This couple had been planning their kitchen remodel a full year prior to calling me. They had paid both home improvement stores to come measure their space and propose a design, neither of which they were happy with. After picking The Depot’s design and ordering the cabinets, I was referred to them by a mutual friend as a skilled craftsman to quote the installation of the new kitchen. When I arrived the cabinets were stacked in the dining room and they were prepared to implement a remodel using a design they were not completely happy with. Here is the design they showed me.
Notice how they disregard the great windows they have to the front of the house. The sink is right in the middle of one of the columns. They also have the refrigerator sticking out into the middle of the space, blocking the pantry. Also, they include a sitting area which is very uncomfortably placed in the back corner, opposite of the dining and living spaces, which the design completely disregards as having any relevant relationship to the kitchen. I could not comfortably price building this new kitchen without attempting to fix these basic design issues and still use all of the cabinets which were in the dining room waiting to be installed. Here is the new kitchen design I did for them.
Construction photos:
Final product:
This bed design was fueled by the idea of sleeping on the floor. The floor flows up to meet you and cradles the mattress.
Teamed with my design partner, Benjamin Chiu, our challenge was to design an 880 square foot ADA accessible home in New Orleans which met LEED Platinum requirements and was within a $100,000 budget. It was also required to be 7 feet above grade to avoid damage from future floods.
The wall shown above is a solution we incorporated to minimize waste. It is made from stacking all the scrap framing lumber. Some of the wider pieces provide shelf space for storage and display.
This kitchen is an ongoing experimental project of mine. It has been under construction since the night I bought this house. It is now in a nearly complete state. Left to finish are permanent countertops, backsplash, and a few side panels on cabinets. The cabinet frames are mostly all standard sizes from IKEA, with a few modifications. All the doors and side panels I made to custom size and finish. They are cut from sheets of MDF with a walnut veneer, which then had the edges veneered. The finish is gunstock color stain and polyurethane varnish. The handles and under-cabinet lights are also from IKEA. The floor is travertine sealed with two coats of tung oil.
A wall used to divide it from the rear entry/laundry area which was removed entirely and a new closet built for the washer/dryer. Another wall used to divide it from the dining area. It was replaced with a beam which helps join the kitchen into the general entertainment space.
The kitchen at one point in the process:
The original kitchen:
As the budget allows I will continue working on it. I am planning on making concrete countertops next…
Related post:
I found a photo of what my bathroom looked like when I moved into my house a few years ago. Drastically different!
All of the walls were refinished, vanity replaced with a wall mounted unit accentuated with lighting underneath, window replaced, mirror replaced, and new plugs installed. There is even a plug in the vanity to keep the trimmer charged while out of view. The 18×18 inch travertine was finished with two coats of Waterlox tung oil.
This is a cart I built for Noca Restaurant in Phoenix, AZ that was designed by Scribe Design.
