Grand Hoodfan Treatment

We made second place with our Oliver Project in the Medium Kitchen Category of the NKBA Canadian Design Competition 2010!

 A detour through a downtown mall today spurred a conversation between Ines and myself about the intrinsic value of objects.

Ines mused about the fact that most of the items on display, although at first glance interest evoking, are upon further investigation simply flashy and fake, without substance, and only an extremely minute amount of other items, often priced at a comparable monetary value, seem to carry in them an innate value that transcedes the mere cash factor.

As an artist good design for me is so much more than combining colours, shapes, textures and objects in a pleasing or -worse- merely fashionable manner.

Good design must be embedded into a cultural and historical context to have meaning.

Good design must speak about, and address, true universal values, wishes, desires, fears and objections.

Good design expresses in three dimensional space nothing less than ageless philosophical concepts, it speaks of what is thoroughly valuable, and connects you to your greater and better self. 

In my opinion things that are ‘cheap’ were created simply to make a quick buck, and most of the time the actual price of those items is being paid by the exploitation of natural resources and human labour.

Think of those infamous ‘happy meals’, of the nowadays so quickly thrown- together condos, of jewelry (and not necessarily only the costume ones) and clothing…

For me this mindset is best expressed by this awful slogan “We won’t be undersold”.

Good things have their price – if you think you are getting a deal on something, you are most definitely wrong.

In the same way ‘cheap’ fast food weakens your body and affects your health in a detrimental way, the owner of ‘cheap’ things surrounds him/herself with stuff that doesn’t speak to the soul.

Be it design, food or tangible objects – truly good products and services draw upon a wealth of value, history, skill, knowledge, empathy, wonder and inspiration, and embody what is beautiful about life.

Good design, like a good life, is NEVER fun and easy – it is a constant struggle for excellence.

Thinkglass Countertop

This Quebec company, led by Glass Artist Michel Mailhot and engineer Bertrand Charest, has revolutionized the glass counter industry for the past few years.

For our Landsend Project we used their 1 1/2” Pebblo Aqua glass as a kitchen counter on the island.

Glass counters are most certainly worth considering for your kitchen or bathroom project. They compare pricewise with higher end granite, are pretty much maintenance free, don’t need to be sealed, they don’t stain, are non-porous, take high heat, and can be illuminated for a true WOW factor.

Their textured undersides hide scratches and mask fingerprints.

They are fully recycable, and right now reqrd you with 10 points for LEED certification for homes.

The company has a very informative blog – give it a try!

Infinity Island

Inspired by the outstanding architectural design approach of Dan Boot of Studio DB3 in Sidney, BC, the kitchen’s layout consists of an L-shaped perimeter, a focal point island that I call the ‘Infinity Island’ and a sculptural eating bar.

 This highly artistic house frames incredible views of the Ocean and Piers Island, and the somewhat unusual materials chosen for the kitchen cabinetry have been pulled from the architectural language of the structure – concrete, glass, raw and stainless steel, copper and ‘wetwood’.

The perimeter cabinetry has been made from slabs of century old Birch, which has been reclaimed from the Great Lakes. On one end a tall appliance tower holds a stainless steel band of appliances – the Miele Speed oven, the wall oven and the coffeemaker, and on the other end is the Subzero fridge positioned.

Both tall units are being flanked by very special glass door cabinets – make sure to have a look at the frameless glass corner detail on them! This detail is an element I picked up from Dan’s architectural design as well, and the doors were certainly not easy to create.

Thanks to the committment of the builder Wilf Gorter, site foreman Walter Vanderkamp, very dedicated metal fabricators and the ingenious cabinet maker John Lavoie the crew managed to make my idea work, including floating glass shelves.

 The perimeter cabinets are topped with black Cambria Quartz, which beautifully reflects the oustanding landscape images flooding in through the huge windows.

Appliance tower with frameless glass corner endcabinet

The islands ‘theme’ has been inspired by the Infinity Pool outside, and the design of the stainless steel hood replies to the shape of a steel canopy which Dan designed for the barbecue area on the pool deck.

From this hood fan canopy the Thinkglass Pebblo Aqua glass runs down the wall, transforms into a 1 1/2” countertop and drops down to become a custom stainless steel prepsink at the end of the island.

The island carcass sits on a 8” high concrete base, and sports a row of wood drawers, with anther row of etched mirror drawers above it. The combination of those 2 materials allows me to emphasize the horizontal delineation of this island.

Concrete bar, copper cabinet door, steel I-Beam and Birch Counter

The sculptural bar is inspired by Dan’s design for the wood fireplace in the living room.

