The home kitchen is the woman’s workshop-the hub of countless household activities. Here the housewife must be able to store foods, both refrigerated and not, keep on hand cooking equipment and eating utensils, perform the many steps involved in preparation of wholesome meals. The luxury kitchen with well-designed built-in features is indeed the housewife's joy.

This luxury kitchen project is designed to show how wall and floor space, so often wasted in old, poorly-de-signed kitchens, can be utilized efficiently for step- saving convenience. The built-in cabinets are within easy reach and have ample storage space. The cabinet knobs and drawer pulls are kept to a minimum for easy cleaning. The cabinet doors are held closed by interior fasteners that open with the pressure of a finger.

The wood paneling of this luxury kitchen is Nakora plywood, a darker form of the ash wood family, finished in brownish gray. Other hardwood veneer plywoods may be used, depending on the desired grain-pattern and shade, The sliding doors in the center top cabinet are of Abaca-Straw Acrylite, a plastic laminate made by baking a straw mat between two layers of plastic. If preferred, the sliding doors may be made of glass or wood.

The counter top in this luxury kitchen is a Micarta Unitop, which can be mitered and cut to size when ordered from a lumber dealer or any local U.S. Plywood Co. branch. If you prefer, your counter top can be made of 25"-wide plywood sheets topped with a plastic laminate. The back and side walls are finished in Corbrik, a cork material which simulates a brick surface and is applied like wallpaper. If you don't care for the brick motif, plastic-coated wallpaper may be used or matching paint applied.

The built-in range and wall oven are of stainless steel, matching the steel drawer pulls, piano hinges and light-fixture metal. Because the area of this luxury kitchen was so small, the wall oven was placed out on the floor facing at right there is more room in which to work, the wall oven may be placed against the wall next to the range, as shown in the floor plan.

Lighting of this luxury kitchen is provided by four Globe fixtures No. G.620 which enable the housewife to spot-light her work area. The floor is covered with Gold Seal Nairon in matching mocha color. The American Standard mixer faucet has the one-handle feature which adds a modern touch and is easy to clean.

Other modern features in this luxury kitchen project are plastic drawers, utility door racks, a lazy Susan utensil shelf (in cabinet below wall oven), and convenient slide out shelves at the bottom of the back wall cabinet, with the range.

THE DROP CEILING of the built-in luxury kitchen is constructed first. Cut lengths of l"-by-3" spruce, or similar inexpensive wood, to fit distance across walls of your kitchen. Cut 8"-long cross strips. Assemble top and bottom frames first, using glue and W corrugated fasteners.

Mount corrugated fasteners slanted like a dovetail to prevent splitting wood. Turn completed frame upside down and drive a corrugated fastener into the center of each cross strip width.

Assemble drop ceiling units by mounting side cross strips between top and bottom frames, using glue and 8d coated nails. Keep all outside edges flush and square up each unit.

Mount drop ceiling units snug against wall and ceiling, driving 8d coated nails into studs. Wherever necessary, reinforcing blocks can be mounted on inside of frames. Again, all units must be level and flush.

Floor plan of luxury kitchen, showing alternate location of wall oven (at left), if space is available.

Cover the entire drop ceiling with Vi" plywood, using 3d coated nails. Putty all cracks and joints. Surface may be finished naturally, painted or covered with wallpaper. The author used wallpaper in this project.

Fig. A. Front view of kitchen back-wall cabinet.

TO MAKE BACK WALL CABINET for your luxury kitchen, draw a full-size lay- 7 out on wall, using dimensions shown in Fig. A. The layout will aid in visualizing and checking proportions of cabinet. Then cut pieces of ¾" plywood to dimensions of layout.

In cabinet top piece, cut two grooves for sliding doors, Grooves should be 1/2 deep, 5/16" wide and 5/16" in from front edge with 1/4" space between. Then, in bottom cabinet piece, cut grooves for bottom of sliding doors. These bottom grooves should be Vi" deep.

Taking the center partition (G), cut out ⅜"-by-¾" notch from back, inside surface just below where shelf F will meet partition G. Also, cut 2" notches in each end of back edge of G. This enables 2"-wide back supports to be flush with back edges. See pictures 11 and 12. Assemble right section of cabinet first, attaching sidepiece D to top piece A, bottom piece B and shelves E and F with glues and nails. Assemble left section, attaching shelves to left sidepiece C. Both sides (C and D) must extend 1¼" above top piece A.

Join both parts of cabinet together, using glue and 6d finishing nails. Countersink nails and putty holes with matching wood putty.

From ¾" plywood cut two pieces, 2" wide by 681/2" long, to be used as top and bottom back supports. Fit into notches and mount with glue and nails. Cut from 3/4" plywood, one piece, 2" wide by 395/8" long, and mount between G and D, fitting one end into nothing.

Mount 3/4"-by-l" strips between the long and short back supports of cabinet. This forms a frame in back of the right section of cabinet, in which a ¼ plywood back will be mounted next.

Turn entire unit over so front is facing up. Cut a ¾ 'piece of plywood 2" high and 70" long and mount on top front of cabinet so top is flush with top of sides. Then cut a ¼” piece of plywood 39¼” by 10” and insert in lower right section, fastening with No. 18 brads to back strips.

To make hinged cabinet doors, cut two pieces of ¾” plywood to size shown in Fig. A. Place them in cabinet opening to make sure they fit. Cover outside edges of doors with matching wood trim.

FOR PIANO HINGE ASSEMBLY in your luxury kitchen, on the inside surface of the outside edge of each door, make a notch which will equal half the thickness of the piano hinge barrel, And be as wide as the hinge flange.
 
With a marking gauge, scribe the hinge width to cabinet side and vertical partition. This is to line up hinge

Attach doors, driving 3/4” screws into edges and ⅝” screws into doors, when mounting doors.

Mount touch latches to the under surface of second shelf, following manufacturer’s instructions.

To make slide-out shelves for your luxury kitchen, first cut five pieces of solid Wood, ¾” by 1” by 12”, to be used as guide strips for shelves. Mount ½” “L” metal pieces as shown in Detail A, page 14. Turn cabinet upside down. Attach guide strips to cabinet bottom, using glue and 1½” No. 12 flathead screws.

Cut four slide-out shelves from ¾ plywood to widths according to distances between guide strips. Cut grooves in center of both side edges of each slide-out shelf. Grooves should run entire length of side edges and the width and depth of grooves are determined by the type of “L” metal guides used. So, the shelves are almost ready to serve at your luxury kitchen, just a few steps remained to finish them.

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