Kitchen Cabinets

I can't believe I am writing these words.

Our kitchen cabinets are installed.

I know.  I know.  It's unbelievable - at least for us. In 2 days our kitchen cabinets went from this...

to something actually tangible.  Something you could place your hands, not just your imagination, on... something...REAL.

We shopped around for quite awhile for our cabinets.  We had a number of custom cabinet shops quote our kitchen in a contemporary or "European" style.  And we looked at a few online shops that construct and ship cabinets based on framing dimensions.  But in the end went with the Ikea system.  We just couldn't beat the quality, the extensive number of options and the cost.  They really have the kitchen product figured out.  Ikea also offers an online design tool that allows one to layout the entire kitchen (everything from door handles to appliances).  Roberta and I literally designed over a dozen kitchen layouts.  The software generates warnings if you do something impossible, or outside of general install  recommendations, and produces a bill of materials and cost.  Catch them during one of the 20% kitchen sales and you have everything you need make a new kitchen happen.

As for our install -  it was a 3 day whirlwind.  We hired a 2 man crew to come in an install everything per our design and they didn't mess around.  By lunchtime cabinets were assembled and going up.

They started with the wall cabinets.  We designed them to be flush with the ceiling in 2 rows.  We don't have much storage space in this house so we maximized cabinets space.  The pony wall will provide the back support of the island base cabinets and support the large counter top.

The wall cabinets went up without much drama, but we ran into a problem with the island cabinets.  The plumbing stubs in the foundation didn't align with the sink and dishwasher layout we planned.  One option was to have the plumbers move the plumbing, the other was to redesign the base cabinets in the island to accommodate the plumbing.  We chose to change our cabinet selection.

Initially we had the dishwasher (cabinet #7 above) to the right of the sink (cabinet #8).  But we had to move the dishwasher over to where cabinet #9 was and put a 36" cabinet on the right side of the sink.  The problem was this placed the sink left of center.  So we had to change some other cabinet widths to get it aligned.  If the sink is centered on the island then it will be inline with the cook-top and be centered with the rear picture window.  This all sounds like gobbledygook, but it worked.  I was able to pick up the new cabinets in a day and install continued.

Gavin had an orthodontist appointment that day, so he got to skip a bit of school and visit the kitchen with Bert.  He is standing in front of the kitchen as it was after day one.

The installers marked the back of the pony wall with the size and location of the revised cabinets so no one would get confused.

On the second day the base cabinets were installed and the drawer and door panels were attached.  We used Abstract Gray for the all of the base cabinets, and the wall cabinets are Abstract White.  Each panel comes with a thick protective plastic film laminated to the surface to protect it from dirt and scuffing so you can't see the true color until we remove it.

There was one unresolved problem the installers helped us overcome.  The island is 11 feet long, and code requires we have 2 electrical receptacles somewhere along the span.  We are planning to install a flat counter top with waterfall sides and really don't want to cut openings in the slab for receptacles.  Our idea was to build some false panels on the front  of the island at either end to host the receptacles.  Our installer immediately understand the idea and signed up for the job.  I had to supply some finish grade plywood and electrical materials and he made it happen.

He cut a hole in the side of the cabinet base just below the drawer.  Then used the plywood to create and 4 inch extension of the cabinet on either end.  Using a piece of cabinet filler panel he was able to match the front of the faux cabinet to the cabinet doors.  When the counter top is installed it will conceal all of the plywood.  It looks like a factory finished option and we love it.

The appliances will go in in a couple of weeks.  Nothing exceptional happening there, but we did opt for a Microwave installed in the base cabinets to the left of the oven  (in case you were wondering what the 2 open cabinets were there for in the above photo).  The next update will be counter tops.  Thanks for stopping by.