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The Mal Paso residence in Big Sur, California, was a ground-up house designed by Studio Schicketanz, a Carmel, California-based architecture and interior design firm, to
blend into the landscape along the Pacific Coast. The house has two kitchen zones: public and private. The public kitchen, facing the dining room, terrace, and panoramic views
of the Pacific Ocean, was designed for heating meals, serving, and casual dining at the island. Upper cabinets in Fenix®, an ultra-matte nanotechnology material, a white oak
island, tangerine glass tiles, and shou sugi ban* refrigerator panels create a unique textural and visual sensation that is both rustic and refined, reflecting the nature of the
house. The private kitchen, behind the main kitchen, houses a step-in corner pantry, prep counters, storage, and clean-up functions. Finishes are Fenix® and shou sugi-ban full-
height doors.
*Shou sugi ban is an 18th-century Japanese wood preservation technique that chars wood, making it impermeable to moisture and mold, is fire-retardant, and does not
use chemicals.
Architect / Interior Designer: Studio Schicketanz, Carmel, CA
Photography by Joe Fletcher
Designed by Sozo Studio, San Francisco, CA, page 367
contemporary
