A downtown condo galley, rebuilt to the ceiling
104 square feet, one exterior wall, a building with a two-hour elevator window and strict quiet hours. Full-height cabinetry recovered 22 linear feet of storage.
- Small kitchen
- 7 weeks on site
- $34,000 to $41,000
What the owners asked for
A retired couple downsizing from a four-bedroom in Nakoma into a condo with a kitchen a third the size. They cook seriously and had no intention of stopping.
Nothing structural was permitted by the building, so every gain had to come from planning rather than demolition.
Scope of work
- Upper cabinets extended from 30 inches to full ceiling height
- All base cabinets rebuilt as full-extension drawers
- Refrigerator recessed 4 inches into a furred-out wall cavity
- Appliance garage built into the corner that previously held a lazy susan
- Under-cabinet and in-cabinet lighting on separate dimmers
- Building coordination: elevator windows, quiet hours, protected common corridors
Drag to see what changed
The before photo is the room as we found it on survey day. The after photo is the handover shoot.
More case studies
- Layout change
- No walls moved. Uppers taken to the ceiling, lowers converted to drawers, fridge recessed into a furred wall.
- Timeline
- 7 weeks on site
- Budget band
- $34,000 to $41,000 (sample range)
- House
- 2008 condominium
What it is made of
- Cabinetry
- Inset paint-grade maple, Oat
- Countertops
- Engineered quartz, honed finish
- Backsplash
- Handmade 2x8 ceramic, stacked bond
- Hardware
- Brushed nickel knurled knobs
- Flooring
- Existing engineered plank retained
Every delivery through one elevator
The building allowed a single two-hour freight window on weekday mornings. We staged all cabinetry at the shop, pre-assembled what we could and delivered in three scheduled loads. Not one window was missed, and the neighbors never filed a complaint.
What changed for the owners
- Storage capacity up by roughly 22 linear feet of shelf
- Every lower cabinet now a drawer, no kneeling
- Counter run increased by 14 inches by recessing the fridge
- Finished two days ahead of the contract date
We downsized the house, not the cooking. There is more usable storage in this galley than in the kitchen we left.
Bring a photo of your kitchen. Leave with a real number.
Ninety minutes, no charge, no obligation. Door samples go home with you the same day.
Showroom on Atwood Avenue, Tue to Fri 9 to 5 and Sat 10 to 3.