January 5, 2009
A sneak peek at the “new” kitchen
Paul is almost through making the new cabinets for my kitchen. Actually, they’re not new cabinets - they’re new faces for the old cabinets. We used 3/4 inch birch veneer plywood which I stained with maple wood stain. The process was actaully quite easy. He used the old cabinet fronts as templates. The doors are the same size as the door openings when first cut. (The black thing is a “pigtail” for new under-cabinet lighting, already purchased and waiting to be installed.)
I sanded the cut edges and stained the pieces, and also stained the moldings that would be used for trim. Paul cut, fitted and installed the trim around each door so that it had a finished look and was about a half-inch larger in width and height than the opening.
I used Varathane Premium Wood Stain in Colonial Maple. Super easy to apply - just brush it on, wait a while and wipe it off. When it was dry I applied a paste wax to help preserve the finish.
We re-used the existing door and drawer hardware to assemble everything. The hinges show some wear but are perfectly functional. If I’d been staying in the house I’d probably have bought all new hardware. The cost for new ones would have been between $80 and $100 and I’m on a tight budget here, so we went with what we had. The ivory drawer pulls are some I had on hand, still in their original packaging. I think I found them in a box of hardware a friend dropped off when she was moving off-island.
One more cabinet to go, and this one will be all new construction. My washer and dryer used to sit in the alcove beneath the kitchen window. They were moved outside to my screened room when it was built, leaving a big, unfinished-looking space in the kitchen. There’s a capped gas pipe coming through the floor and a sheet-metal covered vent opening in the wall. We’ve installed a new countertop and Paul will build a cabinet under it. It will be shallow to allow knee room in case the new owners want to use it as a breakfast or homework space.
Paul started on the cabinets in September. Unfortunately, he doesn’t work often and when he does it’s only for short periods of time. I’m convinced that the kitcehn work could have been completed in a week or two by someone putting in “normal” work hours, but that’s not Paul’s style. Now I’ve got my fingers crossed and am fervently hoping he’ll finish up in the next week or so. Not holding my breath though, because, well … he’s Paul.
There is a flaw with his design. Can you spot it? He cut the first cabinet front with the grain running on the vertical. He “forgot” and placed the grain on the horizontal with the others. Nothing to be done about it now and I’m sincerely hoping it won’t be a sore point with prospective homebuyers!
[tags]cabinets, carpentry, home remodel, kitchen cabinets, kitchen upgrade[/tags]
Posted by skeet @ 1:56 pm • Home & Family
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January 5th, 2009 at 2:08 pm, corrin Says:
Those look really nice! You’re quite handy.
January 5th, 2009 at 6:50 pm, skeet Says:
Paul is the handy one, Corrin. I did some of the trim, but I’m afraid of big circular saws & let him do most of the work.
January 6th, 2009 at 5:42 pm, Laurie Says:
They look really pretty! I hope the new folks enjoy them.