I chose to use concrete as the actual carcass of a bar cabinet (thanks for bearing with me, Wilf and Walt!), and behind the copper doors it holds liquor and bar paraphernalia. One corner of that concrete block has been spared out, and has been filled with illuminated stacked glass.

A solid slab of Birch was used for the bar counter, and it is supported by a piece of leftover I-beam from the barrel roof construction.

 As said before, my choice of design and materials was strongly influenced by Dan’s architecture, his strong sense of proportion, assymmetrie and balance.

View of Pier Island

I also wanted to invite the outside in, which is the reason behind the choice of glass counter – it looks just like a frozen piece of ocean, and with its flowing character, it’s watery texture and green hues wonderfully balances the concrete and the wood. The small amount of copper on the bar pays reference to the homes entrance door, and warms up the concrete base.

 You can find this particular project in our portfolio section under ‘Landsend’ in the Residential, Kitchen and Bathroom files.

His oeuvre is incredibly varied, and spans everything from elegant fine art painting to Folk Art, from socio-political illustrations to designs for Amusement parks and Dark Rides, from theme store design, animated displays for trade shows and store windows to beautiful works of sculpture.

You will find that his mind is able to make visible the very best, and the very worst, in human nature.

FORTUNA

When Ines, after much self doubt and soul searching, decided to launch THE SKY IS THE LIMIT DESIGN I was inspired to create a painting for her new showroom.

I wanted the image to purvey the concept of accepting the unknown with grace, dignity and courage.

That concept for me is symbolized best by the figure of FORTUNA.

This Greco-Roman Goddess of Fate and Fortune (’Tyche’ in the Greek mythology) approaches individuals with the Gift of Opportunity. Should the person blessed with such an offer reject it nevertheless, punishment results – in general terms – in living in obscurity and perpetually having to deal with the question ‘What if…’.

My particular interpretation of this classical theme shows FORTUNA in a contemporary version of an ‘Ikona’, those works of art so typical for Eastern Orthodox Christianity. An Icon brings the viewer face to face with a symbol, which represents something of greater significance, and I have admired the graphic purity and unpretentiousness of this style of art for as long as I can remember.

FORTUNA is shown in 18th century attire, which symbolizes the rise of a new kind of sophisticated, energetic and powerful woman, who is ready and able to take charge of her own destiny (like Ines).

The bird represents the Gift of Choice itself – it comes at its own will, and if not acted upon quickly it will fly away, never to return again.

He holds in his beak the key to possible success, and brings with him a medallion, in which HIERONYMUS FISH is engraved, the mascot of THE SKY IS THE LIMIT DESIGN (see also the ‘About us’ section for a brief story on Hieronymus).

The tiles, light and dark, stand for the possibility of failure and success – life can always go either way, and FORTUNA’s sentiment is written as a poetic note to the reader on one of them.

My special Thanks and Acknowledgment belong to the late English novelist Mary Renault, who speaks to me through her wonderful and impressive books, as well as to the Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho, whose books I only recently discovered, but who already had a huge intellectual influence on me.

Fortuna, 2007

Latex, spray painted on wood

42”x 80”

I came in contact with Martin Zemp from Zee Design in Comox, BC in 2001, when I started working for a small Kitchen and Bath Showroom in Victoria.

Martin is originally from the village of Sissach in Switzerland, and came to Canada in 1990 to study English. Back in Switzerland he had grown up in his Father’s cabinetmaking workshop, and -if there is such a thing- was born with a cabinet making gene.

After officially immigrating to Canada in 1992 he worked for various cabinet and countertop producing companies, before going out on his own and launching Zee Design.

(Little sidenote here: my personal impression is that essentially none of Martin’s employers were up to his work standards, so he had no other choice than to take that step!)

For the first year my contacts with him were solely over the phone – he was an acquaintance of my then-boss, and every once in a while he would build the odd small custom cabinet or accessory for us.

I remember quite vividly my first phone conversation with him – I was supposed to tell him from my boss that we needed several lengths of a particular custom crown for a project, and Martin questioned the way we intended to attach that crown to the cabinet.

Of course, what he really wanted to tell me in his typical ‘Martin way’ was that none of us down in that fancy showroom in the big city of Victoria had given any thought to what we were asking from him, and that it was actually a rather stupid request…Oh course he already had a solution in mind, but I was quite intimidated by this first encounter!

