Open Kitchen – Page 6

Kitchen Cabinets, Part 1

Published on December 17, 2014January 20, 2015 by Our Humble Abode7 Comments

During our last kitchen renovation, I shared how we built our cabinets. Over the weekend, Ben built every drawer, 9 total, for the island. We’ve made a few changes while building our new cabinets, so I’m giving the scoop now. To get as much detail as possible, I’m sharing how he built the boxes and drawers now. Once we finish the fronts, I’ll discuss the materials and process for those.

As he finished each drawer, I sanded the tops and sides smooth for clear coat. Four days later, here’s our island, ready for install.

The right stack are for either side of the stove. On the left are the shorter cabinets the cook top will rest on. Originally, we planned to put the trash under the sink again, but started discussing and agreed it is better under the stove. With a half width drawer under, if someone is cooking, it’s easy enough to scoot to the side to throw something away. At the sink, you have to step all the way over, stopping what you are doing. So, that’s why there’s only one drawer in the lower box.

Our bathroom vanity was a trial run of sorts for the kitchen cabinet process. All boxes are constructed with 3/4 inch thick, double-sided melamine coated particle board. Melamine is ideal for wet or potentially wet areas such as kitchens. Box assembly is otherwise the same as before.

One big change we made is the drawer material. Last time we used 3/4 inch plywood. It’s sturdy, but everything we can get now is a lower grade. Low grade plywood warps easier, which can skew the drawer. We also didn’t want to fill ugly edges. This time around, we went with 3/4 inch thick poplar for the sides and 1/2 inch double-sided melamine for drawer bottoms. Using a dado bit in the table saw, Ben cut a 1/2 inch wide by 3/8 inch deep groove a half-inch from the bottom.

He repeated this process for both sides and the front. The backs are an inch shorter and are glued directly to the drawer base. A bead of glue inside the groove holds the base in place. Each side slips in over, nailing the corners for added strength.

After the three sides are in place, Ben runs a line of glue on the base and side corners before sliding the back in. A few more nails and the drawer is assembled. That’s when I get to start working. I used 220 grit paper to sand the top edges and sides smooths, paying extra attention to the joints. Before sealing, I quickly vacuum off dust. To keep the melamine base clean, I taped off the edges before applying two coats of clear water based poly.

One really great advantage of building our own cabinets is tailoring them to our needs. For instance, the drawer heights are perfect for us. We always prefer three drawers over a shorter stack of four.

Before we start building drawers, I measure a bunch of items to decide the minimum height for each drawer. I tell Ben what I need the usable space to be. To accommodate tall pots, leaving a little breathing room, our bottom drawer inside space is 11 inches tall. Our top drawer can be no shorter than 4 1/2 inches inside to store our spice drawers. Middle drawers are always the remaining space. Knowing my measurements and that the bottom and glides take up 1 inch, Ben knows where to attach the glides.

Another big difference this go around are the drawer glides. Last time, we didn’t want to sacrifice drawer height, so we used side mount glides. With a bigger kitchen, we are less concerned about that and chose Blum soft close, under mount glides.

Comparatively, these puppies are not cheap. About $17 per pair versus $6 for the same size. We made our island deeper than standard, 31 inches, to leave space between the cooktop and bar. Longer pairs cost $45 each. That’s 405 dollars in drawer glides for just the island! Even with the price tag, after using these in the bathroom, neither of us would go back to the old style. These are the cats pajamas. Seriously, full extension, 100 pound heavy-duty rating, quiet, and smooth.

With the slide installed, he secures clips to the under side of each drawer. That’s the orange thing you see in the above photo.

These clips are the only thing physically holding the drawer to the glide.

Did I mention these glides are tucked completely underneath, hidden out of sight.

That’s all we can do on cabinets until we get everything set in the kitchen. Then we add the face frames, drawer fronts, and hardware. We’re nailing down those details soon.

We also made unexpected progress on the countertops over the weekend. Hoping to get pricing and see our options, we popped in a local marble and granite supplier. I said I preferred a dark, matte to satin finish stone. The owner showed us really beautiful leathered granite and a gorgeous soap stone remnant pile. After talking it over with him, he made us an offer we couldn’t refuse: 100 bucks for six soap stone pieces. Three are more than enough for our kitchen, so we loaded it up that day. Because soap stone is on the soft side, it’s easy to cut and polish at home. Ben’s no stranger to working with stone counters, so we’re thrilled. Right now, the slabs are stacked together, with the backs facing out. But, I can’t wait to share more!

