A dishwasher drawer system allowed the remodelers to drop the countertop 2 inches from the standard 36. The shallow sink, with retractable doors underneath, allows John to slip underneath and lets him look out the window, which fell from 45 inches off the ground to 34. All cabinets and pantry doors have barrel hinges, allowing 180 degrees of swing, well beyond the typical 90 degrees, to allow for ease of use. Remote controls power a skylight, its mini-blinds, and ceiling fans.
The microwave is at a height easily operated from a wheelchair, and the cooktop also has space underneath so John can cook. The stove hood fan switch is under the countertop.
Elsewhere in the house, switches, outlets, and thermostat heights were placed where John can easily reach and see — no periscope required.
Daughter Kerry, a Hollywood sound editor, provided the Bentleys with a system they installed throughout the house so John, a Cubs fan, can turn on a game and listen in any room.
A NEW FAN Replacing the plumbing allowed installation of a Vanguard system, which has a home run from each valve to each fixture. This means if John finds a leak, he can go into the manifold closet and turn off the water with an easy clip of a line.
Some features, like the fireplace and the exterior chimney and entryway, were made for purely aesthetic reasons. Cultured Stone replaced the “slump stone,” or adobe brick, of the mantel and the exterior chimney. Ten Craftsman colors accentuate the design.
One feature that isn’t Craftsman-inspired is the 12-inch-square Mexican paver tile throughout the house, easier for John to navigate, versus fighting carpet pile. The pavers posed one of the job’s challenges. Because of removed walls and the reconfigured floor plan, additional tile was needed. The Bent-leys took a few existing tiles 187 miles north to the original manufacturer in Lodi, Calif., and picked through about 600 pieces to find 150 tiles that were a close match. “The Bent-leys are total perfectionists,” John says. “That is something else. Nobody would do that.”
Life has changed for the Carmeans. “John now can cook, he can access the microwave,” Lori Bentley says, “He’s always offering you something — ‘Can I get you a glass of water, heat it up for tea?’”
The results fit nicely with her goal of remodeling for clients for life — “not just looking at the tip of your nose but the whole picture,” Lori says. “So when we do another project, we’re not tearing out work we’ve done. We really do remodel for life.”
A nice footnote to the story is that the Carmeans just became grandparents, with their daughter, Kerry, giving birth to a baby girl, Sophie, on Oct. 26. “And just like the fire, I was one of the first people they told,” Lori Bentley says. “It makes me feel good.”