Kitchen Renovation - Custom Cabinetry

There are certain advantages to extensively designing the details of the kitchen cabinetry for an interior project, rather than applying a modular kitchen system from a well known manufacturer.  In this project currently under construction, the custom cabinetry design is unique to the homeowners' needs and responsive to the existing conditions.

The layout is essentially L-shaped along 2 walls, with an island at the centre of the room.  Features like a pull-out coffee station, spice drawer, and Lazy Susan are incorporated for frequent use and convenience.  Plenty of storage is needed, utilizing the full height of the space.  Cabinets with touch release hardware are situated near the ceiling, for items less frequently used.

 

At the island, a narrow dish towel pull-out drawer is incorporated beside the sink and recycling area.  A cantilevered counter surface will project to form an area for casual meals.

Drawers within the closets make for easier access, rather than stretching to reach.  A predominantly white interior within the cabinetry is useful for simplicity and maintenance.

The insert-type mechanical exhaust above the cooktop will be installed within the framing, then wrapped in stainless steel to match the fridge and oven.

Additional cabinets of equal width, one for housekeeping and the other with shelving, face each other at opposite ends.  A deliberate decision was made to maintain the clear division between the kitchen and the more formal dining room with a sliding pocket door, while the side facing the family room was opened up with the removal of the existing wall.

This level of customization takes time and effort - however, the benefit is a tailor-made solution for years of future use.

Mind's Eye vs. Built Work

As this addition in Toronto approaches completion, taking a few pictures of it allowed for some reflection on its built state, relative to how it was imagined during preliminary design.

The choice of cladding evolved over time, but the large glazed areas facing the back yard remained of great importance.  In that sense the design remained true to the idea of a direct connection to the new deck and garden.  

While it is satisfying to see the built results that are representative of the drawings, I think there is also an added bonus to see what one didn't entirely anticipate.  It can be something very subtle, like how a resident uses a space in a slightly different way, or how a colour appears under different light.  In this case, I was happy to see how the blinds are used to modulate daylight - from fully open for visibility, to a more enclosed and translucent effect.  

The garden will evolve over the seasons as well, with the owners adding a greater variety of planting. It takes time for new landscaping to offset the intensive construction cycle. 

End. 

Interior Kitchen Renovation

This project primarily involves a kitchen renovation within a home in North York.  It includes partial removal of the wall to the adjacent family living area, adjustment of the doorway to the dining room, and a reorientation of the island.  The cabinetry of the kitchen will be custom built.

One of the advantages to custom built cabinetry is the ability to design and tailor a kitchen to suit the home owner's criteria, rather than to conform to a branded system's modular.  Elements such as a pull out coffee station, spice drawer, cutting board slots or shelving for the telephone and cookbooks can be integrated as desired.  

 

During the design process, it was important to maximize storage and reduce visible clutter given the increased visibility of the kitchen.  High cupboards with invisible touch release hardware can hold those appliances that are seldom used, but indispensable when needed.  The wide island contains cabinetry on either side, with the exception of the informal seating area.  

A tall sliding pocket door will connect to the dining room.  While the kitchen opens to the adjacent family living area and the solarium, the clear division between the kitchen and the more formal dining room will remain.

Historical Tweak - 1879 House, 2021 Revision

This project involves a renovation and an addition to a house originally built in 1879.  It is located in a historical neighbourhood in Toronto. The client wished for a transom window above the front door, to bring more daylight into the front entry.

 

The city's heritage department, Heritage Preservation Services, was consulted to confirm viability.  The question of context and appropriateness was considered.  Did the house originally have a window there?  Is it an appropriate adjustment given that other houses on the street have windows above their front doors?  The conclusion was that there likely was a transom, hence the proposal is a suitable and desirable gesture.  As neighbouring houses note the street number on the glass transom, we follow suit, with a serif-based sandblasted font (Times New Roman).

 

The addition, located entirely at the back of the house, is of a contemporary expression.  Its immediate context is late 20th and early 21st century additions, rear decks, gardens, and laneway parking spots.

 

End.

House Whispering

This design exercise explores improvements to a 1920’s detached house in Hamilton, Ontario.  When assessing a building in person, one has the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the existing conditions, where a dialogue of sorts develops with the old house.  One may  ask:

 

• What are the strengths of the design of the original or existing house?

• What are the drawbacks?
• What were the missed opportunities in its original design?

• How has the house been modified over the years?

• Are there elements that are no longer desirable or acceptable today?  

• What are the unique site conditions that can be harnessed for an improved design result?

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Along with the requirements of the client, a design can emerge that significantly enhances the potential of the building.  Although this house is nearly identical to several of its neighbours, it sits on a corner lot. That difference could allow for one of the parking spots as well as the side yard to be incorporated within the fenced landscape enclosure.  As the rear deck is nearing the end of its life, a new arrangement will improve circulation and access to the outdoor seating area and planter beds.

 

Given the changes in lifestyles - partly initiated by the pandemic - the role of the home expands.  Lowering the unfinished basement appears to be a good opportunity to gain useful floor area, which can include living space, a laundry room, storage, and a 2nd washroom.  As the ground floor kitchen was recently renovated, only minor adjustments are warranted.  At the 2nd floor, a compact en suite washroom is also under consideration. 

 

Curiously, two stained glass windows beside the chimney were covered from the interior by a previous owner.  The reason for that - despite the conversation with the old house – remains, for now, a mystery.