Beckerhaus

One of the distinctions that Mutuus Studio offers is their intimate connection to craft. In a traditional model, the Architects design and then pass off to a contractor to build. Kristen and Saul collaborated on the design and used this project as an opportunity to experiment. Mutuus partner Saul (who has a background as an artist and a shipwright) took on building the entire kitchen – including designing custom hardware, materials, and lighting. We build deeper appreciation and relationships with the builders that we work with as we mutually share that firsthand knowledge when we understand how truly things go together.

We want each home we design to be a personal expression of our clients and to be modern, functional and warm. We chose dark stain to make the cabinets feel more like living room furniture. Custom brass refrigerator pulls were an early experimentation with different types of metals and shapes. The hand torched stainless backsplash gives the room an intentional warmth and patina. The glow of the three pendant lights are made of canvas and resin and are a nod to Saul’s art practice of painting on linen canvases. If we were to capture the spirit of what Mutuus Studio is about in a metaphor – it would be to design like a cast iron skillet – It is a beautiful object, it is versatile, it is functional, patinas over time and only gets better with age. That would be our hope – as designs are to be lived in and loved.