"It was a piece of cake to work with his expertise & design knowledge."

"It's a little on the urban side" says Sue Landry of Halifax. "It's definitely where I wanted to go with this."

Sue and her husband, Vance, met Charles a couple of years ago. The Landrys were shopping for "edgy" bathroom fixtures in Blockhouse at Nova Scotia Building Supplies - NSBS recommended Charles Lantz Cabinetry. Although he was unable to take on the job at the time, Sue and Vance liked Charles from the get-go.

When it came time to re-invent the kitchen, they knew who to call. "I had a long list of non-negotiables," she says. Sue wanted:

• Clean, smooth lines
• The colour grey, but not wood
• An accessible, but hidden pantry
• A peninsula that invited guests to relax over a glass of wine while she prepared the meal
• The pot rack to go, the pots to be hidden
• The peninsula to work with her laptop

Sue was confident in her choice of colour - a few months before the re-build, Vance painted the old cabinets grey. The investment of $25 and time spent was small in comparison to the certainty she felt in her choices.

She appreciated Charles' many suggestions. He found a place to store-and-hide the microwave when not in use (see the last row of photos). He centered the kitchen sink below the window and made the fridge's eight-inch overhang disappear into the cabinets.

He swapped the stove and the fridge which removed a barrier to the sitting area. Although the house was structurally sound, it was home to some "wonky" walls. The CLC crew took it in their stride without a hitch.

click photo for larger version

Photo left, shows the microwave ready for use, the next photos show it hidden from view. "It was a piece of cake to work with his expertise and design knowledge," says Sue Landry.