First they turned the kitchen sideways

Sunset, March, 1988

First they turned the kitchen sideways Turned sideways and elongated, this remodeled kitchen doubled the size of the old one. An overhead cabinet running across the original room worsened the cramped atmosphere by blocking light and garden views.

To enlarge and brighten the space, architect Kwan-Lam Wong of Albany, California, added an 8- by 12-foot breakfast area and shifted the kitchen's layout 90[deg.]. Narrow 4-foot-logn windows positioned above wall-mounted cabinets provide extra light, while maintaining privacy from a neighboring house. White laminated-faced cabinets of varied heights and widths add interest and texture to the 17-foot-long wall.

In the remodeled kitchen, a 3- by 10-foot island with two sinks allows plenty of working room for several cooks. Above it, glass doors on both sides of a 12-inch-deep ceiling-hung cabinet accentuate the room's openness.

In the breakfast area, a corner window admits morning light. For privacy, owners Mia and Roger Alexander had the glass sandblasted with a mountain scene.