Roll With It

Photo: J. Savage Gibson

Equipped with a center island, commerical stainless steel appliances, and a double-sink unit, the industrial style chef's work center has everything except the cabinets.

"The owner wanted an open urbane kitchen that was very functional, super utilitarian and that would not obstruct the views of the woods and river outside," says designer/buuilder Chuck Ferguson, of the Meridian Company in Beaufort, South Carolina. "And he wanted a lot of flexibility."

So Ferguson and architect Charles Lanchanos, of Greenville, South Carolina put their heads together and came up with a low-budget design that really takes the toque.

Lachanos took advantage of the 14-foot- high walls and turned the 300 square foot spave int a loft like setting. By putting banks of windows on two walls, he complimented the architecture of the shingle-style house and ushered in the beuty of the 26 acre property on Coosaw Island.

Photo: J. Savage Gibson

"The biggest challenge was finding a storage system," says Lachanos, "With so many windows in this room, there was no place to put cabinets." Ferguson turned to a kitchen supply house and subsituted rolling stainless steel tables for fixed cabinets. One table constitutes the four foot square central island; others stand side by side, forming a countertop around the kitchen's perimeter. The tables were about $120 each, much less expensive than conventional cabinetry. "They all can be rolled around as needed," Ferguson says. "When the cool is working, they are moved together, and when people are eating in the kitchen, the island is pushed aside to set up a small table. Even the stove can be moved out a few inches from the wall."

Photo: J. Savage Gibson

To provide storage and give the tables a less sterile look, Ferguson specified drawer boxes of dovetailed mahogany, linked with maple that fit on the shelves of the worktables. The woody warmth complements the wide reclaimed Douglas Fir plands of the floor and the stucco fireplace.

Glass shelves over some of the windows form artistic perches for glassware and china, and industrial track lighting can be adjusted to shed light on individual workstations to suit the task at hand. A stand-up mahogany pantry, which Ferguson designed to match the table drawers, provides a conveniant spot for food storage

"This Design really shows off the kitchen equipment, and it fits in with the sculptural quality quality of the house," Lachanos says. "It's eco friendly because you're not using hardwoods or wasting trees on cabinetry."

And when the owner is ready to move, all he has to do is roll his kitchen into his new house and start cooking.

Cutting Cabinets Assembling a kitchen winthout cabinets amy seem radical, but designer/builder Charles Ferguson and architect Charles Lanchanos figured out a way.

Turning The Tables Ferguson effectively transformed restaraunt grade stainless steel tables into contemporary kitchen furniture by outfitting them with wooden boxes and drawers.

Wheel The Deal The fact that the stainless steel tables are on wheels lets the homeowner situate storage where he wants and move it out of the way when needed.

Look At Things Your Way Glass shelves provide storage without sacrificing light of the view and without adding visual bulk.

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