2015 Wood Diamond Award

Main Category: Kitchen
Sub Category: Face Frame
Dollar Amount: Under $25,000

What materials/species were used in this project/item?
Rustic Knotty Alder doors and frames. Maple Melamine interiors and cabinet boxes, European Steamed Beech dovetail drawer boxes. Artisan Shop Custom Color Sienna and Nightfall finish off the cabinets with a great two tone feel. Aventos HL Hinge on the appliance garage. Blum soft close hinges and slides throughout. Blum Tip On trash pull out in the island.

Describe, in detail, the project/item’s construction.
This kitchen was born from disaster. In September of 2013, the state of Colorado experienced massive flooding, and this home was nearly demolished when the Big Thompson River overflowed its banks. Once the waters receded this home was filled with mud and debris, and was quite nearly a total loss. The home was stripped down to the studs and restoration began. While the foundation was still solid, the ground had shifted underneath it and the entire home un-level. The contractors who handled the walls, floor and drywall did their best, but sections of the home, especially in the kitchen and dining area were over 5° off of plumb, which made installing the cabinets interesting to say the least.
The Homeowner came to us in the spring of 2014 and presented us with the project. He wanted a unique island, something that would be a visual representation of foundation of the home standing strong through the flood. To this end we created a small island with a small round sandstone top to symbolize the home rising from the water.
The Homeowner also wanted to incorporate a laundry room into the existing structure, but was uncertain where to put it. We were able to create a combination Home Bar – Laundry Room by building a large cabinet to enclose his front loading washer and dryer. They are hidden when not in use by a pair of Pocket Doors which recess fully into the cabinet when open. To make the upper cabinets accessible, we framed out the wall to bring the cabinets more forward. We then included an open space to the right of the washer and dryer cabinet to enclose a wine and beverage chiller.

What is the most unusual aspect or outstanding characteristic of this entry?
The extreme out of level conditions in the home presented unique challenges, especially in making the Pocket Doors on the Laundry/Bar. Additionally this caused problems when trying to make our cabinets, which were level, appear to line up with the ceiling and soffits which were not. This required some inventive solutions on-site by our installers. The result is a house which looks level, with level cabinets but whose floors and ceilings are not.

List any items that were outsourced.
The granite countertops were produced by Stoneworks of Colorado. The Sandstone island top was locally sourced and finished by us. Appliances were provided by the client. All boxes, drawers, doors, drawer fronts were produced in house.

How being a member of the CMA has benefited you and/or your business.
As members of the CMA, we hope to leverage the knowledge base of other members, as well as share our extensive experience in cabinetry and fine woodworking with others in our industry. The CMA forum is a great resource to share experiences, technical knowhow and make contact with other craftsmen in our vast, but tight knit woodworking community.