SHLTR: Island Blue
In Westwood Highlands, color whisks the owners beyond the everyday.
By the time the pandemic arrived, this San Francisco kitchen was already on borrowed time. After a decade of family life, appliances were failing, cabinetry was old, and the layout no longer worked. When two parents and three kids—ages 8 to 14—suddenly began working and schooling from home, the kitchen and breakfast nook became the center of everything.
“Mostly, the kitchen was just falling apart and needed to be functional,” San Francisco designer Alicia Cheung says. “The pandemic made it impossible to put off. And why not make it beautiful — transportive — while you’re at it?”
Inspired by the home’s modern architecture and the homeowners’ warm, self-aware sense of humor, the renovation leaned into joy, color, and clarity. “We wanted the house to feel like them—down-to-earth, witty, and welcoming,” Cheung explains. The kitchen was reprogrammed so everything had a place, including an extended floating wall between the kitchen and living room that added storage and an appliance garage.
The biggest visual impact came from the core materials: cabinetry, countertops, and backsplash. The backsplash was taken up to the upper cabinets, and the cabinetry landed on a bright blue-green after several rounds. “Earlier versions were too serious, too muddy,” says the designer. In abundant natural light, the final palette captures a golden-hour warmth—turning a once-failing kitchen into a joyful, hardworking heart of the home.
Photos by John Merkl