Kitchen of the Week: An 'Aha' Tile Moment in San Francisco
Katie Boudier walked past the same tile walls almost every day in San Francisco's BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) stations, but she didn't see the unique bubble and hexagonal tile at first. "One day I actually took notice of them and thought, 'Wow, this would be awesome to have in the kitchen,'" she says. "I became pretty obsessed with it."
The quirky tile fit right in with the eclectic aesthetic she wanted for her new kitchen. Little of the 1944 kitchen's cracked tile and greasy cabinets and walls could be salvaged, so with the help of Nerland Building and Restoration, Katie and her husband, Jeff, gutted the space and infused it with their own blend of traditional and modern elements — including a BART-inspired backsplash.
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Katie and Jeff Boudier and their 2 sons
Location: Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco
Size: 170 square feet
Cost: $30,000, not including designer fees
The couple limited the upper cabinetry to a small built-in above the fridge and open shelving around the stove. The open shelves cut costs and show off their collection of jadeite and Franciscan ceramic plates.
Cabinets: Creative Custom Cabinetry; countertops: Andreas Marble
The Boudiers chose traditional Carrara marble counters and Shaker-style cabinetry for the kitchen's biggest investments, while whimsical yellow accents and bubble backsplash tile fit their eclectic style.
Paint: Yellow Finch, Benjamin Moore
Although she first admired this tile in San Francisco's BART stations, Katie didn't realize she could buy it until she saw it outside a nearby restaurant. "They're not cheap," she says. "But like I said, once we had these tiles in our mind, there was no turning back." The white hexagons and bubbles are a more modern take than standard subway tile.
Backsplash: Atomic tiles, Heritage Tile
A new pass-through to the adjacent dining room allowed the couple to close off an additional doorway, adding square footage to the kitchen without losing the light and view from the dining room.
Cabinet paint: Delray Gray, Benjamin Moore; hardware: Brushed Nickel Nouveau III, Top Knobs
The Boudiers love to cook, so they put a good portion of their budget toward high-quality appliances. This Blue Star range is one of their favorite purchases.
They already had a movable island from their previous kitchen and went back and forth on whether or not to buy a new one. In the end, using the preexisting island helped them save money and allows them to open up the kitchen completely if they like.
Refrigerator: Fisher Paykel; dishwasher: Miele; sink: Kraus; faucet: Chicago Faucet
More: Browse more Kitchens of the Week
