Their Own Private Circus

Block-style windows and cabinets accent the custom-crafted stainless steel hood. A single piece of yellow slump glass seerves as a backsplash behind the range.  After photos by David Duncan Livingston

Interior designer: Bauer Interior Design, San Francisco, Calif.

General contractor: John Sullivan, San Francisco, Calif.

A piece of artwork of a circus scene inspired interior designer Lou Ann Bauer's clients to crave a kitchen full of color and energy —that's not too cutesy or childlike. Handing over a great deal of trust, the homeowners let Bauer use a whimsical mix of colors, shapes and finishes to transform their conventional and ho-hum kitchen into a unique space that is equally functional.

Before

"She really did her research," says general contractor John Sullivan, "and was very design specific. It really made a complicated job like this one a whole lot easier."

Cabinets have different finishes; in some cases, a single piece has multiple finishes.

One of the benefits of such a unique project, says Bauer, is how it can be used to inspire everyone from the client to the designer to the trades. "People just get excited when they are working on something different," she says. "You are re-capturing their attention and this can be a great way to get their very best efforts."

"Projects don't come along like this often," agrees Sullivan. "I really had a great time doing it."