The outdated original 1970’s lake cabin’s kitchen has been brought up to plumbing, electrical, and Minnesota energy code transforming this one of a kind kitchen into a year round home the owners have always dreamed to have when they retired.
Before: Note the low cieling, ugly fluorescent lightening and lack of countertop work space.
Our end goal was to have a vaulted kitchen ceiling that matched the pitch of the existing ceiling in the adjoining dining room and living room.
Items that could be saved such as the original kitchen’s sink, faucet, counter tops, cabinets/draws, hardware, and working appliances were donated.
An oversized, vintage industrial gyro fan with a light, was installed over the island’s center
The adjustable fan adds interest as well as ventilation options ensuring that the entire perimeter of the island and kitchen gets a gentle breeze. The fan features a 360-degree adjustable speed rotation and two end cages that are also adjustable.
The house originally built in 1970 as a weekend lake cabin had vaulted trusses that stopped at the kitchen.
After picture with vaulted ceiling
Homeowner wanted a pantry that didn’t look like a pantry.
We decided the design of the door had to be disguised as a bank of cabinets while maintaining exact tolerances of insert doors.
panty door closed…it’s a solid piece with false routed doors and installed handles on the exterior.
Interior of panty with motion activated lights to effortless illuminate with an adjustable times for automatic shut off.
The small window was replaced with a much larger, more efficient Pella window letting in substantially more natural light and enabling a better view of the lake.
A large apron front sink with an articulating Gantry faucet that can accommodate the large serving pieces from entertaining and canning pots every fall.
A matching, on-demand hot water dispenser easily provides hot water for cooking or hot beverage making.
The copper, white, black and grey compact brick, art glass tile back splash helps to create warm and comfortable feel, whilst eye-catching design provides a fresh effect.
The center of the kitchen now features an oversized 7’4” by 7’3” island.
Dramatic granite serves as the springboard for the entire design with bold copper and white veins providing interest within a sea of black. This is complimented by the quartzite on the kitchen’s perimeter. This white quartzite with faint copper and grey lines was a remnant piece that was originally used in a multi-million-dollar yacht.
Included in the island is a cabinet with a mixer lift, another longtime must have for this aging homeowner with arthritis, along with the granite countertop allowing the homeowner to make baked goods such as breads and rolls easily and safely.
Typically, on an island this large, a fair amount of space is wasted in the center.
We wanted to use every square inch of space so to combat this problem, we innovated a way to access the center of the island by creating an under-counter hideaway behind the cookbooks.
The base of the book case was custom cut at a 45-degree angle on each side so it appears when the book case is pushed in, that it attached to the cabinets on either side
This custom created book case on hidden wheels serves as a hidden door that can easily be rolled away.
Once rolled away this secret hiding spot gives the often-unused space in the center of the island a purpose.
The granite top is supported in the seating area with hand forged steel shelf brackets and corbels that were sized and created specifically for this island. The corbels feature functioning turn buckles and are stained to match the custom Knotty Alder cabinets.
Matching spice racks for easy access on either side of the vent hood were also created.
A 36-inch Blue Star restaurant style cooktop with open burners has changeable cooking options, such as a griddle or grill, and multi BTU, with easy to clean burners for all the canning and cooking these avid gardeners do.
Above the cooktop is a Vent-a-Hood exhaust fan with custom stainless trim. This exhaust fan’s Magic Lung Technology is marketed to be the quietest, most efficient and easiest to clean exhaust fan on the market.
Never forgetting the canine family members, a custom raised dog dish was created with the same industrial touches the rest of the kitchen encompassed. The wood used had sentimental value to these homeowners. It was aged cherry, saved from a tree that was lost due to straight line winds at a previously owned lake cabin. Plumbing pipe was used for the legs and the wood was stained to match the cabinets.
