Traditional Vintage Kitchen-Just Finished - IMPROVED LARGER PHOTOS

[ha_asfan]

This is the LA job I am working on, here is the just finished vintage kitchen...with a Gaffers&Satler stove.
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Originally, this was a warren of three tiny rooms, all combined to one larger space. The tall doors to the right in the second photo conceal the front load washer and dryer. Photo quality isn't so good...but, you get the idea.

<font color="#FFFFFF" size="1">[ November 24, 2006 03:58 PM: Message edited by: ha_asfan ]</font>

[chipperhiker]

Wow. What an improvement, and what a beautiful stove! They were lucky to have gotten it with their house, and then they had the wisdom to keep it, too. Or... was that your doing, Ha?

Either way, good for them, and wonderful job, Ha.

-Jenn

[fatfutures]

Love it!

ARGH! I can't WAIT to have wondows in my kitchen. The only window we have now is in the back door. UGH! I'd like to find the MAN that put the kitchen sink facing a wall! (This was done in the 60's, many men weren't as "enlightened" as they are now!)

[chipperhiker]

My kitchen has LOTS of windows, but I still gripe about it!!

I'm with you, FatFutures. Men who don't cook should never, ever be allowed to design a kitchen. As for my kitchen, the man in question is my own father. I don't know what he was thinking. [img]confused.gif[/img]

I wouldn't trade my windows for anything, but the only cabinets I have are a large pantry cabinet which is wonderful, and two tiny upper cabinets that aren't even in the actual kitchen. I have 7 drawers, and even they're not all that functional. The end result is that all my pots and pans have to live in the oven (fun), and all my tableware, glasses, small appliances, and serving dishes all live on open shelving I put in what was designed to be a laundry closet (one big enough to hold an apartment sized stacking set). It's pretty sad.

-Jenn

[kimvsmith]

Love it (what I can see of it, anyway!). Looks like a huge improvement.

Keep them coming as you have pics!!

[kmalcolm]

Oh My God..I literally think my heart beat faster when I saw the photos. I am in love with it!! Is the range hood vintage or new? Ha, may I pick your brain on two topics? One, I am redoing my kitchen. Money being tight around these here parts (I am currently not working "outside" the home, I am home with my sons), we can do one of two things: option one, loads of cabinets and a peninsula, but with laminate countertops and drop in sink...OR, do less cabinets, no peninsula, granite countertops (soapstone is above the budget no matter what, sob sob) and Rohl fireclay apron front sink, and later down the line buy maybe a butcherblock island to make up what we lost in forgoing the peninsula re:storage and counterspace. What are your thoughts? (I am leaning toward no peninsula and being able to get the granite/dreamy sink). Second: I originally started my years at UMass Amherst in interior design, (and yet graduated English/Journalism major, and have sold pharmaceuticals for the past 6 years! Go figure!) and have decided to look into Boston Architectural College for interior and kitchen design. Do you have any advice? Any resources that are of value to you in regard to networking and/or design? Any affiliations I should look into? Thanks much in advance, and I love your work!! One last question-do you specialize in period/vintage kitchens? ?

[kmalcolm]

Hi again Ha, one LAST question, sorry for so many-but the subway tile you used is wonderful...is it available only to the trade or can you divulge its provenance???
Thanks much!!! Stinky

[ha_asfan]

