Our client purchased two conjoined small buildings which has previously housed longtime neighborhood favorites Le Gourmand and Sambar. The client’s vision was to open up the dining spaces to the kitchen and to each other, allowing the diners a view of the action in the kitchen, and of the garden patio in the back.
Our client purchased two conjoined small buildings which has previously housed longtime neighborhood favorites Le Gourmand and Sambar. The two spaces were closed off from one another (except for one tight, ramping corridor) and the space felt closed-off, blocked up, and generally disconnected. The client’s vision was to open up the dining spaces to the kitchen and to each other, allowing the diners a view of the action in the kitchen, and of the garden patio in the back.
The first order of business was to assess the structure of the two buildings and solve the technical problem of creating an opening through two different types of walls at once. We solved the problem by replacing the wood-framed bearing wall on one side with a new steel beam. The other side was opened up by heading off the existing masonry veneer with a steel angle attached into the framing. Below the steel angle the finishes were stripped off leaving the existing wood framing in place and revealing all the old building layers. The generous opening brings more light into each space, and corresponds with a trio of french doors which open out onto the garden patio. The kitchen was opened up to the dining room by removing some non-structural walls, resulting in an open, connected, communal dining experience.