Needless to say – this was also the early beginning of my life here in Canada, I had to speak English with him (although the German version of Swiss, and German itself look pretty much the same on paper, once the sounds come out of a Swiss throat I can hardly understand them…), I was still challenged with my English speaking abilities , and here I was trying to discuss intricate cabinetmaking details with him over the phone…

As you might guess we overcame that stage eventually (this phase took about 2 years, though…), but what I want to point out is that I consider Martin my most influential teacher in regards to all things cabinetry and millwork production.

He is certainly the main reason why I feel very competent when designing custom cabinetry nowadays, and when he gets me to design his newest kitchen project I know that I can take out all the design stops, as he will be able (sometimes muttering a lot of curses under his breath, though) to make them come to life.

The two of us have a bit of a weird long distance work relationship – up to this day most of our collaboration happens over the phone, resulting in hour-long conversations about cabinetry details, but because of his incredible sensibility, his sharp eye and attention to detail this way of working together has proven to be very successful.

I deeply respect his incredible skill, his willingness to endeavour into new one-of-a-kind designs, his sharp eye, his imaginative solutions, his acute sense of proportion, his elegant style, and the attention to detail and love for his trade!

Without him I would certainly not be the accomplished custom cabinet designer that I think I am today…

Thank you, Martin, for your most positive influence on my life!

Working with you is always exciting and a huge pleasure and privilege for me!

Zee Design – The Workshop

I am a big fan of any sort of workshop and manufacturing plant.

Part of my university education was a mandatory 3 months stint in a cabinet makers workshop. It was a bit boring for me, though – of course those professional tradesmen were afraid that I (a woman…bless their hearts, but gender equality takes hold rather slowly in those parts of life, especially in a small Bavarian town) could sever some part of my body during that time, so I wasn’t really allowed to touch anything really important, especially not the huge machines.

I helped sanding, assisted in the spray booth, and was sometimes allowed to help with cabinet assembly and lamination.

When Klaus and I started creating phantasy store settings things got a bit more interesting – we did a lot of the work ourselves, and worked hand in hand with cabinet makers to create our merchandisers and display props, and I became a very good acquaintance of the large beltsander…

So going into any cabinetmakers shop is quite a wonderful experience for me, and I always try to encourage my coworkers and especially my clients to go and have a look themselves. The amount of machinery and the intricacy of tools will astound you, and there is an inherent beauty in a well run shop.

Martin’s shop is especially picturesque – in true Canadian West Coast style it’s located somewhere in the woods of Comox,BC on Vancouver Island.

To get into his shop you have to make your way through a group of Highland Cows, you are being chased by geese and dogs, and his goats will search your purse for edibles (when they are not busy jumping onto his worktable, or your car, that is).

The shop is very beautiful (in a workshop kind-of way), spacious, organized (of course), with the newest project propped up somewhere, plans mounted to the walls, equipped with exquisite (often German and old Swiss) machinery.

My only problem with Martin is that he is always superbusy creating something, so in case you are interested in working with him you have to make sure that you get in line well ahead of time.

You should realize that good things take their due time, and are worth waiting for!

And it helps to have a slightly unusual project – I think Martin really enjoys a good challenge…

You will find him here:

Martin Zemp

Zee Design

1845 B Knight Street

Comox, BC

phone 250 339 6028

Its content is important to designers who are fairly new to the process of cabinetry planning, but it is also helpful information for the home owner who wants to embark on a kitchen renovation.

No matter if you work as a designer for a bigger cabinetry supplier or design custom cabinetry, technical knowledge is essential for a successful, long lasting career in the cabinetry field.

Nowadays I work about 99% of the time with custom cabinet makers, which allows me the full flexibility of a customized design, and- contrary to popular notion- custom cabinetry is not necessarily much more expensive than working with a large supplier.

On a personal level I also prefer to support the small businesses in my community, I appreciate the individual level of craftmanship and attention to detail executed by the cabinet makers, and I enjoy nurturing the relationship between client and cabinetmaker. Not only do we bring clients to previous jobsites, so that they can get a feel for the work of a particular cabinet maker, they are also always invited to go and see the cabinet makers workshop to experience the skill, effort, machinery and knowledge that is required to create the pieces which are going to be an integral part of the client’s life.

I plan on writing more about different appliance brands, my experiences with them, and customer feedback over time, so make sure to check back in!
I will also introduce the cabinetmakers and their shops to you in the near future…

A designer’s take on appliances

Kitchens are the most complex and intricate part of a house, and a successful design requires a combination of both creative and analytical skills. Each and every job will expose you as a designer to appliances you haven’t worked with before, and their specification sheets are your most important source of technical information.
NEVER start without studying them carefully!

