3818 N. Borthwick (The Fred)

Occasionally we stray from the 1911 Craftsman style of the building. The kitchen has some of this going on, with the glass and aluminum upper and blue-grey lacquered lower cabinets.

The main wall of cabinets was new in 2005. Full-extension drawers are deep enough to swallow your biggest pots and pans. The upper cabinets are 39" high. We installed a microwave cabinet and some pull out wire baskets. The double sink has an integrated drainboard and pull-out sprayer faucet. The gas range and side-by-side fridge (with ice-maker and chilled, filtered water dispenser in the door) and dishwasher were new in 2005. The countertops are beech butcher block.

The original built-in sideboard and pantry cabinets have new polished-nickel hardware, fresh paint, a new cutting board and butcher block countertop. The sideboard has the original tip-out grain bins, perfect for your recycling or sacks of pet food. The floor-to-ceiling pantry cabinet is 2' deep (did they have Costco in 1911?).

The kitchen is roomy enough (14' by 10') for a small table and chairs under the windows. Lighting is a low voltage halogen wire system on a dimmer and there are also under-cabinet halogen task lights. The floors are paint fir.