Pullout workspace is a concept that works in any room
Pullout furniture is both vintage and cutting edge. The old-school breadboard is the grandmother of the ubiquitous cutting board we see in houses today. Any kitchen designed in the 1930s, '40s or '50s always had one or two wooden pullouts that were built into the cabinets and generally positioned between the countertop and an upper box drawer.
But even today I see modern kitchens with cutting boards of all sizes that are made of lightweight, nonporous materials. We stick them in slots and store them in drawers.
If you still have an old cutting board in your kitchen, you may realize how awkward it can be to use after so many years of wear. Even when they were new, built-in wooden cutting boards weren't easy to handle because of the weight of the wood. I recall that people usually didn't go to the effort of using it just to cut a slice of bread or make a sandwich. And I have to admit I never really enjoyed using one because it was just too easy to get crumbs all over the floor. You could always tell how tidy the lady of the house was by whether or not you found crumbs when pulling out that cutting tray!
But let's fast-forward to the here and now. A hidden workspace is a nifty aid in a space-challenged home.
There are numerous ways to incorporate a pullout surface to increase your efficiency in any room. It can also become a design feature in a modern home. For example, you can install a pullout surface in a nightstand to hold a hot cup of coffee. You won't have to awkwardly turn to the side to reach something on your nightstand because the extension will be within reach.
I've seen built-in beds that have pullout surfaces built right into the bed frame just below the mattress.
The featured extension in this photo pulls out from the cabinetry and offers a bit of additional space for a casual bar surface. You could even stack dessert plates or cocktail napkins on it. While eating dinner, the shelf might even hold a large salad bowl for a host or hostess to access easily during the meal.
Consider a pullout surface on steroids. If designed as a feature of custom kitchen cabinets, a sturdy breadboard could suffice as a mini-breakfast bar. You may find some good-quality European materials and hardware to create fold-down legs for added stability. With that same hardware, you could create a thick butcher block to use for baking; it will be plenty strong to knead bread or roll out pie dough.
Think of the myriad ways this concept could be used in a motor home or a boat. It's a space saver with endless uses.
If you Google the term, you'll learn that a breadboard is a constructed base used for prototyping electronics. But search for old-fashioned breadboards and you'll find pictures of all kinds of portable slabs of wood used for baking in the past.
When designing a standing workstation for your home, a pullout ledge to rest your laptop on can be the very thing that marries modern technology with an old concept. After all, pullout keyboard trays built into desks is based on the same concept.
A breadboard surface can also be used in a small bathroom with limited counter space to hold hair care products or makeup. Or put one in a small laundry room, and if it's built well, you can use it as a folding station for clean clothes.
• Christine Brun is a San Diego-based interior designer and the author of "Small Space Living." Send questions and comments to her by email at christinebrun@sbcglobal.net.
© 2016, Creators Syndicate