The New Old

It all started with a pendant light found in an exhibition in Paris. Named the New Old Light, it mixes eastern and western styles, old and modern aesthetics and encapsulated a lot of the ideals for a young Taiwanese American couple as they started their new home. This concept of the New Old extended beyond the light and became a central tenet to the renovation once the couple moved back to this space as a family with twins. The project was a small renovation of a kitchen and living room in a 1,000-square-foot condo to accommodate the family. The renovation included new floors, lighting, kitchen cabinetry, custom millwork and ceramic dinnerware for the space. The kitchen island design was inspired by Donald Judd’s library table. It had to provide adequate storage for the kitchen as well as function as an eating/work space at times. In addition, the island was constructed so that the storage volume could be removed from the bookcase legs and table top, for future use as a counter-height table. Sliding doors are constructed with hidden sliding hardware, and the design was inspired by traditional Shoji screens. Ceramic dinnerware was custom created for the kitchen space.

View of Dining Area to Backyard: The New Old Light by Kimu Design hangs in the foreground.
The Living Space: Custom kitchen island and sliding doors were designed to reflect the family's Asian American background.
Living Room: With custom sliding doors that lead into the master bedroom.

See more on Dwell.com: The New Old – Noe Valley, San Francisco, California

Homes near Noe Valley, San Francisco, California

  • Sea Cliff Preppy Contemporary
  • Dolores Heights Residence I
  • Skyline House

Similar Posts

  • Trendy Contemporary Girls’ Bedrooms: Best Ideas and Inspirations

    To be very honest, we are not personally too keen on stereotyping color or design. The idea that blue is for boys’ bedrooms and pink for girls’ rooms is one that is deeply ingrained in many. Yet, it is not something that one must strictly adhere to. And in the girls’ bedroom, you can easily […]

    You’re reading Trendy Contemporary Girls’ Bedrooms: Best Ideas and Inspirations, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

  • Lirio 7

    Located in a quiet street in one of the most emblematic neighborhoods in Mexico City, this project is an intervention that has its roots on the understanding of the urban and social dynamics in Mexico City. Lirio 7 has an interesting history; as an Art Déco building, originally housed public baths during the 30s, then in the 50s became a sanatorium, and before its abandonment, it was the headquarters of a security company. Considering this conditions, we took advantage from an abandoned building without any recognized heritage value by local authorities, to restore it and offer a specific model of housing that recovers the historical value of Santa María La Ribera neighborhood. The design process is based on the concept of a central patio and its perimeter circulation, which was adapted into a new layout to create 12 new apartments where the main corridor becomes part of the home. In this type of buildings, this circulation is a public place and the challenge on making it private leads to define an enclosure that plays with the visuals. The dwellings are arranged around the patio, orienting their view to it, which is considered as a place of introspection, not so much as circulation. Concrete elements of different heights acts as planters, dampen the sound of the water from the recovered fountain and support the discourse of circulations, interposing themselves to the visuals, again to guide and give privacy to the user. Each of the houses therefore has ventilation and daylight entrance. The first and second floors have a greater free height, typical of the original construction moment, allowing a greater volume of use of spaces. The third level, from the 50s as well as the new structures implemented on deck, maintain a standard height more like that the required by current construction regulations. A perforated concrete prism, outstands from the patio’s façade, creating a visual contrast without stealing it protagonism. With a different materiality and density from the rest of the project, this volume patches the view from the outside, creating a light and shadows game towards the last apartment, and allows the user to enjoy the views.