CODA projects

Refurbishment of a 1916 bungalow as the architect's own home.

The house had suffered greatly over the years from the previous owner's do-it-yourself improvements. The kitchen had been painted in a Rastafarian color scheme, with salvaged units and an oven that was home to a family of rats. The new kitchen is designed to complement the craftsman detailing of the house, with quarter-sawn oak cabinetry and worktops. 19th century Chinese window screens (from a local architectural salvage store) have been repurposed as overhead cupboards. These flank an 'apothecary' arrangement of food jars within an existing window opening, set against imperial red panel. The Chinese design motif continues with an antique Asian food cabinet in the adjacent lobby space, which provides overflow storage for kitchen equipment.

The design maximizes the use of space in this tiny galley arrangement, with a lighting design that offsets the interior location of the space.

Design: Matthew Higgins, CODA Projects LLC
Budget: $28,000.