Il Etait Une Fois/Cuisine Champetre - News, articles and cooperation

After operating a store specializing in antiques and reproductions for 5-6 years I began to get more and more requests to make kitchen cabinets out of solid pine and to create distressed finishes for them.
After calculating the costs I realized that not only were the prices competitive with kitchen cabinets made from melamine but in many cases they were actually cheaper to buy !

My first creations were made as individual pieces much as kitchens were used 150 yrs ago. Kitchens in past centuries were furnished with armoires, tables and a few specialty items such as a butcher's block or a baker's table. Aside from a purpose built counter to house the sink, all the furniture could be readily moved around and changed according to whim. Tired of seeing that armoire you use as a pntry in the kitchen ? Move it to a bedroom and use it to put your sweaters and t shirts in. Some women absolutely love this idea because they can have a totally new kitchen every few years by simply moving some pieces around and adding another piece here or there. A modern modular design using age old concepts of what is required to have a functional and practical kitchen.

Most modern day kitchens are based on a relatively mundane concept. There is always an L-shaped counter with a sink just underneath a window. On both sides of the window are cabinets hung from the wall at a height of 18 inches. A stove is usually housed after the L with another 2 foot section of counter then the refrigerator and another 2 foot section of counter. A taller pantry is often at either end of the L shaped counter. In the past 35 yrs or so, a free standing island counter has become popular. Some of these may contain a small sink or even a counter top stove. Another popular accessory is to have a 12 inch over hang on one side which is used as a lunch counter for quick snacks. Nothing new here !

My designs usually start out with a 6 or 7 foot counter with a sink and the dishwasher. This counter may contain a row of drawers in lieu of the typical drawers over a door design. I usually make the top most drawer 7 inches deep and the 2 below it at least 14 inches deep to stow pots and taller objects. In the corner on one side is a windowed armoire about 6 feet high to store dishes and glasses. On the other end of the kitchen I may use a step-back armoire as a pantry. The top portion being not as deep as the bottom half can stock canned goods as well as smaller boxes (rice,soup mixes etc) and the deeper bottom section is used for larger boxes such as cereal and bags of sugar and flour.

For a center island I have used a few different antiques as well as a more traditional structure with drawers and doors. The most striking of these antiques was a very old cabinet makers bench complete with wooden vises on 2 ends little cubby holes originally used to store nails and screws but now can house almost anything be it decorative or mundane such as flour or sugar canisters.

A large butcher's block is also a popular for a center island as one can cut on it without damaging knives and you don't have to worry about marking the top while cutting. It already has years of use and any marks you may inflict upon it only add to it's charm.

I am often asked why hand made and finished kitchen cabinets cost less or comparably to mass produced cabinets made from melamine or stratified wood. The answer is quite simple. Most kitchen cabinet retailers are gouging the customers and often enticing them with options of dubious need. Spice racks on tracks, hinges that self close once the door is almost shut and other gadgets that not only raise the prices but also the profit the merchant makes.

Do you really need a cabinet door that shuts off the light in the kitchen, lowers the thermostat and puts the cat out all in one go ?
Some of my designs can be seen on my newly created site here:

http://cuisinechampetre.ca/