Type of Project:  Kitchen and Bathroom Remodel to Create More Space
Location:  Church Street, San Francisco
Architect: Michael Metiu
Completion:  2017

Materials:
Subway Tile
Marble Casing
Custom Vanity

In this charming San Francisco Victorian apartment, we modernized the space to provide the owners with function and ease. First off, we moved the door to the master bedroom over by 3 feet so we could build a new walk-in closet. Then, we leveraged the unique angles of the home to convert dead space into a secret passage to the backyard. In our complete bathroom remodel, we reconfigured the layout, converted the shower to a bath basin, and added a window to make the space feel bigger. By finishing with modern tiles on the floor and in the bath, we created a lighter and brighter bathroom for these clients.

We always work with clients to ensure that the remodeling process is minimally intrusive. Since these owners remained in their home during the project, we accommodated them by building a temporary shower facility and creating a partition to separate the remodel. Our team operates respectfully in homes and considers our clients’ convenience as we reimagine their limited spaces.

Type of Project:  Finishing Touches with Fine Carpentry and Custom Mill Work
Location:  Linda Ave, Oakland
Architect: Jarvis Architect
Completion:  2016

Materials:
Redwood Siding for Details
Mahogany Doors

To accentuate the character of this home, we constructed custom millwork for the interior and exterior. On the exterior facades, we created unique decorative details that capture the craftsman style. In the home, we finished the curved stairs and mahogany doors with the greatest attention to detail. Our fine carpentry gives homes an elegant finish, and the quality of our work complements the timeless style of your home.

Type of Project:  Renovation of kitchen, living room and dining room
Location:  Cambridge Avenue, Kensington
Architect:  Sky Lanigan Studios
Completion: 2019

Materials used

• Walnut cabinets painted with conversion varnish
• Natural quartz countertops
• Thermador appliances

Robert Kennedy Construction coordinated closely with this project’s architect, Sky Lanigan Studios, resulting in complete client satisfaction with the finished product. 

In the architect’s own words, “This was a basic 1940s house that wasn’t taking advantage of an amazing view over the entire Bay. We removed walls to bring all of the public space together around a tight existing central staircase, which we made into a slatted lightbox for the main level.” 

Our clients regularly cook big dinners for friends and family. They wanted their small kitchen and living area opened up into a well-functioning kitchen and welcoming gathering space. 

To make this vision a reality, we removed all partition walls between the kitchen, living room and dining room. Precision renovations were needed that didn’t depend on transition features like trim. An open concept was created with the installation of load bearing beams and a shear wall for additional support. Now the three rooms flow seamlessly into one another. 

We overhauled the kitchen itself with the addition of ample countertop space and modern appliances and the creation of custom new cabinets and stone backsplash. Also custom made are the bookshelves that wrap around the stairs with built-in shelves and walnut sliding doors for the master bedroom closet, creating an expanded storage room. 

Thanks to the now open kitchen and living area, our homeowners and their guests enjoy phenomenal views of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco and Angel Island while they prepare and share meals.

Photos by Ray Lewis

Type of Project: Exterior rebuild and interior renovation of kitchen and two bathrooms
Location: Corwin Street, San Francisco
Architect: Michael Metiu Design Studios (www.ateliermadesign.com)
Completion: June 2020

 

Sub-Contractors: 

Alvarado Tile & Stone (www.alvaradostilestone.com) 

Urban Electric (www.urbanelectric.com)

 

Materials

Interior

• Kitchen cabinets: Prefinished walnut plywood cabinets With Anthracite finishes and integrated Gola finger channel at doors and drawers
• Master Bedroom cabinets: Rosewood veneer
• Bosch appliances
• Lutron Radio ra electrical
• European Oak floors with bleached finish
• Starfire glass railings on stairs
• Fleetwood sliding glass doors
• Fleetwood windows

Exterior

• View rail, rod railing system in stainless steel
• Roof deck 1” pavers on Bison pedestal system
• Prosoco Cat 5 on walls 
• Kemper roofing system

This two-unit condo is built into a hillside, and, in addition to our client’s interior renovation plans, the foundation sag at the rear of the home needed to be corrected. We leveled out the interior and installed supporting beams to open up the interior living space. 

The kitchen was gutted and completely remodeled with new kitchen island, new cabinets, new countertops and new illuminated glass backsplash. We put in linear LED lighting flush with the drywall. This home’s kitchen, living room and dining room were integrated into one modern, open space with sleek lines. 

Both bathrooms were overhauled. We removed all the old drywall and replaced the old plumbing with new valves and fixtures. Custom cabinets and countertops were installed on the vanities. Custom tile work and linear LED lighting were put in. The master bathroom got a built-in steam shower. 

An upgraded electrical system was installed throughout the home that included centralized Lutron Radio Ra control to program lighting throughout the home depending on the mood to be created. 

We re-did the walk-in closet in the master bedroom and put in customized cabinetry throughout. We also remodeled the rear facade of the building and installed new windows and a sliding glass wall in the master suite to create the experience of indoor-outdoor living. 

A new rooftop deck was built that offers an unobstructed view of downtown San Francisco, the iconic Castro District and the greater Bay Area. 

 

When the facade was opened up to install the windows and siding major leaking was discovered from the existing roof deck above the lower unit. RKC made the repairs by using the most modern technology for weather proofing employing Prosoco Cat5 on the walls and Kemper roofing membrane on the horizontal surfaces. All metal was stainless steel to avoid corrosion. A new Bison pedestal system was installed with Feeney Cable railing and metal fire escape ladders.

