NB "Daniel"

"Daniel" 

 Daniel is a Dutch Barge style Narrowboat who's second galley is already nearing the end of its usefulness. 

 The chipboard base units and cupboards are becoming a bit soft and squidgy. There is a lot of wasted space next to the sink where the 240v fridge used to be, and in the service gap underneath and behind these house kitchen units. The tiles are starting to work off the walls in places, and plastic floor tiles cover the original laminate floor.

You have to lift the rear steps out of the way to open the fridge door... Time To bite the bullet and look under the sink. Surely it will be a nice easy job and i wont have to fiddle with the plumbing.....?

DOH!! First prize goes to the salesman on the plumbing counter who managed to flog more fittings than you'd need to plumb the QE2,.. and the sink still dosen't work! All washing up water has had to be emptied out of the side hatch for years as the sink simply wont drain. 
  The drip tray is essential... and the installation takes up most of the shelf space underneath. There is only one course of action!

 Stripping the lot out reveals the opportunity to finish the lining out, and the true extent of the blockage in the plug'ole!.... NICE! New 1 1/2 " skin fitting required here.

Blocked sinks are now a thing of the past... and you can also fit pans on the shelf underneath.


 Daniels owners' plans for the new galley are actually very detailed, and there's quite a lot to fit in. 

Making the most of such a small space usually means fiddling about with the sizes and shapes of the doors and drawers. We've gained 3 drawers and 2 doors in a bid increase storage and most importantly make it useful!

Colour's abound these days.... Cant beat a bit of "volcanic splash 2" to brighten up your life!
It certainly brightens up the new kitchen units which are made out of cheap but high quality ply and softwood. This method of construction suits boats for many reasons, Its quick... very strong and durable, and gives you total flexibility over the proportions making a bespoke project feasable for people who wouldn't normally consider one.

Finishing touches come together. Going for chunky handles and tiles makes sense as nothing else is flimsy in here! Diagonal floor tiling adds a layer of interest.

The 12v fridge door now opens all the way, and there's even good access to the new little cupboard next to it without having to lift the steps out.

Drawers at the back just clear the steps again. The cupboard underneath is a good cold food store for the winter months

 Refitted and ready for use "Daniels" new galley is good to go.

Fitted Bedroom

Poor Jack! He has outgrown his bedroom and now his furniture is overburdened with paraphenalia to the extent that the use of his playstation is impaired!

Jack's is a very small box room leaving just enough space with this arrangement for a mattress on the floor and little space to stand. His Parents commissioned me to design, build and fit new bedroom furniture to better suit his growing requirements.

By building from scratch i was able to offer under bed storage, and then utilise all of the existing wall space with bespoke shelving designed for a mixture of media, books and treasures.

Monobloc edges and a grey tinted wax oil result in a contemporary finish. Note the extra floor space available in the room.

 

Storage wraps round the room even continuing above the door. TV space is central to the base unit in the bottom right of this picture (above).

The bed fits a standard size single mattress. The shelves above allow just enough room to sit on the bed and get up without banging your head.

Optimised storage and clothes hanging space.

Prewired TV and playstation worshipping alcove provides a better line of sight to the screen from the playing position (presumably recumbant in bed). Good on you Jack, and remember to keep your stuff off the floor!

New LPG Hob

This is our new Lpg hob on nb"Barden". Although the Rayburn is still going strong providing all of our hot water and 90% of the cooking, sometimes you just want to quickly boil the kettle or knock up a quick pasta sauce for the poor starving crew! 

Nearly all gas appliances are fitted with flame failure devices these days making them suitable for use on boats. This has led to much greater choice for the boat owner, as well as reducing the upfront cost of the appliance. This two ring model is only 300mm wide leaving a small but very useful angled work surface in our galley. The tiling adds another dimension to the angles of the work surface to keep you interested when peeling onions!

Holiday cottage refurbishment

These kitchens in Plas y Wern holiday cottages were dated and in need of refurbishment.

Granary before

Granary after

Hayloft before

Hayloft after

Both kitchens had all of the doors and drawer fronts removed and painted. The base units were beyond repair so installing new ones gave me the chance to re-arrange the positions of the appliances. The worktops are new beech blockboard, as  are the appliances, sinks, taps and handles.