2010 January

Last spring I entered a short post about a kitchen I was contracted to redo.  The owner had added a 1000 sq.ft addition onto his home and needed a new kitchen layout.  The existing cabinets were in good structural shape but the finish was of very poor quality.  A decorator was brought in for ideas and the result was to refinish as many of the existing cabinets using the same color but putting them in a different layout.  Then for a contrast, several more cabinets would be added in a darker shade along with a custom island.  Granite  was chosen for the main counter top and the island would be installed with an oiled hard-rock maple top.

Repairing the finish on the old doors, adding top coats, and resizing turned out to be a involved project.   Matching the color was the most challenging as it was by experimentation that I was finally able to get the right mix.    The solid new color was the glaze put on the old doors and then added a gloss finish. The oven/stove is incorporated in the island.  I was initially unsure how I would like the look of cabinets in two colors in the same space, but I am pleased with this fresh and different look.  You have probably noticed that if you look at any home improvement magazines that a very popular current trend is to mix and match finishes and in some cases use several in the same room.  Overall this was a project I learned a-lot from and am very pleased with the end results.

One of our favorite customers has been doing alot of remodeling in their home and I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to do all of the cabinetry for them.   One of the last things they wanted changed is the fireplace surround in the family room.  Their new decor is much more modern and”woody” and the present surround just wasn’t working well with the furniture and style of the adjoining kitchen.  This was my solution to this problem and the owners are delighted and very pleased with the outcome.  Now the flat screen TV is included in the overall design instead of being a separate entity hanging on the wall.  There are 4 glass shelves for artwork.

This is the “before” photo of the kitchen before demolition.   Looking at it, you might think that there  is nothing wrong with this layout/cabinetry aside from the fact that it is a small kitchen.  The truth here is that the cabinets were of very poor quality.  The owner had to pull out the drawers on each side of the stove when she wanted to use the oven as the heat was melting the white vinyl coating.  The cabinets were not securely fastened to the walls, and the pantry closet was a huge waste of space.  The bar was a “catch-all”  and had too shallow of knee space for the stools to be comfortably used.  This would probably be enough cabinetry for a “too busy to cook” person, but for a mom of 2 small children who loves to cook everything from scratch, it just wasn’t working efficiently.

This young mother happens to be the daughter of Mastercraftsman Ken, so it was Daddy to the rescue.

The pantry was completely removed as well as all the other cabinets.  The refrigerator was then put in the corner allowing for 8 ft. of counter space.  A flannel grey solid surface top was added, 4 large 6″ deep drawers, and ample top and lower space was then gained. Notice that the new cabinets went all the way to the ceiling giving even more storage space.   White beadboard was used for the backsplash.  The bar was reconfigured by adding a taller 4′ wide cabinet and was installed facing the living room…a great space for her many cookbooks and nicer serving dishes.  Then the remaining former bar space was lowered to the normal counter height and makes a peninsula that easily fits two lower stools.  This counter continues around the sink and over to the stove.  It is white solid surface with a grey flannel inset stripe to tie it to the counter on the opposite side of the kitchen.   All the interiors of the cabinets are white laminate over wood.  A high gloss finish was used because this is an interior room with no direct window light.  Euro hinges were used on face frames,  and the doors are a traditional raised panel style.  Brushed pewter knobs and new faucet were chosen and these really compliment the grey detail in the counter.  Additional repair included a small amount of drywall patching, addition of a few more pieces of ceramic tile, and a little paint touch-up.  The install took 2.5 days with 3 helpers ( daughter, son in law, and wife) working alongside the “Mastercraftsman”.