With all this state-of-the-art equipment being an integral part of the kitchen we planners/designers need to know how to deal with it.
Due to inconsistencies in specifications, especially with high-end models, often the cabinet makers I work with request to have the actual appliances in their workshop before they begin to work on the cabinetry. This request will certainly have an impact on the timing of a kitchen remodel, so make sure to allow for appliance ETA’s in your work schedule.

Ideally, I talk with clients about their wish list of appliances before they go out and purchase them, as their choices of appliance types will have an impact on the positioning of the workstations in the kitchen.
This has nothing to due with personal preference of specific brands -it’s the technical and functional considerations which will have an effect on the design and use of space, and vice versa.

As a designer I want to make sure my clients understand their options, and the consequences, before spending a considerate amount of money on appliances.

Refridgerators

Fridge depth:

When I started designing kitchens in Canada I worked with what I call ‘big box’ suppliers – companies that produce cabinetry with standardized dimensions, with a set amount of door style and colour options.

I noticed very early on that the standard industry standard of 26 inches for a standard fridge gable was falling short of the typical 28 inches required to cover the carcass depth of a regular (non-countertop-depth) fridge. This bugged me to no end – as a designer you go through lengths to create a beautiful space, and then I have to look at 2 inches of a black fridge carcass?

When you look at the specifications of a fridge, notice that it will give you a number of different dimensions for its depth- one for the carcass only, one for the carcass with door, one for the carcass with door and handle.

If you want to cover the full carcass of a fridge, you have a number of different options:

One approach is to order a deeper gable. This adds to the cost, however, and manufacturers are resistent to this request, as customization is contrary to their standardized business approach. Modification can also lead to ordering or manufacturing mistakes quite easily. If you use a deeper gable, you would also have to adjust the depth of the upper cabinet above the fridge (should you have one), as this cabinet would either have to be build out from the wall to be flush with the gable front, or you would have to order yet another customized, deeper cabinet.

Usually, a better way to save a few inches is to move the refridgerator back into the wall. This is an easy step if you are dealing with typical wood stud and drywall construction. You have to remove the drywall behind the new fridge location, cut out the two or three studs in that area either fully or at least by half of their depth, and then either install a 5/8″ plywood backer panel (when you take out the studs completely), or 1/2″ drywall.

This process will gain a minimum of 2″, which might not sound like much, but- believe me- in a typical kitchen setting 2″ mean a lot.

The only time I would caution or even advise against this method is, if you are dealing with an older home from the first part of the 20th century, which uses lathe and plaster construction. The vibrating of the cutting action on the studs will loosen the brittle plaster, thus resulting in cracks, especially on the other side of the wall. Be sure to never undertake this step without prior approval of the homeowner – they are the ones who will have to pick up the bill of potentially necessary plaster repair work.

In new construction, or on bigger renos, I generally ask for a niche to be framed in for the refridgerator.

The 2×4 studs in that location are either being turned sideways, or completely left out, and the back will receive a plywood backer panel for stability.

Don’t forget to consider the location of the refridgerator receptacle carefully.

If you have an outlet right behind the fridge the standard electrical plug will add at least an inch to the fridge’s overall depth. You could have the plug changed to a flat unit (consider the warranty issues, though), or move the receptacle out of the way, either further up or off to the side, accessible through the cabinetry.

Fridge height:

For a reason that is beyond me, manufacturers can’t or don’t want to agree on one or two standard fridge heights. If you are dealing with a big box cabinet supplier you will find out that they typically offer only one standard height for the cabinet sitting above a fridge. This usually results in a rather large gap between that cabinet and the fridge. The solution for this is either to order a custom height fridge cabinet, or you can use a face frame filler strip to bridge this gap.

Even if you work with a cabinet maker and custom made cabinetry, you might still run into issues. Cabinetry that’s suppossed to fit like a glove around the fridge can easily be too tight. This has usually to do with floors and/ or ceilings which are out of level.

On one of my jobs the overall height for that upper cabinet couldn’t be adjusted, and then the floor right underneath those 3 feet of fridge space was ? inch higher on one side than on the other. Even when we dropped the fridge down to it’s lowest level, the hinges, which sit on top, were still 1/8 of an inch too high!

Luck was on my side with a Jack-of-all-trades kind of cabinet installer who had previously worked as a delivery person for an appliance company. He invisibly carved out the plastic cover plate of that hinge just a tiny bit – it worked…

Ever since that incident I request about ? inch of extra clearance above the fridge- you can always raise the adjustable legs on the fridge to make up for this.

Side Clearance:

Another refridgerator-related issue is the side clearance.

