Easy circulation

Sometimes, the best solution, when faced with an awkward or inconveniently designed kitchen, may be to relocate it to a completely different part of the house.

The Modernist Eichler-designed home featured here had an outdated, cramped kitchen, which did not work well for the owners, especially with one often in a wheelchair. To resolve this problem, it was decided to move the kitchen to a much larger, but little-used, living room.

The owners wanted to retain the open, airy layout, glass walls, skylights and post-and-beam construction that are typical of an Eichler home, so these features have been incorporated in the design of the new kitchen.

Kitchen designer Deganit Albalak says the decision to relocate to a different part of the house provided a spacious area for a new kitchen, specifically designed to enable one owner to prepare meals from her wheelchair without making the space inconvenient for the other owner.

A large room with an open layout, wide aisles and a central island ensures an unobstructed circulation.

Countertops on part of the island and above the sink and cooktop have been lowered to a convenient height. Cabinets surrounding them are designed with knee spaces to ensure good access to the sink and cooktop. The kitchen includes a pull-out DishDrawer close to the sink, also selected because it is easy to use from a chair. The wall oven has a side-hinged door, and the microwave, also with a side opening door, is located on the end of the central island. The lowered section of the island provides a breakfast area or comfortable work surface, and recipe books are stored on open shelves at the other end of the island.

"Most lower drawers and cupboards are fitted with pull-out accessories to ensure their contents are easy to access," says Albalak.

"However, there are still plenty of high-level cupboards in the kitchen, as the owners wanted to make sure the space works for everyone," she says.

A credenza on the far side of the kitchen has glass doors, providing a display area for the owners' collection of china.

To create a contemporary look that matched the Eichler style of the rest of the house, the designer chose flat-panel cabinetry in a cherry wood veneer, and added splashes of color by finishing a random selection of the doors in red or light yellow lacquer.

Fluorescent lamps under upper cabinets illuminate preparation areas, while pendants add ambiance to the room.

In addition, skylights emphasize the home's Eichler heritage and allow extra natural light into the kitchen.

Story by: Mary Webb