beda: Located in Pasadena, California, House 3461 is a renovation of a classic California ranch home. The owners — a designer and a food stylist — had a strong visual aesthetic, and a practical need for a large, sun-filled professional chef’s kitchen. The design maintains the existing footprint (additions weren't permitted by zoning), while opening up and increasing the size of the central living spaces. To maximize the family's dining area, a built-in banquette was specially designed to fit the space and includes a bench with custom upholstery by the owner. New floor-to-ceiling windows and a large skylight were added to bring sunlight inside and to create a conversation between the dining room and the backyard's mango, avocado, and lime trees.
A media room with a white oak storage unit provides space for the couple, ardent music collectors, to store and listen to their extensive record collection. White oak is used intentionally throughout the home and ties together the bench in the dining room, the kitchen cabinets, and the Donald Judd-inspired kitchen island. The handmade tile used in the kitchen's backsplash was discovered by one of the owners while shooting on location in Mexico. The richness of the tile brings texture and color to the otherwise muted space, and infuses it with a low-key Southern Californian charm that's prevalent throughout the project.