In order to get the crispers out, modern refridgerators require at least a 90 degree opening of the doors. If you have the fridge positioned perpendicular to a wall or cabinetry, you will have to allow for the thickness of the refridgerator door, plus a possible plant-on door panel (should you have one), plus the fridge handle.

This can result in a required space of 2 3/8 inches and go up to 4 inches!

If the specs are unclear about this – which they often are – make sure to go to the appliance dealer to have a look at the fridge yourself.

Don’t ever assume that a fridge will just fit in it’s allocated spot!

Fridge door panels:

If you don’t want to look at the large front of a black, white or stainless fridge, plant-on doors are the way to go.

Now, with many fridge models you have to consider the fact that not all fridges are made to be equipped with these kinds of doors. Many an experienced designer and cabinet maker has encountered the problem of the panel weight.

As a customer you would want to discuss with your appliance sales person what your expectations and plans are in regards to the finished look.

Many refridgerators are sold as ‘panel ready’, but once you read further you notice a disclaimer that the fridge hinges can only handle a ? inch flat panel in the cabinetry finish, which then sits inside a narrow metal frame. This will never look the same as the cabinetry finish, and in my opinion you rather totally forego
the idea of a plant-on front in this case.

I might have some news for the manufacturers of such fridges – hardly ever is that what my clients or a designer are looking for!

A raised panel wood door the size of a fridge door is REALLY heavy, and the hinges of the fridge doors have to be able to support that extra weight without sagging over time – otherwise your fridge won’t close properly after a very short time.There is a possibility that as the designer you have to find out how much your particular choice of doorstyle weighs, and then discuss the issue with your client.

Been there, done that – even though we paid attention to the weight issue a fridge door started to sag very soon after we installed the plant-on doors. Interestingly enough that very manufacturer offered very shortly afterwards a new model with French doors instead of the single door model my clients had purchased.

Built-in versus Integrated

Built-in appliances are a pet peeve of mine. How misleading do manufacturers want to be?

Typically this term relates to fridges, compactors, dishwashers and warming drawers. The most important fact every kitchen designer should know about this category is that ‘built-in’ does NOT mean that the appliance, once equipped with the plant-on door panel, will blend in seamlessly with the rest of the cabinetry.

In fact the plant-on door will stick out ? of an inch from the face of the cabinetry!
Would you have expected this from a built-in anything? I certainly didn’t…

If a client is looking for an appliance that sits totally flush with the rest of the cabinetry they have to look- and pay- for the so called Integrated models.

With compactors, warming drawers and dishwashers a designer can adjust the overall depth of the base cabinetry to accommodate the additional depth of a built-in kind of appliance. You can either pull the base cabinets away from the wall by an inch, or simply order deeper cabinets.

But remember, this also means that your countertops will have to be an inch deeper, which might have an impact on the amount of material you will need, and on the cost.
Also, make sure your installer knows about your plans, and be aware that your plant-on side gables have an allowance to accommodate the additional depth as well.

You can’t take this approach with fridges, though! Built-in Fridge doors need to protrude past the cabinetry doors in full- otherwise you won’t be able to open them… ( i tried it- doesn’t work…)

If your client is really set on not seeing the fridge at all, they will either have to spend their money on an integrated model, or they have to consider purchasing a European model like a Liebherr fridge, that can sit inside a cabinet.

Make sure to discuss those issues with your clients up front, don’t rely on an appliance sales person to educate a client- many appliance people are not aware of the implications either.

To this very day I am haunted by the memory of my first encounter with this Built-in issue.
I designed a very elegant kitchen with a long wall of tall units, which included the fridge. The client had purchased a rather exclusive appliance package before they even spoke with me about the design, so I simply took what I was presented with and followed the instructions for the door panels per manufacturer’s specifications.

The kitchen turned out beautifully, with many special and well thought-out details, but the refridgerator door stuck out by 3/4″, which totally spoiled it for the client.
I was blamed for not pointing out this fact to the client in the first place…
The homeowners would have rather spend another $ 5.000,- on an integrated fridge model, than have the door stick out.

You can bet I never received a referral from this client!

Ovens and Cooktops

Nowadays we have a very wide range of cooking appliances at our disposal, which can be incorporated in our layouts.

In addition to slide-in stoves, free standing ranges, rangetops and cooktops there are various kinds of wall ovens, steam ovens, speed ovens and microwaves.

For cooktops alone you can choose from electric, gas and induction heat, go with glass surface or sealed burners, or create your own cooking surface made from individual cooking elements like Griddles, Woks and Teriyaki elements.

One of the easier appliance to plan for is a slide-in stove.