Our rule is to have everything on site and ready for install before anything gets ripped out. Slowly, things are coming in. Flooring, a new door, and the sink should arrive soon. It can’t get here soon enough. Almost daily, Ben threatens to tear things out.

Dependant Pendants

Published on December 11, 2014January 20, 2015 by Our Humble Abode20 Comments

We’re making progress with the kitchen. All cabinet boxes are built, except the sink which we’re waiting to build until we have a sink in hand. As of now, half of the basement is cabinet shells, stacked tetris style.

For appliances, we’re only missing our sink. The current dishwasher and refrigerator are staying. A gorgeous 48 inch cook top, stainless vent hood insert, and stacked double ovens are hanging out, waiting for a permanent home.

What we expected to be easy, has become a search: finding the perfect sink. Knowing we loved the last custom-made sink (as well as our bathroom shower pan and counter by the same fabricator), we started there. Unfortunately, their rates have almost tripled to complete our design. Much like Duran Duran, we’re on the hunt. And hungry like the wolf.

In the interim, Ben is starting drawer assembly and we’re waiting for our new sliding door to arrive. Nitty gritty details are being discussed and planned regularly. Lighting is the most recent debate. After several discussions, I think we’ve settled it. The smaller white dots represent recessed cans and the black show pendants.

I quite like these small pendants at Home Depot. Directing the lighting down should make the bar area feel cozier, and won’t blind people in other rooms.

Sleek glass pendants are my back up, if we feel the black attract too much attention.

Then I start second guessing whether I want pendants or not. We need a vent hood, and the wider cook top needs a larger fan. But, with the cook top in the island, that vent hood takes up a fair amount of space. Visually and literally. The plan is to box around it as simply and minimally as possible. Perhaps similar to this, but in the middle of the room.

See more farmhouse kitchen designs

This white with wood band is really stunning, too.

Farmhouse Kitchen by Quakertown Design-Build Firms Sullivan Building & Design Group

I’m not sure if I’ll like the look of the big hood and smaller pendant combo. Especially when the lights are less than two feet from the boxing. I’ve searched for inspiration, but most island set ups have either pendants or a vent hood. Not both. Few that do, have pendants to the sides, not over a bar, like this:

Contemporary Kitchen by Mountain View General Contractors Harrell Remodeling

Any ideas, suggestions, or pictures you have to help decide?

Kitchen Planning

Published on December 2, 2014January 20, 2015 by Our Humble Abode6 Comments

It seems fitting this is our 1,000th post. We’re talking kitchens, which was the only full, real-time remodel we shared from our last house. Living in this kitchen for the past 2 1/2 years has made us realize what we like and dislike about the layout. Using our last kitchen as a guide, we have a better idea of what we’re getting into. We also know more about materials we’d prefer. Here’s a reminder of our current layout and design.

Here’s a scaled layout of the space:

It’s a long room, 29 feet from the family room to the pool house door and 13 feet wide. Big and totally workable, with three different work zones inside. The main kitchen, a breakfast nook, and my office.

From the office, you can go to the pool house. If you do a 180 spin, you’ll see a large bay of cabinets we use as a pantry and large item storage. Small appliances, large dishes, and such.

While the kitchen looks (and is) large, the layout of cabinets aren’t the most functional or well planned. Several cabinets are essentially filler. Like this large corner cabinet that doesn’t do much beside hold Ben’s cheap wine collection:

Or our giant cabinet housing only a trash can.

I like the idea of this vertically divided cabinet, but we could get away with only half like this:

We’re also not in love with the fridge next to the oven combo. Especially with the built-in microwave space above. Our tiny microwave doesn’t help the look either.

The 3 foot space between the island and perimeter is frustrating, too. When the oven and/or dishwasher are open, it’s a maze. Add someone at the sink and it’s really cramped.

Given those dislikes, we’ve come up with a new plan. It includes all drawer lowers, which we greatly miss from our last kitchen. Here’s what we’ve got in mind:

Most appliances are staying in the same location; refrigerator, sink, dishwasher, and cooktop. We’ll swing a double wall oven around the corner, turning the wasted space into a shallow walk-in type pantry. A pocket door means one less door swing to accommodate.

To get more working room, we’re moving the island another foot away from the perimeter cabinets. Across from the island, we’re going to widen the doorway, matching the width of the adjacent dining room. Because we’re losing the big pantry bay, we’ll add in a smaller cabinet to house the microwave and other small appliances. My office will also get a different layout, nixing the L shape to the corner. In place, we’ll widen the pool house door to match the other sliding doors we’ve installed. Our plan is to use the same tile throughout the two spaces, for a seamless flow. I’ll talk more about the design elements when we get more nailed down. We’ve already started building cabinets, so hopefully we can demo before the new year.

