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Liraz Baleli
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Kitchen remodel · San Francisco · 2025

Presidio Heights Kitchen

The family cooked every night in a kitchen that had been laid out for staff a century ago. We kept the building's character and rebuilt how it works.

Luxury remodeled kitchen with marble island and oak cabinetry
Size
540 sq ft
Scope
Design + build management
Duration
6 months
Cabinetry
Custom, locally fabricated

The brief

  • Remove the pantry wall without losing storage.
  • Seat four for breakfast and twelve for dinner within the same footprint.
  • Keep the original bay window and cornice detailing intact.

The approach

01

One wall out, one wall built

The removed partition returned as a full-height joinery wall — the storage moved rather than disappeared.

02

The island as the plan

Every appliance, drawer and route was drawn around a single island so two people can cook without crossing paths.

03

Continuity of stone

One slab family runs from the island to the range backsplash, so the eye reads a single surface.

04

Pantry as pressure valve

A butler pantry absorbs the small appliances and coffee ritual, keeping the main room clear.

Renderings

Five views of the finished design.

Remodeled kitchen with marble island
The island sets the plan for the whole room.
Kitchen seen from the dining side
Dining side — one continuous room, two functions.
Range wall with book-matched marble backsplash
Range wall — stone carried up to the hood.
Butler pantry with oak shelving
Butler pantry — everyday clutter, out of sight.
Elevated view of the marble island with oak stools
Breakfast for four at the same surface.

Materials

  • Honed marble
  • Rift oak cabinetry
  • Plaster hood
  • Brushed nickel fittings
  • Oak herringbone floor

The outcome

  • Storage capacity increased by roughly a third despite removing a wall.
  • Six-month schedule met with the family in residence throughout.
  • The room now hosts the dinners it was rebuilt for.

We cook differently now. Nothing is in the wrong place any more.

Homeowner, Presidio Heights

Next step

Begin with a complimentary in-home consultation

Ninety minutes in your home to talk through scope, sequencing and budget. No cost, no obligation.