuming room now has glass herringbone tile on the backsplash and reflective wallpaper with mica shavings.
I think it’s interesting that the Kitchen of the Year doesn’t have an island in it. They even removed the little peninsula the room used to have with bar seating.
Miller says he wanted the kitchen to look “Dark and sexy. Black makes you feel glamorous, and this kitchen is built for entertaining. It’s part of a series of rooms, including the family room and a deck, where you can listen to music and sip a cocktail and prepare an amazing meal.”
The ceiling is inset with a rock crystal light fixture, a collaboration with Christopher Boots. Designer Steven Miller says, “It really is a dramatic piece of functional art. And everybody likes a little sparkle.”
The San Francisco Decorator Showcase was held in a house built in the 1920s for Adolph Sutro. You can see how the rest of the rooms turned out on SF Curbed.
Check out the October 2014 issue of House Beautiful to read the article
with photos by Patricia Chang, James Baigrie, and Nikki Ritcher.
Julie, How are you? I am thrilled to see this fabulous kitchen. I adore everything about it! It IS Absolutely Stunning!
xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
Honestly, I much prefer the light and bright feel of the “before” kitchen!
I agree completely!
So do I!
Yes, what a waste! Shaking my head!
Agreed!!!!
Me, too!
I thought the same thing, why get rid of a lovely bright kitchen & put in a very dark one that makes it look very small.
I do too !
Totally agree too dark.
Agree, the white one is much better.
If I had a kitchen like the ‘before’ one, I would be in heaven . . .I’m hoping that some of the cabinets and such were donated. We have a ‘Habitat’ store where people bring in cabinets, lighting, paint, ovens – you name it – from homes that are being remodeled (or torn down). . A good part of proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity . . . I bought an old stove (with a warming oven – LOVE it!) for $25! It needed major cleaning – but it works perfectly and the late 60s green I’d take over stainless steel anything . . .
I agree! If I had the “before” I’d want some updating, for sure. But the “after” seems like a classic case of a “Guy” designer doing something to be flashy, and ending up w/a statement kitchen no real person would want to live with. Is this just the interior design version of runway fashion ?
Me too! I can’t imagine cooking in a black kitchen.
One of the worse kitchens I’ve seen in a long time. Not functional, not sexy but rather depressing and what is with that ugly half-dead tree on the counter? Granted it needed some updating, but this is a total miss.
I am in total agreement with you Georgia. Absolutely one of the worst kitchens I’ve ever seen as well….. Nothing about it appeals to me…… Nothing…… I would be depressed as soon as I walked into that room.
I totally agree with Georgia. That kitchen had such great light before and now it looks terrible.
In general, I am over the white kitchens and I like black cabinetry, but in this case, I’ll take the white. Too much of a good thing is just too much.
Seconded!!
It’s sleek and beautiful, to be sure, but I’m with you. I don’t see chain mail being replaced by chalkboard walls. Especially for people who have children. 🙂
Awful. Kitchen-as-nightclub. I suppose there’s no table and chairs because this place is meant as a party room, with store-bought or catered appetizers on little plates and people standing around with cocktails. I suppose in that limited context, it might work. But overall, it’s a big flop in my book. I liked the before.
It does have a nightclub vibe to it, doesn’t it? I think I’d feel silly cooking eggs in there in my jammies. Ha.
I’ll take the old one. Love the butcherblock counters. Love the natural wood floors. I do like the bridge faucet in the new kitchen, but that’s the only thing I’d take from it.
Ditto. When I only like one thing of a “redo”, I always think of the scene from “Little Woman” where Meg is done over, but the only thing the neighbor approves of is her boots. That sink was like the boots.
I always appreciate a Little Women reference. 🙂
This is definitely a dramatic transformation. While I do think black cabinetry can be quite handsome, I’ve often wondered how it would feel to be cooking dinner in a black kitchen during the winter months. It has to feel dark & depressing.
I’d be willing to bet that this particular homeowner does not do much cooking. 🙂
It doesn’t seem like a kitchen that will really be used except to plate the “take out” food and fix very sophisticated cocktails. Too dark and I hate the way he extended the upper cabinets near the stove to the counter leaving a very narrow work area. It is just not functional when you are trying take things off the stove.
