Westwood Kitchen

A client called me months ago and said that a frozen pipe burst in their home just days before Christmas. I arrived to a scene that no family (or contractor, for that matter) wants to see — not only was there flood damage which was thankfully already mitigated, but the plaster and lathe ceiling that crumbled away revealed ceiling joists that were notched out by over two-thirds some years ago by a plumber who failed to take structural consequences into account. Before the renovation even began, it would be necessary to install new ceiling joists to provide proper support for the bathroom floor directly above the kitchen.

Existing portions of the original coffered ceilings were still intact, but the remaining sections would need removed to successfully install new joists and LVL’s (each end of the new joists needed to rest on each wall plate, or sill). The client requested to preserve as much of the historical integrity and original aesthetics of the home as possible, so we agreed to remove all sections and re-install new coffered ceilings around the entire perimeter of the kitchen.

So, we went to work.

First, all salvageable door casing and window trim was saved and labeled. Next, the rest of all the walls and ceiling were demolished to the original studs before having electrical and plumbing installed.

After that, Dan templated the coffered ceilings exactly in their original form by using a piece of the old curved blocking. This was achieved simply by tracing the old blocks on new 3/4” pine boards and cutting then out with a jigsaw. The new blocks were nailed to the studs, new lathe was nailed to the blocks to create the curvature of the corner from wall to ceiling (see above).

From there, sections of 1/4” drywall with kerf cuts (many cuts made in the back of drywall or wood to allow the material to bend) were installed onto the lathe before the drywall was finished. This required a few generous coats of hot mud followed by skim coats, and lots of patience to achieve a smooth, curved finish.

Finally, the rest of the drywall was installed and finished, cabinets were installed, tile backsplash set, the trim back to its original places, and so on. There were several missing pieces of trim that were accidentally tossed, so red oak and stain-matched pieces were cut (plinth blocks, some casing; etc.) and installed.

All-in-all, the project flowed quite smoothly, and although there were some minor challenges, they were easily overcome with patience, teamwork and perseverance.

The client was thrilled, and left the team a fantastic five-star review.

Another successful project — and more importantly — a family that can call their home a home once again.