| Tight spaces
Cramming creative solutions in a small kitchen
by Carol Blitzer / photos by John Beeley
When Louis and Nina Villalba get around to remodeling the kitchen
in their new house in West Menlo Park they'll have fresh experience
to draw upon. They had only just finished fixing up their tiny kitchen
in the Willows when the larger home caught their eye.
Both the Frigidaire Gallery stove and the hood are made
of stainless steel in this modernized kitchen. |
Their only regret about moving is leaving their spiffy new kitchen,
which recently took home a META award from the San Jose chapter
of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.
The old kitchen dated from 1922, complete with original tile and
sink. "It didn't have modern things like a dishwasher,"
Louis says, and an old water heater took up needed cabinet space.
The Villalbas' old kitchen in the Willows was of 1922 vintage,
complete with original tile and sink and no dishwasher. |
But the Villalbas didn't leap into making changes. First, they
spent about a year looking for a contractor willing to take on a
small job at a reasonable cost. They interviewed several and were
told their ballpark estimate of $40,000 to $60,000 was way too low.
One suggested that $100,000 might not cover what they wanted.
John Beeley of Kitchen Tune-up brought it in within budget, in
both time and money. Along the way he educated the couple about
basic kitchen design, demonstrating on a computer program how an
efficient triangle should work.
The end result was a modern, attractive space where the couple spends
much more time. "We're more eager to cook at home now,"
Louis says. "It's updated a premier portion of the house."
The kitchen was gutted, and the old appliances replaced with stainless-steel-fronted
ones, including a Frigidaire Gallery stove and stainless-steel hood
and Miele dishwasher. The cabinets are made of maple with an autumn
glaze, and the counter tops are granite. For the floors, they chose
hardwood, which matches the rest of the house.
The new kitchen features maple cabinets with an autumn glaze,
granite counter tops and hardwood floors. The far end of the
kitchen contains a wine chest, as well as a desk and file drawer. |
The process was not nearly as onerous as they anticipated. Even
the building permit application wasn't traumatic. "It was a
real easy submission, cost less than $250 and was real straightforward.
We set up an appointment in a day," he adds, noting that "it's
not an intimidating process."
As for the future, the Villalbas figure it will be a while before
they can do major remodeling. "Our new kitchen will be a little
down the road, but we have a good idea of what we have to deal with,"
Louis adds.
E-mail Carol Blitzer at cblitzer@paweekly.com
| Design
challenge/goal of project: Create a more practical,
living/working kitchen
Unexpected problems/issues:
None, but contractor noticed speakers wired to outside, suggested
wiring kitchen
Year home built:
1922
Size of home:
1,600 sq. ft.; kitchen 619 sq. ft.
Time to complete:
3.5 weeks
Cost: $41,000 |
Resources:
Contractor: John Beeley, Kitchen Tune-up and JB Builders, Palo Alto;
(650) 323-7786 |
