Luna Kitchen
This unique situation required a careful design response. The dilapidated wooden cabinetry was completely infested by roaches and rats. The elderly owner was unable to clean the surfaces nor locate goods in the rat-nest clutter. The budget was just above zero.
Thus, we fabricated the cabinets from five modified shopping carts.
Why? The open frames disable pest inhabitation by exposing every crevice. Simultaneously the frames put the food on display for ease of location. The *free* cart frames allowed the budget to be used elsewhere, mostly in the fine cork tile flooring. The entire project budget came in under $600, the owner cooked from then on, and the rats are gone!
The design utilized all parts of the cart. Cart-basket tops are sliced and used for upper cabinets. Cart seat was transformed into a shelf or folded and welded into a dish rack. Existing MDF counter pieces are wrapped in sheet metal and re-used.
The savings through these design decisions allowed the budget for a nice finished cork-flooring, which is made of natural tree bark - Nature's original insect-resistant material.
Although most materials were found or re-used, the kitchen maintains a clean aesthetic - though not for appearance, but for the elderly resident to maneuver and utilize his new kitchen. When the kitchen was finally finished, he actually cooked for the first time in 3 years!
Photography by Ryan Hartsell Photography