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Hi Stinky, The Busby Gilbert tiles [[url]www.busbygilberttile.com][/url] are "to the trade" with national distribution. All Busby tiles are hand pressed, hand cut and hand glazed so there is great variety in dimensions and coloration. The hood is new, it is a vent a hood in white porcelian to match the stove. Vent a hood is still the best hood out there, quiet and no filters to rattle and change.
For your kitchen dilema, can you draw out a plan that allows you to add a penninsula down the road? Something you could add on in some years time? I prefer, instead of a penninsula, something I can walk all the way around so when I decide to make strudel dough, once every five years, I have a proper place to do it. lol. Countertops, it's a wild card. All depends on is it a "show" kitchen or a working kitchen. Do you NEED stone counter tops? if yes, how many linear feet? Do you have any wood tops? What are you cutting and chopping on? Every kitchen should have: a "landing zone" immediately to the sides of the stove, oven and fridge. They should be able to handle the hottest temps for directly off the stove or out of the oven dishes. Clear open space on either side of the sink for cutting, chopping and food prep. Wood, metal or stone surfacing for doughs and baking needs. Seperation of work areas is always a good idea and even in a small kitchen, this can be done if you're clever at looking at and evaluating spatial needs. If you spend a lot of time in your kitchen, standing, your flooring should be a primary concern with anough in your budget to provide the best for your standing health.
I don't use any of the professional associations available to designers and architects, I use industry reps instead. A good rep is a real jewel to have on your side. Also, my list of kitchen equipment has not changed much in all the years I have been designing so I stick pretty much to using the materials and products I know, just changing their applications or use. Knowing how to read and understand specs is crucial and being able to determine what is making itenA different from item B whensometimes there is no difference and many times, that is the case...know your products. I've designed everything from very traditional to starkly contemporary kitchens, period, Art Deco, Moderne and Machine Age are my favorites. Nothing changes from one period to the other other than the styling. Layout, space requirements, equipment pretty much stays the same from period to period as usage remains constant. Lighting is something that requires a specialist...I used to believe that "more more more" was better better better but, I've come around to believe that "enough is enough". Electricians are NOT the folks to give you pointers on illumination, go to your local best lighting shop and ask if they can provide the name of a llighitng consultant. The difference between a well illuminated workplace and a poorly illuminated workplace is amazing and will make the distinction between a great job and an ok job. Wow, all that and I've only had one coffee!

[kmalcolm]

Ha, Thank you so much for all the info! I'd like to say it's a working kitchen, I do like to cook, just have to find time when there aren't babies clinging to me.LOL. I think I need stone, I have already wrecked the laminate we have now due to wine stains and heat marks. I am kind of a whirling dervish when I cook. So, my thoughts were get stone, and a butcherblock island (looked at Boos Lyptus block "La Rustica") for chopping, and my mother always had a marble slab (it was an old table top) she used when she was going to make pastry or ravioloi or whatnot...we would help her hoist it up onto the kitchen table and she woould use it there. So I know that is wrong height-wise, but it always worked out well. Our floor is nice hardwood which we plan to keep, may have to refinish it because it was refinished the last time when the previous owners moved a wall, which we are moving back to restore the house's orignal floorplan. Lighting-wise, we are going with some recessed lights, but over the island, I got some vintage 1915 pendants off Rejuvenation.com, and then a major score in an antiques shop-a chandelier that looks like an arrow piercing a ball, and the arms of the chandelier come off the ball. I paid $40 for it, brought it to a antique lighting specialist to rewire, he appraised it for about $600. heh heh! That will hang over a small round table in the eating area. I will check out getting the tile, there are two places near me that sell it, and I called a few places about the ventahood, but that may be out of our budget too. Our budget is not very big...As my mother would say-champagne taste and a beer budget!!!LOL!! thank you again for your thoughts on design, I love art deco as well..one last question-what was your path in regard to school/training, if you don't mind me prying. Did you go to design school or fall into design through another avenue? Just curious, hope I am not driving you nuts!!! Thanks, Stinky

[ha_asfan]

first about counter heights: you said you knew your mom's table for pasta making was wrong, it was probably right! kneading and rolling surfaces are generally lower than kitchen counters so that you can throw your body into the work...and I peel off yet another layer....just like an onion, i am. keep peeling and there is more yet to come. i was raised in an enviroment where art was very, very important. The grandparents were avid collectors of art as were the parents. as jackied mason does in one his schticks, a jewish house is like a shipping and receiving department, "you like that ? you should see what's coming tomorrow!" Mom was always bringing home antiques and modern and everything in between. It was natural for me to go to design school for four years then intern and apprentice until i realized i should be doing it for myself and so, i have been designing interiors and kitchens and furniture and lighting for a lot of years now. recessed lighitng, be careful onplacement of fixtures, you never want a light source DIRECTLY above a task area, put them off to the sides. the light source is also crucial, standard edison lamps, halogen, low voltage...wood floors are ideal, of course. as i have told others on this board, when looking for stone, go to your local stone yards and look through their scrap yard. in that scrap yard, you may find just what you need at greatly reduced prices. feel free to ask me whatever you like, i'm very open to giving my opinions!