Two Year Check Up

Published on May 5, 2014May 5, 2014 by Our Humble Abode10 Comments

This month marks two years of living at this house. Like last year, I’m taking you on a room by room tour to show you the changes. Here’s the plain entry the day we closed:

Recently, we installed a tongue and groove accent wall, new front door and window, modern light, giant Longhorns and cute art.

We now have a bright, light filled happy space we’re not ashamed of. Especially because this is the first impression. We still have to replace the uneven, stained tile and railing, but this space is nearly complete. The living room had great potential, but it felt too traditional for us.

Much of this room is still subject to change, but it’s functional and more ‘us.’ Painted light gray walls modernize it, while still feeling warm.

Coffee table plans are in the works, and I want to find a new rug and chairs. Art, too.

But the modern twist on a rustic/Western style is coming together. The newly finished sofa is perfect in here.

Hopefully a leather sofa will replace this one, but it serves the purpose until then.

Our dining room has seen some progress, but it’s not looking so hot these days. Though it really didn’t look to great when we bought this place either.

A window replaced the door, and we’ve got one sheetrock-less wall while we deal with electrical changes.

One of the least changed rooms is the kitchen. Maybe this winter we’ll have some updates to tackle.

Aside from removing wallpaper and painting, no action going on in here.

In the adjacent family room, we’ve refaced the fireplace, added an insert, built shelves for a little nook, painted the walls a soft beige.

This room is one of my favorite places to relax and enjoy the back yard views and wildlife.

Our first remodel here, the main bathroom, was a full tear out. Though it was one of the most recently updated spaces, the dark, showerless layout didn’t work for our two young boys or guests.

Replacing the tub with a tub/shower, it now functions for kids and adults.

Across the hall, the small guest room was very dark. North facing, small window, and a wall of 70’s oak shelving sucked the light and life out.

A new egress window lets in more light while the white shelves and happy yellow walls add cheer.

A beige box of boring wasn’t really a happy place for two little boys.

After asking for their suggestions, I scraped off the popcorn ceiling, painted the walls a pear green, and filled the room with color and kid friendly decor.

The master was completely opposite from the boys’ room starting point with obnoxiously bright blue walls.

So far, I’ve only painted over the shocking blue. Soon, we’ll get new windows.

The biggest interior project from the past 365 days is the master bathroom remodel. It was a dated yellow and red room of yuck.

Now, its our updated sanctuary complete with a walnut vanity, clawfoot tub, and pretty slate and marble tile.

A few big inside changes, but our landscaping saw the most attention last year. I’ll get to that in another post. We’ve been adding plants and greenery!

Sometimes, progress feels like it moves slower than a turtle, even though we’re most often working on something. It’s nice to look back to see just how much we really have done; to be reminded of our excitement at closing. And look back at the ugly and plain space we inherited.

Going for the Gold

Published on August 16, 2013August 16, 2013 by Our Humble Abode7 Comments

Hey there, everyone and happy Friday! After a week of sick kids (and now I’m getting the same cold) I’m really ready for a weekend. While the boys have napped, I’ve worked several gold items into our house. Some serve a purpose and others are face lifted items we already had. Here’s one that is super useful to me:

A stump, slit cut in the side (using a hack saw), then gilded with Antique Gold Rub’n Buff.

Is now a handy recipe card holder in the kitchen. But it can also display a picture or store recent important receipts or coupons.

While I had the Rub’n Buff out, I used it on a plain white tray. Eyeballing it, I taped off a design and used a scrap of old t-shirt to buff gold over the rest.

Hello fun little tray!

I shall use you to control our remotes.

Because I couldn’t stop there, (addicting much?) I covered over the flourescent orange ends of this little timer. They boys got a few from the dentist, so one is living on the guest room bookshelves.

Odd, I’m developing an hour-glass collection. Perhaps to go along with my recently discovered owl turned doorstop group.

After my Rub’n Buff binge, I moved on to gold spray paint. Because why not? I used most of the can for another project. Rather than store the little left, I sprayed this little succulent planter:

And my perpetual calendar box.

Five rooms got a touch of gold in the past week. Midas touch, I’ve got it. Ha. What’s your latest addiction? Gilding everything in sight? Hour-glasses? Owls?