They tend to be fairly straight forward, although you should determine how far back you can actually push the unit, which is important when templating for the counter top.

The best way of dealing with these ovens is to allow for a filler on either side of the stove to create air space. Depending on the model a convection oven needs side clearances due to the extreme heat during the self-cleaning process, which could singe the side of the cabinetry. Allowing for a minimum ? inch of air space is mandatory for a lot of those models, and even if an existing stove doesn’t require this clearance, i would always allow for this space in case a client ever wanted to exchange their stove for a different model.

The advantage of a slide-in stove over a freestanding range is its cleanliness.

Freestanding units and rangetops always have a tiny gap on either side of the counter, in which crumbs gather no matter how meticulous you or your housekeeper are.

Another consideration is the controll panel on the standard freestanding stoves, and the splash guard on the exclusive gas ranges – if positioned on the back of a stove this panel will take away from any decorative backsplash option your client might want to have.

Some Rangetop models require to sit up about 3/8 of an inch above conter top level – make sure that your client is educated about this, otherwise they might think it’s a planning mistake!

Also, be sure to understand how far out those range panels protrude out from the counter top edge – especially the models with those very sought-after big controll knobs. These controlls could potentially impede the opening function of perpendicular positioned cabinetry, especially drawers.

Another concern is the clearance issue to combustible surfaces around gas burners. Make sure to perform due diligence on this topic, as building inspectors are quick to cite even the smallest clearance infringement.

In one kitchen design I had very confidently allowed the typical 36 inches of clearance overhead, only to be reminded by a luckily very attentive cabinet maker that we were dealing with a special sealed burner unit, which required 42 inches!

With the upper cabinetry only going up to 84 inches, which would have resulted in a rather unuseful upper ‘cabinet’ height of only 6 inches above the range, and it would have ruined my whole design idea.

The solution was to make the underside of those upper cabinets non-combustible.
This can be done with tile, glass, stainless steel, concrete board and laminate, to name a few.

I designed a panel made out of a stainless steel frame with an insert of frosted glass as the bottom panel for those upper cabinets, which does double duty as a light panel at the same time.

Ovens

There is a myriad of great appliances out there now, with dozens of new products coming onto the market each year.

Steam ovens are a big favorite in my native Germany for example, as they offer fast and healthy cooking solutions for a wider variety of foods.

The multi-purpose units, for example the Miele Speedoven, are a very interesting trend as well.

If you are really passionate about cooking make sure to visit appliance showrooms that offer presentations and cooking classes prior to making a decision on which appliances to purchase.

Another issue to consider is appliance packages from the same manufacturer.
Different brands use varying types of stainless steel, not mention the various shapes of handles and designs of control panels.

If you have a number of stainless steel appliances close to each other in your kitchen a consistent look would certainly be of advantage, and give you a nicer overall look.

One of my favourite appliances to plan with is the Sharp Microwave Drawer. It comes in 2 sizes, but the 24 inch version should be totally sufficient for the regular homeowner.
If you want to integrate a microwave into your kitchen, a Microwave drawer certainly provides easy access to all family members, and it is very comfortable to operate as well with its tilted controll panel and push-button soft opening, and easy on the lower back.

In smaller kitchens, where space is at a premium, an Over-the-range microwave/ hood combination is a very great space saver. You would only want to combine this with an electric stove, though, NEVER with a gas unit!

However, the one thing that really bugs my designer’s eye is that those units have a carcass depth of more than 13 inches.

In addition to this is the thickness of the microwave door, which can’t be covered on the sides, because it houses the venting grilles.

Overall the microwave will protrude from a standard size 12 inch deep upper cabinet by at least an inch.

Taking the same measure as on the lower cabinets, you can always ask the installer to pull out the upper cabinets to cover the microwave carcass in total, but you have to make sure that your plant-on panels, which you might use on the side and on the bottom, have been ordered oversized to allow that step.

Otherwise we are back to working with extra depth custom cabinetry.

Alternative locations for conventional microwaves depend on the lifestyle of the clients.
Clients with school aged children seem to like the under-counter height, so that the little ones can warm up their milk, or make their own pop corn.
Parents with toddlers however tend to request a higher location, perhaps right above the countertop.

For those clients who would like to hide their microwave behind one of those sleek European lift-up doors or stainless steel tambour doors – Designer beware!

Hard-wired appliances inside cabinetry could potentially be illegal in your Province or State, so make sure to check your local building code, and discuss potential insurance issues ( fire hazard) with your client.

Overall is the idea of a clutter free counter always very appealing, but in my practise I always discuss the pro’s and con’s of receptacles inside appliance centres with my clients, and make their choice their responsibility.

