Bow-bay for sink, counter - kitchen's design

Sunset, April, 1989

Shaped like a boat's bow, this kitchen bay protrudes dramatically from the side wall of a hillside house. Measuring almost 12 feet across and cantilevered 6 feet outward, the extension accommodates the sink, dishwasher, and an expansive tiletopped counter with cupboards underneath. With so much counter space beyond the main walls, the 11- by 13-foot kitchen seems very spacious.

The kitchen's high ceiling follows the line of the extension's hip roof. Beneath the ceiling, a soffit with uplighting fluorescent fixtures rings the room. Banding the soffit are lengths of 6-inch-diameter PVC pipe that were cut in half lengthwise, mitered together, and painted with glossy enamel.

Architect Robert Anderson of Santa Rosa, California, designed the kitchen.