When I was only 7 years old my mother and I began to frequent a place called “Pack Rat” it was a huge warehouse of salvaged building materials. Things from remodels that worked perfectly fine but were no longer of use to the previous owner. This treasure-trove of inexpensive cabinets, windows, doors, knobs and many, many, other things, became my playground. We were lucky enough to stumble upon a huge set, 60 of them to be exact, of matching upper and lower cabinets for the small price of $650. To those that have ever bought cabinets, that’s a HUGE deal!
And so my story begins. For the average eight year old, this would be of no interest, but for me it was an adventure. A challenge was given to me, to place these cabinets in a predetermined space, make them function for the kitchen workload, and minimize the 2in. slant of the floor. Of course I was not alone in this challenge but my mother did let me take control when I wanted. It was weeks before we finally decided the layout that would become permanent.
The final room was of Spanish/Mediterranean inspiration. We hid that slant with a cleverly placed “lazy susan” cabinet and made specific work zones along the rather lengthy kitchen expanse. The red travertine tiles on the floor enhanced the soft red tones of the cabinets. We added sparkle and modernism with a slick black granite countertop and stainless steal appliances. A cute country window above the sink brought in wonderful light and a splash of nature. Under cabinet lights illuminated workspaces while two iron chandeliers warmed the rest of the room. Later we added an old butcher-block island, which gave just the right touch of country atmosphere.
As I look back at this room I am struck by it cohesive design. The majority of the materials we used were found on accident. A miss-marked box of tiles lead to the flooring, remnant granite choose our countertop and a few home fixes gave us the matching chandeliers, which were in no working order when we literally tripped over them in a junkyard. All these things could have easily been looked over for something new and different. But, the old is what we wanted, the old is what made this room a success.
This room is my marker for when I began to design. I had made suggestions prior to this, pointed out things I thought were pretty, done quick sketches of what I had in my head, but nothing fully mine ever came into existence. That is, until this room, it was mine, my mother trusted me enough to give me final say. I loved every minute of working in that space, and scavenging for materials. It was the thing I loved to do most, and the love has stuck with me to this day. I look at things now and think about how they could be used differently than intended, how I might be able to integrate them in a unique way.
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