THE NOT SO BIG HOUSEThe challenge was making a 1936 rock cottage with a meager 1,000 square feet into something livable. The original kitchen was the size of a closet. It was so small that the refrigerator had to go in the hall. The screened porch in the back had been converted into a nondescript room in the 1960s that had a flat leaky roof and termites.In a nutshell, here is what we did. We tore out the existing kitchen and converted that space into part of the living room. We demolished the nondescript room and rebuilt it on a slab so that it would support a second story. The nondescript room became the kitchen and utility room. The upstairs became a master bedroom, bath, and office alcove.In the kitchen, since the floors in the living room are oak, the walls are knotty pine, and the ceiling shiplap, we selected a very dark matte finish on the cabinets so that they would stand out from the rest of the wood in the house. The color and finish turned out beautiful on the Brookhaven knotty cherry that we used throughout the house. The stainless steel washer and dryer are part of the kitchen and go nicely with the other appliances. We put Saltillo tile countertops with decorative Talavera tile inserts. We planned a 15 inch space above the wall cabinets to display some Talavera plates. Above and below cabinet lighting add to the overall ambience of the room. Since we dont have an eating area, we use the kitchen island to seat up to six. The pull out drawers, pantry, Lazy Susans, spice drawers and utensil drawers make efficient use of space and motion. We even have a tilt out drawer under the sink to store my dish scrubbers. My trim carpenter installed the bottom cabinet molding backwards, but it still looks great! We made the mistake of ordering a side-by-side counter depth refrigerator. We lost valuable storage space with the double doors and would have been better off with a single door refrigerator. Well just have to live with that for now.Upstairs, we used the same Brookhaven knotty cherry cabinets with a matte ebony finish. These cabinets integrate well into the vintage rustic look and feel of the home. We carved an office out of the wall in the master bedroom creating an alcove by flanking the desk with bookshelves. Large iron gates close off the desk giving me some mental and physical separation from my office since its in my bedroom.The master bath has Saltillo tile countertops and Talavera sinks installed in the Brookhaven knotty cherry cabinets. We love the soft close doors and drawers. The hammered copper knobs go well with the bronze faucets and other hardware in the bathroom.Now, a few things about the support at Cabinets and Designs and why you should select them as your cabinet designers. The job went like clockwork. Cabinets and Designs made it so easy. No surprises. The cabinets came in on time. My salesman, David, came out to the job site several times. He measured the space while under construction to plan, then measured again before ordering, and then came out again when the cabinets were delivered to review installation instructions with the builder. David shared his experience and expertise to make the best possible use of my space for what was important to me. Now we have a bigger not so big house with the kitchen and bath of my dreams in it. It is so beautiful and the neighbors are so jealous.Thank you!