Of course it seems logical to have receptacles inside an appliance cabinet, but I would then specify that plug to be connected either to an interrupter switch, which works with the door mechanism on that particular cabinet, or to a pilot light switch outside that cabinet, which indicates via a red light that the receptacle is ‘alive’.

I would wish magazines would point out potential legal issues around such devices, when they feature fabulous space saving design ideas. Quite often a good time of my consultation is used for telling clients what they CAN’T have…

Venting

Venting happens either up or down.
You can use so called downdraft systems, which pull odors and fumes away right at the source, and vent them either directly out through the back of the stove, or down through a vent and out between the floor joists.

Some ranges have an integrated downdraft system – I know from my customers feedback that people either love those models, or totally despise them. Fact is that the grille will gather a large amount of residue, which looks unsightely, and it is constantly in your field of vision when you are around the stove.

An sleeker option is a pop-up downdraft, and by now you have the choice of 2 different heights.

First of all- a pop-up only works in conjunction with a cooktop, as the vent unit requires cabinet space underneath.

When you are not cooking, all you see is a band of stainless steel, about 2 inches wide, running along the length of your cooktop in the back. When pressing the ‘On’ button this unit lifts up and starts venting. Currently there seem to be 2 different general height options available – for an electric cooktop a lift of about 8 inches suffices, but if you want to combine a pop-up with a gas cooktop you should look for a model that rises about 12 to 15 inches up. That way you avoid that the flames are being drawn towards the vent, which results in an uneven spread of the flame, and uneven heat.

The use of a cooktop in combination with a pop-up vent is very useful, when you want to cook on an island, or a peninsula, without having to deal with the visual impact of an island hoodfan, or if you want to enjoy the scenery outside a window without disrupting the view.

Updraft systems give you a wider range of design options – like contemporary stainless steel and glass options, seriously commercial looking stainless units, including a high stainless backguard complete with warming shelf, a discret narrow band of stainless steel mounted on the bottom of an upper cabinet, which pulls out only when in use (ideal for a small apartment kitchen), or power packs which sit inside a decorative hood made from wood, cast stone or various metals.

Determining the right amount of airflow is critical.

A typical hood fan might have a CFM rating of about 350, but power pack systems can easily go up to 1200 CFM. 900 CFM’s are recommended for gas ranges, but there are 2 things to consider when dealing with higher rated exhaust systems – noise and make-up air.

Noise can be dealt with in form of an exterior blower. This is a box-shaped device mounted either on an exterior wall or on the roof. It will require certain clearances to allow for sufficient air flow, so make sure to educate yourself about it before considering it for your project.

The effort of dealing with make-up air depends largely on your local building code, and your particular jobsite.

In older homes, which are naturally drafty and often still sport single paned windows, you might be able to get away with a few additional dryer vent sized holes drilled somewhere in the basement wall, to allow for additional air intake.

This approach does not work in new construction, though – make sure to discuss the necessary steps with your mechanical engineer and/or your contractor, as you might have to integrate a small furnace into the system, or heat up the incoming air in another way.

The general idea for the blogs of THE SKY IS THE LIMIT will be to showcase current projects that are in the making, Before and After’s, discussions about new products on the market, and we might also look into technical issues of renovations in general, lighting, appliances, effects of colour and space on the human psyche…

We are open to suggestions, so feel free to write us a note about a subject of interest!

For today’s introduction I will present a renovation which lately has earned us several prestigious Renovation and Design Awards, and which is being featured in a number of magazines in 2010.

It’s a single family home, built most likely in the 1920’s, 3 houses away from the ocean, in a very nice residential neighbourhood.

This was the view from the main entrance – to the left was a space for dining, then the kitchen, and at the end of the long hall was a small home office hogging the nicest view of the garden.

To your right would be the living room, stairs, a small hallway towards the guest bath and guest bedroom, and a closet to the right of the back door.

This is (obviously) the ‘After’ shot, taken from the same vantage point.

After gutting about 75% of the main floor we reconfigured the space, but in a way that looks totally natural for a home that age.

The space on your left is what we call the ‘Games Room’ – a place to hang out and play board games in, read or write, even watch TV. It can be also used as a formal Dining Room.
The wall unit serves as a bar with storage for liquor, glasses and all the necessary acutrements for entertaining, as well as a pass through from the kitchen and display area.
Note the ceiling treatment – the light Greyish-Blue and the Limesickle Green add an almost Swedish flavour to the place!

This shot was taken looking through the pass through into the Games Room.
We wanted to create a defined entrance area without closing off the Games Room too much.

