Elmira Avenue Kitchen, Newburyport, MA

This is the end result of a kitchen design that seasoned well. Months in contemplation brewed a kitchen that is open, airy and very functional. The original kitchen sink overlooked the back yard. It was replaced with a sliding patio door opening to a deck for entertaining and easier back yard access. The refrigerator had planted itself in the dining room, but now is cozied up into an alcove near the glass doors. A built-out wall to run plumbing and electrical for the new sink location allows for the refrigerator to move back from the edge of the granite countertop, becoming more usable and less conspicuous.

The custom island is on wheels instead of being anchored to the floor to create a feeling of less weight and openness. The upper cabinets are staggered in height to enjoy functional and aesthetic environments. I built, designed and installed everything in this kitchen except for half the rough electrical work and the new hardwood floor, which was woven into an existing floor in the dining area. Our spirits, after months of looking at drab, lifeless dark-stained pine cupboards, were immediately elated when we broke open the wine upon completion. And that's before we had any wine.

Madison Avenue Kitchen, Albany, CA S.F. Examiner feature article

This kitchen was an energetic remodel on a limited budget. It was inspired by Johnny Grey's "unfitted" kitchen designs.

The aim was a country kitchen that was beautiful as well as functional. The S.F. Examiner article (link above) provides a good description of the project.

Fogerty Kitchen, Berkeley, CA

This small kitchen originally had two entrances, one going to a bathroom. A poorly built pantry area and a small unusable closet minimized the available ways to utilize the counter space. In addition, the window was below counter top height. By raising the window, which needed replacing anyway, and setting the refrigerator into a doorway, I was able to greatly increase the counter area.

The pantry was removed and a new doorway, stained to match existing trim, was built into the dining area, which was originally cut off from the kitchen. All plumbing, electrical and wall surfaces were redone, and a new hardwood floor was installed.

Deli Counter, Rainbow Sandwich Shop, Santa Cruz, CA

Mr. Bell was moving his wholesale sandwich business into a new location that had room in the front for a retail store. He wanted a 50's retro look at a price he could afford.		We opted for a curved Formica counter that would coordinate with his extensive collection of Coca-Cola memorabilia.
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