There’s something so special and unique about a three generation home. Nestled along the San Francisco Bay contiguous to China Camp a typical 1940’s white chap board home with red tile roof has been home to horses boarded for pleasure riding.

The owner, Linda, has had a natural connection with horses from a very young age. Her love of animals developed watching her veterinary father care for small and large animals. Calmness seeps in and occupies my soul when working at the ranch alongside Linda. I’m filled with a sense of wellbeing.

During the beginning of project, anold time safe was discovered tucked into the cellar was fun. The original owner of the ranch was Linda’s grandfather’s, San Francisco jeweler who brought his most precious items home for Sunday safe keeping. A colt 47 hanging on a nail on a 2×4 stud verified Grandpa’s aim to defend the home, its treasures and hide it from the children.

With an expanding family from the younger generation, the barely adequate kitchen needed some attention. That’s when we went to work thinking about today’s family activities, holiday celebrations, and how to design a kitchen area for the next generation.

Linda’s husband manages a good portion of cooking so hasstrong opinions about the arrangement of appliances. This is why the work zone of the sink, dishwasher and fridge are in tight proximity. It’s Matt’s command post.

The serving counter under the open air window functions as a launch point for veggies, salads and desserts to be picked for the dining room table or outside deck. This minimizes congestion around the fridge and the range. Why is it that right in front of the frig is a magneticspot for gathering? You’d think it was a fireplace. To relive this natural propensity, we designed a very large island in the middle of the kitchen with seating for five. An ideal spot for a glass of Napa Valley wine and local Sonoma Cheeses.

Outside the work and traffic zones, the desk area occupies a corner offering more than enough storage for occasional paper work and light email catching up.Contiguous to the kitchen is the back door entrance to the mud room where riding boots, hats and jackets have a designated home near the washer and dryer.

We worked to cover all family life possibilities including everyday life for a couple and large family celebrations for generations to come.