Built in 1920, this bungalow offered an eminently workable layout, though someone in its past had not been aware of it. The new homeowners, Kathleen Benson and Nick Detrich, hired me to design and build the cabinetry and did much of the other work (floor sanding and refinishing, wall prep, appliance installation, and the recessed painted shelves, etc.) themselves.

The kitchen is visible from the front door of the house, and I designed the cabinetry with that view in mind. The double windows on the east wall were ideal for a sink base and related cabinetry, including a cherry plate rack that can serve as a dish drainer, in addition to storing everyday dishware.

Complicating the layout was a doorway to the basement stairs (to the left of the windows). To maintain access to the stairs without my clients having to bruise their hips on the corner of the sink-area cabinetry, I suggested a curved cabinet. The soapstone counter is made separately from the longer run at the sink, though it appears to be one long piece thanks to some excellent seam work by Quality Surfaces. Combined with a shortened run of base cabinets on the adjacent wall, this design leaves plenty of space for ordinary basement runs. But someday the washing machine or dryer, which are in the basement, will need to be replaced; there’s no other access, so I made the curved cabinet easily removable for transporting very large objects.

The stove wall features classic bungalow-style cabinetry with inset doors on traditional, mortised butt hinges and drawers that store large bowls, pots, and pans, along with smaller stuff. The exhaust vent is recessed higher than normally into the cabinet over the stove, to maximize its invisibility.

The fridge is on the wall across from the stove, next to a small base cabinet and counter.