A condominium in the old Ferry Seed Company building made an interesting venue for east to meet west. The owners' love of the Orient was the inspiration for the clean lines and understated design.

The kitchen was originally tiny and cramped. Add to the challenge that the space could accommodate one cook and only one of the kitchen appliances could be opened at a time --- we knew we had our work cut out for us!

We rearranged the layout out so that two chefs could simultaneously work in the kitchen and have access to all the appliances as needed. Rift cut oak cabinets, where the linear grain aligns across the face of the drawers and doors gave them clean oriental lines. By extending the doors on the wall cabinets below the edge of the frame we were able to eliminate the pulls on the upper cabinets again adding to the simplicity. The acrylic panels with reeds embedded in them lend to the Asian feel on the “glass” door cabinets. It was decided that the raised bar and stools – the only place to sit down and eat should stay but it needed to be unique. By using a bamboo wood raised bar top only at the seating area, we gave the illusion of it floating on top of the granite. A matching TV cabinet completes the look in the living room.

The other request was to bring light and air into an interior bedroom while still maintaining privacy. By cutting an opening behind the existing bookcases, and using the same acrylic reed “glass” used in the kitchen, we created a sliding panel that lets in light, yet gives privacy and can be opened to allow lake breezes in the bedroom. As an added bonus, the fish on the bookcase now looks like he is swimming in the reeds.