I wondered about that, too. Not much counter space to work with, is there?
With such a cramped area around the stove and needing to carry water from sink for pasta etc. I would have thought for a high end “dream kitchen” there would have been a kettle faucet at the stove.
I can just picture a house full of people, all gravitating to the kitchen, with anything left to finish up for a meal. Someone will be skewered, burned or drenched.
A kichen can be made for entertaining but should still be a workable kitchen.
At least they made it pretty……
I prefer the old white one. Much more friendly. I think I’d feel like I had to put on lipstick just to make a cup of coffee.
Besides, do we really need kitchens THAT big? I realize I am probably the minority, but you could fit 5 of my apartment-size kitchens into that space. My perspective has been affected by my 8 years living in Europe.
I dislike this. So dark! So slick! It might be “sexy” but it’s not family friendly, which is what appeals to most buyers. I have a feeling this will feel dated much more quickly than the classic style it replaced.
While I love the idea of a non-white kitchen, the cabinets here are beautiful, this one fails for me.
First off, that light fixture is just hideous. It is almost like a spider web in a black widow cave.
And what the heck with the planter on the counter?!
I fail to see how anyone can cook in this space. It is sexy and sleek, but it is strictly a magazine/tv/movie set kitchen in my eyes. The illusion it can be used, but in the end, it is useless.
The windows are absolutely gorgeous though.
Like many, I’m not a fan of the new look. I want a bright, cheery, homey kitchen and the black, sleek, “sexy” design just doesn’t do it for me. It doesn’t look like a kitchen where a 10-year-old would help me make omlets. Or a 12-year-old would hang out and do his homework while I prepare supper. In fact, cooking and working and hanging out would seem to be the last things anyone would do in this kitchen. Definitely has a “showroom” feel to it. Or a disco!
I think it’s gorgeous and dramatic and glamorous and is definitely a kitchen that is to be seen and not used because it does not seem to be very user-friendly at all.
I do love the black cabinets, though. A couple of years ago, when we remodeled our 1970s Harvest Gold kitchen, I decided to paint the cabinets a glossy black. I get tons of compliments about my kitchen.
Sorry, this would not work in my kitchen since I have no outside windows. I much prefer the before kitchen. It’s much too masculine for my taste. Love white cabinets!
Darth Vader must love his new kitchen.
I imagine he would! With all that black, he’d blend right in. Ha.
Ha ha ha ha, that made me laugh out loud. :))
Ha ha ha!!! Good one.
Giggling like a schoolgirl here! Perfect comment!
I wish I had thought of that! Funny!
heehee!
I have to say there isn’t one thing I like about this “Kitchen of The Year”. Not my scene at all! Well maybe on Halloween!
Yucko.
All I can think is “no, no, no, no…” But I’d love to explore the outside gardens, the exterior shot is beautiful.
Um, yeah, nice to try and be different and all but ‘womp womp’, it just doesn’t strike me as being terribly functional and, really, isn’t this the room in the home that needs to be the most functional? I love good and innovative design but not at the expense of function. Most kitchen designers would be appalled I imagine. I quite like the glossy black cabinets but there aren’t enough light elements to stop it from feeling cave like and depressing. I would be on the floor in the fetal position come the middle of winter in this room.
Yeah, way too dark/masculine for me. To each their own!
Well to each his own, I guess. Designers seem to often go for the majorly dramatic approach. This is very dramatic. Good for some. However to me it would very easily get dated. That may not matter to the type of people who can afford homes like that but to the majority of us we want and need more comfort out of our kitchens and something that will stand the test of time. I know I can afford maybe one kitchen remodel in my lifetime so it has to last! I don’t see the Thanksgiving dinner being prepared in this kitchen.
It’s not ‘sexy’. Why does a kitchen need to be ‘sexy’ anyway? So much emphasis is placed on sexualizing things these days: clothes, commercials for everything from cars to alcohol to perfume, and now kitchens? There is nothing remotely ‘sexy’ or ‘glamorous’ about a pot of pasta boiling over, burnt toast, or me in the morning.
But I digress….
