Know of good hardware sources for fold-up tables and chairs?
I came across these original kitchen built-ins in an attic in-law tastily rehabbed by master designer/builder Alan Jencks of Berkeley. These fold-down seats and table were prefab elements widely available in the 1930s and ’40s for compact kitchens in apartments and in-law suites. Given the premium on space these days, installing such built-ins seems like an obvious and profitable offering for builders.
But who sells the slide-and-stop hardware needed to make them work? In my 2011 book, In-laws, Outlaws and Granny Flats, I listed www.rockler.com and www.hafele.com/us for hardware, but there’s got to be more. If you know of other specialty hardware sources, please post them in a Comment below.
In the mean time, thanks to Alan Jencks and the hundreds of master builders and designers who contributed tips and techniques to my new book, Renovation 4th Edition. Its 614 pages included thousands of field-tested tips, 250+ illustrations and roughly 1,000 photos taken on job sites. I hope you find it useful. –Mike
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Fold-down seats and tables were prefab elements widely available in the 1930s and '40s, and they'd be welcome in today's space-conserving designs. In-laws, Outlaws and Granny Flats
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Renovation 4th Edition offers thousands of practical tips from master builders and designers across North America.
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Attic, garage & basement conversions; bump-outs, carve-outs and backyard cottages. More than 200 crisp color photos, to-scale floor plans, 30 case histories. Click here for photo portfolio.
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Mike, you may be interested in checking out the furniture at Resource Furniture (www.resourcefurniture.com). Although this isn't the low/lower cost answer as the 30s-40s approach was, it might become a part of tomorrow's solution when the NYC small apartment project gets built (Recource will be supplying the built-in furniture.)
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