Here are some pictures of two kitchen remodels I have done in two different homes. (Note I did a major remodel of a garage into a family room with many unique components, but those pictures are unavailable. I wish I could share them as well.)
Be assured that each specialized item shown here was the topic of much discussion with each contractor. These were generally things they had not heard of and did not want to build. Then when the jobs were completed each contractor was delighted and proud. They no longer thought my ideas were wacky, just innovative.
San Jose Kitchen Remodel |
|
| A restaurant style breakfast booth was outfitted with a large drawer under the seat. The company that built it had never heard of such a thing in 20 years. They were very reluctant to take it on. So I had to develop the designs to make it work. While it was in their shop people saw the design and liked it. Prior to delivery he had already sold 5 more of the same design. |  |
| A unique bread drawer was created by beginning with an extra deep drawer. Then a smaller sliding drawer at the top was installed. The secondary drawer was half the width of the larger drawer and shallow. Items that would be inconvenient in the deeper drawer, such as cookies, candies, etc., were placed in the shallow drawer. It slid from side to side allowing easy access to contents in the deeper drawer. |  |
| There was no
convenient place to put spices next to the range for cooking. So I
had them build a rack inside the door next to the oven. Remember
this was about 1974 and none of the modern conveniences were then
available.
Above the spice rack was another item which caused great dissention between the builder and me. The space was tall, deep and narrow. So I had him build a drawer to fit the space, but turned on its side. I had him put small braces at the outside edge of each drawer to keep things from falling out when it was moved. Then he installed drawer hardware with a full extension and put a door faceplate on it. It was wonderful, even if he did have to build it three times. Even the builder was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. |
 |
| Again remember that
this was 1974 with very little attention paid to custom niceties in the
kitchen. So when I asked the builder to build in the refrigerator he
again scowled and wondered about me. I had him bring the upper
cabinet out to the full depth of the refrigerator for easy access.
With sliding shelves which pulled out, it amounted to another base cabinet
and great storage for those large bulky items which are seldom used but
need to be accessible. It was quite attractive. To allow for a
future purchase of a larger refrigerator (which we eventually got) I had
him make the space larger than the current unit by about 6" in each
direction. He then put a face plate around the opening to frame it
up and make it look as if the refrigerator really was built in. It
looked great.
Another rather innovative item for the time was a built in cutting board right next to the sink. The tile was placed all around it and the board was grouted in. It was very easy to keep clean and it made cooking much more enjoyable. |
 |
| I hate to see trash
cans sitting around, especially in a kitchen. So I had the
contractor build a box large enough to fit an average brown paper shopping
bag. Then he attached it to a door under the skink. The trash
was clean, always available and much more aesthetically pleasing.
On the face plate in front of the sink, I had the contractor place two hinges at the bottom. Then he built small trays to attach to the face plate. The face plate swiveled out to provide a place for the small items which usually clutter a sink. I lined the tray with contact paper to protect the wood. It was wonderful. |
 |
Yuba City Remodel |
|
Top