This kitchen is not welcoming at all. Serious lack of usable counter space, especially next to the stove. The wallpaper and the overhead rock crystal light thing looks too 1980’s to me. I must be out of date when it comes to art, because I simply don’t get the chainmail wall.
I do like the copper cooking pots on the stove though.
I agree the stove configuration is a big problem… the staging photo shows how ridiculous it is… (don’t forget your trivets because your hot pans need a landing zone)
To some extent the design is limited by the sponsors… the material choices are limited big time by the major sponsors (cabinets, appliances). That said, I think the function, layout and choices could have been better, regardless of the choice of black.
In a fantasy world where I’m the ridiculously rich owner of the space, I’d have to rip it out and have it redone.
The only thing I like is the fact that it isn’t white. I’m so tired of all white kitchens. I applaud the effort to be different, but it’s not my style.
Holy catfish what a change! I imagine this as the perfect kitchen for a nouveau rich bachelor – a lot of show without much practicality. Fun to dissect though!
I do like the fact that the designer removed the soffit and took the cabinets all the way to the ceiling. Even if they are just panels (and not functioning cabinets), I do think that looks good. I also like the glossy finish on those cabinets, but I cannot imagine living with black cabinets myself. I agree with many, the placement of those display cabinets makes no sense, and there is no functioning work space for the stove or oven. Not only did I wonder where you would place the ingredients you’d be adding to your cooking pots, I had to wonder where the heck I’d set down the milk or anything else from that fridge.
Removing the soffit definitely made a difference, I agree. Good point about having no counter space near the fridge, too!
I actually like it. Its refreshingly different. It does come off as very upscale, sexy and dramatic. I see so many kitchens, being a Realtor, and its usually the same ol/same ol, so I enjoy a dramatic change. Its certainly not for everyone, but I can see this style suiting some younger, hip, urban entertainers.
okay, …well, …wow….not sure how I feel about it. First pic was a shock, with a little “wait, I kinda like this” “What??” ” that is not my style, why do I like it??” I need to check myself. I think I just flipped to the “other side”.
Ok, I may be perceived as a bit off color here, but here is my opinion: it’s an S&M kitchen! It’s in San Francisco, the bastion of the alternative lifestyles…plural intended! Chainmail on the walls, what next, chastity belt colanders and machetes for mandolines? Why not handcuffs used to hang pots? Ok, enough…I hate it! The other one was classic, this is soooo dark!
LOL, Anita! It’s like “Fifty Shades of Black”, ha ha!
As much as I dislike the black cabinets, the worst part of the kitchen to me is the white floor. How impractical is that in a kitchen? I want my kitchen to be the happiest room in our home. Nothing about this room says happy to me.
That poor house must be crying. I feel so bad for it.
Where to begin? It’s not that I’m against the black cabinets – I think I could live with them – they ARE elegant, unique, striking. But after that we come up against what I think is the Death of so much decorating – and that is “Cliche'” . When you go overboard with one vernacular – it becomes it’s own cliché and stops being original not to mention pleasing. What, for example, would have happened if the cabinets were allowed to stand on their own in the midst of some softer, more traditionally elegant schemes. A classic chandelier? A simpler yet rich and creamy backsplash? A floor that isn’t such an obvious counter-point? Rooms should have elements categorized A, B and C. “A”s are the BIG things – striking focal points. Not everything can or should be an “A”. The “B”s and “C”s are the supporting cast that make the “A” wonderful. In this kitchen – everything’s trying to be an “A”
I liked the before much better than the after!
Absolutely not my style, I prefer the old kitchen.
I think our family would have fun playing with the chain mail.
It would be hard not to constantly play with it and change the shape, wouldn’t it? Like interactive art on the wall! Ha.
How depressing! I cant believe any serious cook would want to spend any time in there…..or even a non-cook. ICK!
I think it would be hard to see in there, especially at night. I feel like I would be banging into things since it’s rather narrow. I second most of the comments about the impracticality, lack of counter space, etc., and, like you, wonder where the eating area is and the access to the family room and deck. I like the height of the cabinetry, and the cabinets themselves are beautiful, but it is too much. My sister-in-law painted her base cabinets black and uppers a soft (versus stark) white with a light countertop and it came out gorgeous. The glittery wallpaper and tile here will be dated overnight – and it does seem very 80’s to me, though the tile is a bit reminiscent of 30’s Deco. I do like the black appliances for a change, so tired of the ubiquitous stainless steel. I much prefer the New England kitchen with the blue green cabinets and pale green beadboard in the same issue.
