Looking for Creative Layout Ideas

18 years ago

Yes, I already did my kitchen -- this is for a friend. She is a single parent with 2 children -- one has MD and is currently in ICU. She doesn't need to be worrying about this now, but I have seen new evidence of how bad her current situation is and want to look for ways to beg, plead, and otherwise haggle her a new kitchen.

Here are some considerations:

This has to be an extreme budget job, but it will have to include cabinets since some are broken, the sink base is rotted, they were site built and are likely to come apart rather than be moved.

Dead ovens are gas as is the cooktop. She'd like to replace both with a range.

She is short and hates the sink in the corner -- she can't reach behind it to clean

The stairway cuts across the entire pantry -- it is awkward and hard to use storage space.

The corner of the family room near the fridge was plumbed for a wet bar that was never put in -- but there is at least cold water supply there -- not sure if that wall to the side of the fridge is load bearing, but the idea of opening that wall up is appealing. The family room has wood panelling and the cost of dealing with that and the wall in general may not be possible.

The windows over the kitchen sink are short -- to the counter. The ones in the breakfast room come down low. Exterior brick wall makes changing any of them unlikely.

The shelves in the laundry area are freestanding and there are no cabinets on either side now. She is using some of them for food storage since the pantry is so limited and awkward.

Current kitchen flooring is linoleum over a concrete slab -- needs replacement.

Her son with MD is wheelchair bound and blind.

Here is a link that might be useful:

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Comments (9)

remodelfla
18 years ago
Where are you/she located? If in South Florida perhaps I have some stuff I can give you.
lascatx
Original Author
18 years ago
Thank you for the offer. Unfortunately, we are in Texas - north of Houston.
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rhome410
18 years ago
I'm bumping this, because this neighbor of yours has been on my mind and heart, Lascatx, and I'm hoping you'll get more responses. I didn't post anything when I first saw this, because I just didn't come up with any good answers, other than that like remodelfla, I wished we lived closer to be of some actual, physical labor type of help. I will post again if my mind lets loose of any helpful ideas, and meanwhile, like I said, I hope more will chime in.
backinthesaddle
18 years ago
Is Ikea a possibility? If youÂd be willing to handle all the planning, that would be a good way to present her with low cost, decent quality option without adding stress to her life. The kitchen planner would show the layout and cost so all sheÂd need to do is pick out her cabinets and find someone to install them. Plus, she could get it in pieces to spread the cost out over time.

I would get rid of the island because of the wheelchair and put in a mirror L-shaped counter in the wet bar area with a small peninsula and a pull-out pantry next to the fridge, or even some decent shelving. The DW and sink could move to the right to get it out of the corner. Flooring could be a nicer looking vinyl or maybe itÂs possible to just stain the concrete.

While IÂm not nearly in as tough as a position as she is, I do have 3 young children and it would be a hardship for me to be without a kitchen for long so we are doing it in phases. The first part will be putting the sink and DW in a new location so that I will have two of each, instead of none, for a while. If the main sink could be moved to the wet bar wall, she could eventually have a prep sink in the area of the current one.

Those are all the low cost, low impact ideas I have at the moment. I feel for her. We bought this house 3 1/2 years ago and the kitchen really needed an overhaul but itÂs tough think about to when you're under pressure. My twins were almost 3 when I realized our poorly laid out, falling apart kitchen was causing me stress and taking the plunge sooner rather than later would relieve some of it. This wonÂt be my dream kitchen but, mulling over details to get that seems like my worst nightmare right now. :)
Buehl
18 years ago
Bumping for the same reason RHome did.

Lascatx, are you still working on this?
PRO
User
18 years ago
The layout pic doesn't work for me.

I get this message:

"The specified image does not exist"
crnaskater
18 years ago
Is there a school for woodworking or design in the area? Sometimes the school will use a local home for their students. Also check with some carpenters in the area - I know mine frequently recycles kitchens he takes out to other needy people or donates them to Habitat for Humanity. Some of these carpenters have really great design skills and considering her situation, they may really want to help. Also locally we have a Senior Citizen Job Bank where retired people can be hired for small jobs and at very low rates. Just some thoughts to pass along for help in your area, I hope!

The layout link doesn't work. If you can try again, more people might be able to give you ideas.
rhome410
18 years ago
In addition to the great suggestions already given: The church we were members of in another town had an outreach program where they would do household improvements and upkeep for someone in the community, and were often looking for projects. The person they were helping didn't have to belong to the church, and usually didn't. Any possibility like that?
bellsrus
18 years ago
I don't remember seeing this post back in May. If there is still a need, I can ask my sister and BIL who live north of Houston whether their church might be able to help these people out somehow.

Patti