My kitchen remodel

[Duane N]

I bought my home in 1998...I got it for cheap because it was long over-do for improvements..it was built in 1964.  I pretty much gutted the house except for the bedrooms and front room.  New roof, windows, bathrooms, sheetrock, trim, doors, re-finished the Oak hardwood floors and added a 300 sq/ft addition with a wrap around deck.

I had the kitchen gutted when I decided to re-finance but my bank said the house was un-livable because there wasn't a kitchen so I had to throw up the cheapest cabinets and countertops I could find.  16 years later I'm tired of looking at the temporary kitchen so the new kitchen is in the works. 


I'm building the kitchen cabinets because I refuse to pay 11K for cabinets from the local Lowes that I want.  The doors and face frames will be made from the Willow Oak I had cut down and milled into usable lumber over a year ago. 

I figure it's going to take me over a year to complete this project...I'm in no rush and live alone so I have no one to answer to. 


Day one.

[attachment=16325]

Day two.

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[jteneyck]

When you're done you'll have exactly what you want and have saved a lot of money in the process.  Being under no time deadline should allow you to do a bang up job.  

What's the new kitchen going to look like?  Got a sketch?  I'm always interested in seeing what others have in mind.  And is that beadboard on the ceiling?  Very cool.  

John

[museumguy]

I install factory made kitchen cabinets for a living. I hate the huge lack of quality in the boxes that I install. People pay a lot of money for junk in my opinion. I've always wanted to build my own kitchen, finances never allowed. I think that you made a very wise decision, you'll be able to sit back and know that each cabinet is well built, installed correctly and will last a lot longer. Pus, you get exactly what you want.

I will be watching this with admiration.

[Roly]

The biggest problem was how much room building cabinets take up.   Unless you have a very large shop you will be moving them in and out. Finishing was also a problem as I had to carry them up and  down stairs to get to garage.  I did all the base cabinets then the wall cabinets to be able to cut multiple pieces with the same tool settings.  Since I would be installing them my self I made a french cleat system to hold them up while I fastened them to the studs. Take your time and don't wreck out too much before getting some cabinets ready.  Also remember what looks straight and level may not be level.    Some of the cabinet manufactures list all the dimensions of their various cabinets, use this as a basis to customize yours.   Roly

[Duane N]

When you're done you'll have exactly what you want and have saved a lot of money in the process.  Being under no time deadline should allow you to do a bang up job.  

What's the new kitchen going to look like?  Got a sketch?  I'm always interested in seeing what others have in mind.  And is that beadboard on the ceiling?  Very cool.  

John

I'll upload a sketch I did 16 years ago but it's going to change.  I used a book where you pick out the sizes of the cabinets and that's how I designed the kitchen but now that I'm making my own I'm going to change things as I go.

I install factory made kitchen cabinets for a living. I hate the huge lack of quality in the boxes that I install. People pay a lot of money for junk in my opinion. I've always wanted to build my own kitchen, finances never allowed. I think that you made a very wise decision, you'll be able to sit back and know that each cabinet is well built, installed correctly and will last a lot longer. Pus, you get exactly what you want.

I will be watching this with admiration.

I saw the cabinets at Lowes and they were the next level down from the highest priced ones and I didn't like how they were made so I know what you're saying.

The biggest problem was how much room building cabinets take up.   Unless you have a very large shop you will be moving them in and out. Finishing was also a problem as I had to carry them up and  down stairs to get to garage.  I did all the base cabinets then the wall cabinets to be able to cut multiple pieces with the same tool settings.  Since I would be installing them my self I made a french cleat system to hold them up while I fastened them to the studs. Take your time and don't wreck out too much before getting some cabinets ready.  Also remember what looks straight and level may not be level.    Some of the cabinet manufactures list all the dimensions of their various cabinets, use this as a basis to customize yours.   Roly

I have a 300 sq/ft addition right off the kitchen that will be storage for the cabinets as I build them and a staging area for the plywood.  I want to do as much to the plywood as I can with each cabinet so I'm not constantly setting saws/tools up for just one cabinet.  I wish I had a full blown shop but I don't at the moment.

[Stwood_]

Nice start......You keeping the same arrangement, or will it change?

Beadboard on the ceiling. I like that. Was that just 4x8 paneling, then painted?

[Roly]

Nice start......You keeping the same arrangement, or will it change?

Beadboard on the ceiling. I like that. Was that just 4x8 paneling, then painted?

 Are you iced in Stwood ?    Roly

[Stwood_]

 Are you iced in Stwood ?    Roly

Not totally. But not planning to go out in this stuff either.

Just house to shop....shop to house.

[Duane N]

Demo is the quick part.

[attachment=16346]

My cabinet design but it's changing a little bit.

[attachment=16345]


And yes, it's a painted Pine beadboard ceiling...1 X 4 I think.

[toolmiser]

You must install an island, every kitchen remodel on tv has one installed whether it works or not.

Good luck, I made our own cabinets about 8 years ago. It took me at least six months. I am very proud of the end result. Father in Law home sawed the cherry. I finished with Boiled linseed oil with Waterlox topcoat. I used wild grain for the door panels. I don't know if I saved a dime after tools, plywood for the boxes, etc, End product is much better though.