I have to say that I like the “before” kitchen a lot better!! I don’t like dark cabinets but love white cabinets with hardwood floors. I wouldn’t have changed a thing with the first kitchen.
Yikes! It’s a bit “heavy” with all that black in there. I prefer the light and bright kitchen. It’s more of a family kitchen. The black kitchen reminds me of a bachelor pad.
Not feeling that at all! I much prefer tbe original cozy kitchen.
This might work for a permanent bachelor but that is about it.
Kitchens should be bright and cheery.
hmmmm… No thanks. I like a cheery kitchen. The sink is cool but that chainmail wall? It looks ghoulish!
I really don’t like this kitchen at all. Why does a kitchen need to be sexy? In the pictures it looks like the distance from the left side with the much needed counters is too big to the right side with the stove. I’d drop a million things a day, and spent much time picking them up. I’m not against dark kitchens per se, but I much rather like the approach from the Homearama Ashville model. It had dark cabinets that kind of framed the stove with white cabinets for the rest. There you have contrast without oppressiveness. The tiles look odious to me. I would have built a kitchen like that playing The Sims, but in real life this is not for me.
I liked that kitchen with the contrast of white and dark cabinets, too. Kept the room from being too dark.
Um.
I really like the herringbone backsplash.
But it would need to be in a different colour – maybe a soft teal or sage green to go with cream/white cabinetry…
The before is definitely my preference – with a couple of tweaks (e.g. I like kitchen-diners) it would be my perfect kitchen!
#whatweretheythinking
I am onboard with removing the soffits. And the backsplash is nice, but honestly ALL black? Awful idea. I would have to dress like Darth Vader just to walk in…
Awful. I had a small black cabinetry island in my last kitchen. The black showed every grain of sugar, salt, flour, etc. Not at all practical if you actually bake and cook in your kitchen.
I like the ..before ..better !
I would probably lose weight with the black kitchen…wouldn’t want to go in there!
Because everyone needs a little chainmail in the kitchen! And what’s in the cutlery drawer, a battle axe?
Dark in more than just color. I think my mood has already been taken down a notch or two.
It is like a “formal living room” you never use it much. Just walk by it and look in.
A farmhouse in a cornfield, it is not. Living in the ‘bastion’ of Presidio Heights, touring a Decorator’s Showcase home, this is something I would expect. As with many things San Francisco, it is uniquely and provocatively an example of a different point of view. A beautiful home, in an exquisite diverse part of the world, indeed!
Well Julia, this post has certainly received a lot of attention! I guess you know what your readers like….and don’t like! ha!
That’s for sure! I didn’t think everyone would like it, but calling the reviews “mixed” would be generous at this point… 😉
The made over kitchen made me gasp out loud and startled my dog. And not a good gasp out loud, more like in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” when Nikki shows up in her bridesmaid dress creation.
To me, this displays the worst that can happen in a remodel; a designer comes in with a vision that has nothing to do with the house style, and no reference to function. Since we don’t know the life of the owners it’s wrong to say this doesn’t fit with their lifestyle but since I don’t believe vampires actually exist, I’m thinking no.
Ummm, well it’s interesting.
What a spectacular kitchen and in its own way very beautiful.
However, my practical self only sees not enough counter space, the splashes from the stove on the glass fronted cabinets and the endless amount of scrubbing and wiping to keep it spotless. This is a kitchen for someone who doesn’t cook.
I much prefer the “before” version.
The new layout, style of cabinets and appliances are very nice…But, the black color makes the room seem dark, somber and somewhat depressing. If the same kitchen was painted a soft shade of white or yellow it would appear much happier. As it is now, it seems that the designer was trying too hard to be trendy and the whole kitchen is going to be out of style in less than a month..
