Bad Remodels Stripped This Kitchen of Its Character, But a Big Makeover Brought It Back

Striking color and details, plus extra storage gave it new life.

Kitchen Cabinets in SF Victorian Kitchen by Shiny Shed

Salt Haus

Written by Sarah Yang October 13, 2025

The kitchen in this one-bedroom, one-bathroom Victorian apartment in San Francisco looked “a bit like a hospital,” says Allie Allen of Shiny Shed Collective, who worked on the project with design partner Sasha White. The white subway tiles and the lime green accent tiles made it feel sterile and outdated.

Before and After Sink SF Victorian Kitchen by Shiny Shed
“[It] was certainly not a place you would want to make your morning coffee, or unwind and cook a delicious dinner after a day of work,” Allie says.

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The space had a unique, compact shape, and Allie and her design partner and co-founder Sasha White had to contend with making creative updates within the kitchen’s existing footprint.

The clients—a couple with a dog—wanted a kitchen that they could actually enjoy spending time in. “They had a vision of English countryside meets San Francisco Victorian,” explains Sasha. “Given the footprint of the room, they also knew that maximizing storage for kitchen supplies was going to be important in our design process.”

Coffee Tea Corner in SF Victorian Kitchen by Shiny Shed
The coffee/tea corner provides even more storage.

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The original kitchen didn’t have much usable storage—the upper cabinets were short and corner cabinets were useless. Allie and Sasha updated the upper cabinets so they could go all the way up to the ceiling, and changed the base cabinets so they had large, deep drawers. They also added a coffee/tea corner in the back with a hidden appliance corner that features a microwave and pantry storage.

“We put every square inch of the room to work in a thoughtful way, even deciding to include floating shelves that go over the window to use that space in a creative way that doesn’t block off any of the light,” Allie says.

Before and After SF Victorian Kitchen by Shiny Shed
“We used the architecture of the home and the area (Alamo Square), as well as the client’s love for British kitchens, as inspiration,” Sasha explains.

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One clear directive the clients’ had was they wanted green cabinets, so Allie and Sasha took that direction and designed around that wish. The client also spoke fondly of her childhood home’s soapstone kitchen countertops—although it wasn’t in the budget, the designers found a granite from Ceramic Tile Center that looked like soapstone.

Sink in SF Victorian Kitchen by Shiny Shed
“The stone fabricator cut the arch behind the sink way too tall, and it didn’t look to scale with the rest of the elements, so that needed to be replaced and re-cut. Not the end of the world, but not ideal,” adds Allie.

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Incorporating natural materials during the renovation was a big focus for Allie and Sasha, which they prioritize in all of their projects. “Since we were trying to bring this Victorian back to life, we really wanted to honor the natural materials that would have been used originally.”

Range in SF Victorian Kitchen by Shiny Shed
“They are thrilled with how the kitchen looks and how the vision came together,” Sasha says. “It’s one of the best parts of our work to see happy clients enjoying their home at the end of it.”

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The kitchen now balances contemporary style with nods to the home’s Victorian architecture. With plentiful storage and thoughtful design details, it’s both functional and inviting, a place where you wouldn’t mind spending time in.

Builder: Broad Oaks Construction

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