Simple Kitchen Makeover Continued

From a Boring Apartment Galley To a Classy and Inviting Kitchen Continued

Phase Two to a great looking apartment kitchen - assess the potential for false exposed beam-work.

An initial look at the structure of my kitchen reveals that my cabinets don't extend to the ceiling, and beams can be placed above the cabinets without conflicting with the two fluorescent fixtures. I then measure the span above the cabinets at three points - front, center and back, just to be sure the beams would fit. Apartments have one other 'great' predominate feature -- sometimes the walls, doors and cabinets aren't always squared, so please take a little extra time to be sure of the measurements.

Phase Three and Four to a classy apartment kitchen - exposed beams and stained glass to boot.

With those measurements across the two sets of cabinets, I'm off to my local home improvement / lumberyard. One of the great things about this upgrade is that you don't need to be a carpenter or even own a table saw. Most lumberyards will do cuts for you.

The timber beams have now been placed

The home improvement store I went to also sold empty picture frames and the artistic window film. What's that? Window film is a thin, flexible vinyl sheet that self-adheres without adhesives to the interior of a smooth window. When an image is illuminated with daylight or room light, the resulting effect is similar to a stained glass window, and come in a variety of artistic decorations like landscapes, Frank Lloyd Wright stained glass or even flowers. In my case, I wanted the look of a Frank Lloyd Wright stained glass panel. If you aren't familiar with the product, here is one maker of this great product (Artscape of Portland Oregon (www.artscape-inc.com)).

The picture frame and the beams. The convenient thing about these window films lie in your ability to just peel them off when you no longer want them or when you are changing the 'scene.' The vinyl sticks to the window or picture frame glass by static, and they look great. Most window film is applied to your window with water, and removal is easy by simply peeling it off the glass (it also leaves no residue).
Back at home, I placed the three beams on top of my cabinets, adjusting them in spacing to match the width of my picture frames -- but only as a spot-check. I still need to lift the beams off the cabinets a little to create a more realistic 'exposed beam' feel. I used some scrap wood pieces to lift the beams a couple of inches from the top of the cabinets, but anything can be used for that since no one will ever likely look way up above your cabinets anyway, right? Remember to watch out for light fixture distance and the placement of your panes.
Using a level helps get the beams to looking just right, but you should remember that exposed beams don't always have to be parallel to the floor. Many great beam styles have a decent slant, usually with the lowest end toward the outside wall.

Two words of safety about the beams -- I did not secure my beams to the walls because I know I won't be banging into them or hanging off them as I did when I was a kid (yes, I loved hanging off the beams at home, driving my mother to distraction). Even if I bumped them for some reason, the beams go from wall to wall and won't fall on me. If you are concerned with this, your home improvement store can show you some simple brackets that will allow you to attach the beams to your walls securely and safely.
Lastly, ask your home improvement person about types of beams. I used plain pressure treated 4x4 beams, but some have arsenic or other chemical treatments too, and need to be handled safely.

From a Boring Apartment Galley To a Classy and Inviting Kitchen Continued Next Page.............