I do love the cabinets. I think they are elegant and beautiful. They lost me on some of the other details. The chain mail and the light fixture are ridiculous, and I think hardwood in a light stain color would have been a better choice for the floor. Not a fan of the back splash, either, but if I had to pick a kitchen, I’d pick the black one. As long as I could swap the light fixture and the chain mail out. The before screams “1990’s country kitchen” to me.
Kitchen of the Year? How about “Morgue of the Year”? I’d expect to pull open a drawer and find a body in there. And the rock crystal light fixture? Oops, one strand doesn’t seem to want to light up. Call the inventor and get your money back.
Perhaps I’m being a little rough on the designer, but nobody said, “Hey, look at this unusual kitchen I designed for a millionaire playboy!” At least then we would understand the ghastliness. The puzzling part is that House Beautiful has crowned it “Kitchen of the Year”.
This kitchen is way too dark and would make me feel depressed having to cook or spend time in there. I will say that I like the design of the cabinets just not the color.
Thanks for sharing this Julia. I’ve had fun reading the comments.
Interesting as a show piece but totally impractical as a real kitchen. A tiny cooktop with no adjoining counter or island to put down a hot pot? Not my style at all. I like a cheerful kitchen.
Hi Julis, I don’t know about you but I definately don’t feel sexy when I’m chopping onions or garlic sorry about that. It is a beautiful kitchen just not my cup of tea. Dark kitchens and now they are leaning towards dark bathroom…..I would feel claustrophobic. This was fun, thank you for sharing. Regards Esther from Sydney. PS I’m going back to read the rest of the comments.
I’m floored. This has to be the most glamorous kitchen I’ve ever seen! I love the black cabinets and the skylight is really unique. I would feel like a super star in this kitchen.
This is what I imagine the kitchen in the Playboy mansion looks like. And they can have it.
How do you dust chainmail? I’m guessing this homeowner does not cook and does not clean. 😉
Good question! Can’t say I’ve ever had to dust any. Ha.
This, my friends, is Beetle Juice.
Now that you mention it…ha.
I just hope someone got to reuse the white cabinets and butcher block counters! I think the white kitchen was such a classic look. It did not look flashy, which is I guess what the designer thought the house should have.
Maybe I’m old-fashioned but I much prefer the original kitchen. Don’t like the new one at all!
Wow, hate this! A kitchen should feel homey and welcoming. This is neither.
Thank you for sharing this and I know it is very rude to say this but Yuck! It looks tacky and overwhelming to be in.
Hate it! Like the before much better.
Black cabinets will show dust on them every day. It would be a lot of cleaning. I think this kitchen is rather dark and it needs more light to handle the black colors. I agree the functionally of the space is not very usable.
Boy, some designer got a hold of them AND their wallet. How depressing. It’s a good thing it’s so impractical for real living, or the owners would feel like they had to at least visit the kitchen from time to time.
But on the bright side, I don’t need to buy this issue of HB, if this is their kitchen of the year.
Are you kidding me? This is “The Emperor’s New Clothes”! This is hideous, but because some “designer” designates it “wonderful”, we should like it? ICK!
I’m trying to take the room on its own without thinking about the cheery “before” pics. I do appreciate some of the sleek, glamorous, sexy aspects of it that to me (and I totally don’t know what I’m talking about) are very deco, which I love. But then the Star Wars (and I love Star Wars and the earlier Darth Vader reference) light fixture, bleak wallpaper, laugh-out-loud ridiculous chain mail “art installation” next to the awkward bar area, lack of any eating/sitting space and lack of usable counter space in such a large kitchen (waste) just leaves me feeling mystified.
But maybe what I can take away from this is that I shouldn’t be afraid to do ANYTHING in my own home. Because goodness only knows how much time attention and money went into this room and it has caused so much angst and ew.
I like your perspective on it, Lisa!
Definitely prefer the first one.
This is so amazing! Love the bold color choice. This post inspired the post on my blog here on kitchen trends: https://www.jenniferadams.com/2014/10/kitchen-trend-ideas-black-is-the-new-black/
Like someone else said, this does have a nightclub vibe, which is kind of cool and different. I hope the owners are enjoying their new space. My personal taste: I loved the before kitchen. I thought nothing needed updating, and I don’t usually love white cabinets. I really liked the backsplash over the stove in the before.