Type of Project: Opened living room and kitchen, and remodeled 2 bathrooms.
Location: Encinal Ave, Alameda
Architect: Sky Lanigan (www.skylaniganstudios.com) 

Completion:  April 2022

Materials Used: Interior
Oak for the custom cabinetry in the kitchen and living room.

Sub-Contractors: 

Field Millworks (www.fieldmillworks.com)
Alfa Electric (www.alfaelectric.com)
West Coast Insulation, Inc. (www.westcoastinsulation.com)

Interior renovation of kitchen and two existing bathrooms and adjacent areas including associated structural utility upgrades. There was a small addition added to the space at the rear of the garage.

Type of Project: New foundation installation, multi-room renovation, expand home square footage, deck renovation, exterior hardscaping
Location:  Golden Gate Avenue, Oakland
Architect:  Michael Metui Designs
Completion: December 2021

Materials

Interior 

• Mat slab foundation
• European oak flooring
• Oak vanity in master bathroom
• Heated floor in bathroom
• Anderson windows and patio door

Exterior

• Feeney cable railing with wood posts
• Redwood deck
• 6 person 17 jet hot tub
• Redwood fencing 
• Artificial grass on the lawn

Before renovation this home had three bedrooms and a large underutilized basement. The original 2,200 square foot home sat on a substantial 10,000 square foot lot. The project’s success and our clients’ satisfaction depended on our close coordination with the architect. Despite the broad scope of the project, it was finished on schedule as promised. The family lived comfortably on-site throughout construction in the upper portion of the house. 

Robert Kennedy Construction increased the size of the home by 1,000 square feet by digging out the basement.. We dug the basement out by hand when no machinery could fit. The entire existing foundation had to be removed along with 150 cubic yards of ground from underneath the home. The house was propped up on temporary supports while we installed the new foundation in sections. We put in a mat slab foundation and concrete retaining walls and coordinated closely with the engineer to balance the house on shoring. 

We built three new bedrooms and a new bathroom and completely renovated the family room and laundry room. We re-did the master bedroom and bathroom and put in a guest bathroom from scratch. The new family room transitions between the upstairs and downstairs of the home. Framing on the stairs was kept open to maximize natural light. 

This home’s master bathroom has a stunning view of oak trees. To ensure the homeowners’ view of the trees was not obstructed we custom built metal frames to hang mirrors off the vanity. We installed a large shower with big windows opening onto the same view of the oak trees. 

Exterior work on the property was also extensive. Robert Kennedy Construction provided design-build services for multiple deck structures and the creation of a leveled, four-tier backyard out of the sloping hillside. All original oak trees were kept intact. We shaped and hardscaped the hillside backyard from scratch and installed a lawn. All retaining walls were wrapped in redwood, and cable railings were installed. We put in a wide exterior staircase that now moves from the middle deck down to the landscaped backyard. 

Both original decks were rotted and had inadequate foundations. We re-built both decks from scratch from redwood by drilling pier foundations into the bedrock to reinforce them and installing wooden posts and stainless steel railings. The original oak trees line the back of the home and surround our clients on the lower deck. 

Photos by Alvin Medina

Type of Project:  Deck replacement, custom metal guard rail with stainless steel cables
Location:  Campus Drive, Berkeley
Architect: Beverley Thorne
Completion:  August 2020

Materials Used
Redwood decking
Feeney Cable railing with custom metal posts

This home’s deck had degraded with age, and its wood had rotted. The project afforded Robert Kennedy Construction the opportunity to improve on a unique design rarely seen. While most decks are built with framing support boards underneath, the original 1960’s design instead included metal beams extending from the house with deck boards mounted on edge, yielding a striking staggered visual effect. 

Our deck replacement stayed true to the original design. We strengthened the deck with upgraded lumber and installed a custom metal guard rail with stainless steel cables which we welded to the house to enhance the structure’s strength and rigidity.

Seated on the new deck our clients experience the feelings of being airborne with an unobstructed view of the Bay and San Francisco.

Photos by Alvin Medina

Type of Project:  Complete Remodel of Deteriorating Mountain Home
Location:  Holyrood Drive, Oakland
Architect: Patricia Motzkin
Completion:  Phase 1 of 2, completed in 2017

Materials:
Ipe on deck
Feeney cable rail for deck guard rails
Stain grade windows
15 ft La cantina sliding bi-fold door
Hardie color plus fiber siding

Working closely with the homeowners, we planned this remodel in two phases. We decided that the first phase should address the critical condition of the second-story back deck on this 1960s home. For this rotting structure on the verge of collapse, we demolished it and the exterior walls before creating the support needed. To provide sound structure and safety, we repaired the rotten framing and enforced the two-tiered Ipe deck with new pier foundations and a steel moment frame. We also installed plywood shear walls, re-bolted the foundation, and placed hold-downs to complete the seismic upgrades for the structure. For additional safety, we installed one-hour fire rated exterior walls to protect this home in the fire zone.

This structural repair and remodel allows the homeowners to take full advantage of their spectacular views. As part of phase one, we also landscaped the backyard for the clients. We always collaborate to maximize the homes’ surroundings, so clients can enjoy the nature and beauty of their home with peace of mind.