The Switchback House, in San Francisco, is the home of the two principal architects from Edmonds + Lee Architecture.  Set on a prominent white oak platform raised above the living room, the architectural kitchen integrates into the space and reflects the crisp, pure lines of the aesthetics of the house. The design called for minimal, almost spare, finishes so that the cabinet form could be purely expressed. Fenix, a nanotechnology material, was selected for its ultra-matte finish. The couple have children and entertain, so the self-healing, anti-bacterial and scratch-and-stain-resistant properties of Fenix underscored the choice.

The full-height cabinet, which Sozo Studio calls a bento box, is a two-in-one cabinet: when closed, it recedes into the wall. When open, it reveals a breakfast nook and bar that matches the island finish.

The house was selected to be on the AIA San Francisco architectural tour.

The island countertop was the first residential project in California to be made of solid phenolic Fenix.

“The simpler a kitchen appears, the more complex it is to achieve”—Cynthia Miyashita