Kitchen pass-through

This project involved removing an existing counter and drawers that separate the kitchen from the living room. The homeowner had previously removed the cabinets that once ran above the counter, as evident in some of the before pictures. Door and drawer fronts removed from this and other demolitions were used so the new work would match the existing kitchen. Working withing the constraints provided by the opening, the existing door and drawer faces, and the desire to have a bar-height counter, a custom 12" deep cabinet was fabricated to fit the space, while allowing for a stool to fit comfortably under the other side. Paint-grade birch veneer plywood and solid poplar were used to construct the casework, again matching the existing kitchen. The counter top was made of solid red-oak, glued, sanded, and finished in place to tie in with the doors. Oak veneer was used to trim out the alcove under the top, and a pair of fluted columns fit face the living room.

Beds make me tired.

A king-sized bed, made from Michigan White ash. The first photo is the photo that was used as the inspiration. The next two are close-ups of the mortise and tenon joints that connect the side rails to the head and foot boards. In order to conceal the bolts, the nuts were buried in notch inside the posts, and the bolts are inserted through a shallow slot cut out on the inside of the rail. The rough machine work, taking the lumber from rough state and smoothing and straightening it, as well as all the joinery, and some rough sanding, were done in my shop. The final finish work was done on site, and it was assembled in place.

The second-to-last picture is the special assembly tool needed to tighten the bolts down. For those who know their way around mechanics tools, it's a long-handled 3/8" drive, flex head ratchet; a 6" x 3/8" extension; a 3/8" universal joint; a standard 6 point, 3/8" socket; and a 3/8" hex-head x 3/8" drive socket. This because the head of the bed-bolts were a 3/8" square head.

Turning an attic into living space

This 200+ sq. ft. living space was created out of space that was simple attic storage, with bare framing and insulation. The old space was accessed via a rickety old pull-down ladder. Taking advantage of a small hall closet and some unused space above the basement staircase, a new staircase was constructed. New short knee-walls were constructed on top of a newly-laid subfloor, followed by insulation, wiring, and drywall. A pair of new ducts bring heat and air-conditioning to the space. A new window in the gable-end of the room brings lots of light to the space.

Several obstacles had to be moved or altered to allow for the new space. A whole-house exhaust fan was moved from the middle of the new room to the opening for the old ladder. A pair of built-in storage cabinets had to be removed to allow for the new stairs, including a glass-door unit in the kitchen. In their place, new shallower units were built to retain some storage, while allowing them to fit within the wall assembly. The new room occupies about half the original attic, the other half remains as storage, but to allow access, a door was needed. The low, sloped ceiling didn't allow enough room for a pre-built door unit to be used, so a 2' wide x 6' high door was built. Since the storage space is unheated, the door consists of plywood facing over a 2" thick foam core. Since the door was thicker than a standard door, a custom extension was welded to allow a stock lockset to be used.

A bit of paint, trim, shelving, and carpet and the space is ready for use.

(picture with carpet to follow soon)