The other necessity was to create proper closet space for a family of 4, with lots of sports equipment, school stuff and all the other things we humans need to store in the entrance…

A tiled area rug design, made out of 2 colours porcelain tile, glass and granite, and the very special ‘Pebbles in Resin’ accent ( which scratches easily, so buyer beware – it totally depends where and how you want to use this tile!), defines the space nicely. A hige Thank You to Guenther for this fabulous job!

We positioned 2 large closets on either side of the living room, connected by an archway, and defined the Glames Room with posts and ponywalls, to keep the space breathing, but nicely enveloped.

If you look closely you will see that the openings, although centred onto each other, differ in width – the space between the 2 posts is actually wider than the the archway, which gives the living room more privacy, and adds dynamic to the space.

In order to avoid too much white on the cabinetry we added a beige for the paneling on the hallway units, which makes for a great combination with the light blue ceiling.

This was the old kitchen – although the large windows would usually be a nice assett to have, the view of the neighbour’s fence didn’t quite cut it …

This is the same location after the transformation.

Our plans asked for clerestory windows as an integral part of the hoodfan design – this way we get the effect of natural light, and a visual of the sky, without being bothered by whatever is going on at the neighbour’s house…

The grand hoodfan treatment ( based on the idea of a typical British Hob), is being flanked by tall units – left being the Kitchenaid fridge, and on the right the Appliance /Baking Centre, hidden behind retractable doors.

Because of the necessary depth of those units we were able to pull the work areas out more then usual, and give the homeowner a raised shelf behind the stove, which is great for having a number of spice bottles handy without giving up counter space.

The backsplash is a custom blend in blue and green crackled glass tiles from Sonoma, combined with 3 ‘pictures’ made of pewter and bronze relief tile.

This is the new informal seating area.

Remember that office space I mentioned earlier, with the nice view of the garden?
Here it is – integrated into the space the family hangs out in most of the time…

Again, we reconfigured windows – higher ones on the side of the neighbour, tall ones, that max out the available space, to look out onto the garden.

Just envision yourself lounging there on that comfy bench (storage included underneath), having the gas fireplace turned on, and watching the birds (or TV)!

The Oak table was existing, but we stained it black, for graphic impact, and to match the colour of the Add-On Island.

This was the original view from the back door towards the front door. On your right the entrance into the office, on your left you (barely) make out the closet, and then the stairs…

This is the same view now, including the wonderful family canine, who was my (and the trades’) trusted friend and helper during the reno, and a constant source of joy…(sorry, no names due to privacy concerns) – love you, C!
Great colours – don’t you think?!
Not always am I blessed with a lively and daring client like this one!
By the way, the blue is actually not quite as bright as on the photo – it’s more like a jeans blue…

The island is 14′ long – we had intensely discussed all the various design options for this long room, and the client decided on a continuous stretch of island.
In order to make this island more manageable we broke it up into 3 sections -
remember, lots of continuous counter is not necessarily a good thing, a lot of people simply start cluttering it up despite their best intentions!

The main island is 9′ long, stained maple in a jeans blue, with a black Cambria quartz counter top with brown flecks in it.
BTW – the bronze faucet is the reason why we introduced the bronze relief tile in the backsplash!
The whole area is for food prep and clean up, with a compactor and the dishwasher facing in towards the stove area.

The black portion is what I refer to as the Add-On-Island – it’s 4′ long, with the black quartz countertop dropped just by the thickness of the counter on the blue part.
It houses a 24″ Sharp microwave drawer, and features a curved door, to ease the transition between island and eating area.

Curves have been used to assist with the flow, and to introduce some dynamic to an otherwise very long and rectangular space.

The spectacular red stained, extra fat, custom made post from Old Country Woodproducts in Victoria, BC is the finishing highlight on this unusual island.

This area especially showcases the fantastic cabinet work of Martin Zemp from Zee Design in Comox, BC!

This is the desk/ message centre/ pantry part of the kitchen. It is actually wrapped around a structural post in the right front corner – but nobody could possibly guess…

That’s it for this project…

We used the following suppliers and trades:

Lighting
- Mclaren Lighting, Victoria BC
- Illuminations, Victoria BC
Appliances – Kitchenaid, through Sears
Countertops – Colonial Countertops, Victoria BC
Cabinetry – Zee Design, Comox BC
Turned posts – Old Country Woodproducts, Victoria BC
Colours - Benjamin Moore
Tiles – Decora Tile, Victoria BC

Hardware – Cantu, Victoria BC

Many thanks to the client for this wonderful project…

Happy Renovating!