# Kitchen & Cabinets complete!! (Before and After shots)



## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

Well, I started the cabinets in April of '12, finished them by November of '12. Because of the holidays, we didn't demo until after the new year. Now, in the middle of July, we are done!! This was all mostly weekends and maybe a few nights, here and there, as I sometimes work late, and a lot over nights out of town. I had it almost finished a month or so ago, just had the bottom right cabinet to make, after everything else was in place, and trim. But the kitchen is finished. Still have a little trim and what-nots in the living room. As you can tell from the "before" shot, this was long overdue!! 

Also put up a pic of a new paper towel holder I made. The top part I purchased (no lathe) from Lowes.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

most excellent...
even the towel holder...


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## denniswoody (Dec 11, 2011)

Big job. Nicely done!.


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## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

Good job Lee!

So when is the wife going to get the new "Black" gas stove?


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## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

Thanks guys! Jim, we are contemplating that very thing. I'm thinking about trying to paint that one first. She likes gas, and she doesn't like the newer ones with the electronic ignition. She like the old pilot light stoves. We had to wait a few weeks to get this one in when we bought it a few years back. So I'm thinking about trying to paint this one instead. Has anyone attempted to paint a stove/oven? I've already looked it over, removing the top and the door fronts would be just a few screws. Sides are the same, if I wanted to do them too. I figure I'd scuff them up and use paint made for high heat, I should be ok.


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## berry (Oct 17, 2005)

Kitchens are a great project regardless of the time it takes. It looks like you replaced some lower cabinets with drawers. We did the same and love them. Drawers are much easier to use. Congrats on your knew kitchen. 

We agreed when we did ours that we'd purchase appliances only when the old one died.


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## richjh (Jan 14, 2013)

Lee, My gas stove has a baked on porcelain finish. There are places that can redo porcelain finish but I think it's expensive. 

I repainted my refrigerator black using Rustoleum appliance spray paint which I believe is an epoxy paint. I don't think it's rated for high heat though and not sure how well any paint would adhere to porcelain.

The kitchen looks fantastic.


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## billyjim (Feb 11, 2012)

Great job. The Missus should be very happy.


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## marecat3 (Nov 30, 2010)

WOW! great job


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## david_de (Jun 3, 2013)

The job really looks great. Time span is pretty fast too. For me it would probably be years instead of months. Probably why my wife will not let me attempt it, yet.

I have heard some people have taken their appliances to auto body shops to be painted. I am not sure how much difference their is. I never tried cooking with a car before.


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## OutoftheWoodwork (Oct 4, 2012)

Okay Lee, I'm gonna give you my address, and you can start tomorrow... deal? lol 

Amazing job!

Barb


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## fire65 (Oct 29, 2008)

That is some nice work. And as you said it was time. LOL, I have a custom cabinet shop and we still have reallly old cabinets in my house. Typical wood worker, I am to tired and I have to pay for them. Planning to redo mine this winter if work slows down. 
Anyway, you did a really nice job on layout and construction. Thanks for sharing.


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## darsev (Feb 3, 2012)

That is a big change, Lee. Is your wife happy now, or is she lining up other projects now that the kitchen has turned out so well?

Darryl


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## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

Thanks Bill & Berry. Yea the Wife is very happy. She loves the drawers over the cabinet that use to be there. It's her favorite part of the new kitchen.

Thanks Rich. Yea, I not to sure about painting the stove. I'll look into that some more before actually doing it. 

Thanks Mary. That's the general reply I get when most see them and I tell them that these are my very first cabinets that I ever made. They can't wait to see my next ones. I'm not so sure they will ever get that chance!! LOL

Thanks Dave. I think I'll talk the wife into a new one before I bring it in to an auto paint place!! ;o)

Thanks Barbara. But you'll have to wait in line with the rest of'em! LOL But I think I'll retire from cabinet building!! It started out as fun, but after the 3rd or 4th cabinet, it just became another job!! LOL

Thanks Fire65! I take that as a real compliment, coming from a professional cabinet maker!! And that's how it goes. I had a neighbor that was an auto mechanic, his and his wifes cars ran like hell and was always broke down!! 

Thanks Daryl, and yes she has a "to build list" and it's always growing.


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

Very nicely done, good job to stay in there to the end!


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## MartinW (Jun 26, 2013)

Lee, 

that's a really nice kitchen you built there. I won't show it to my wife yet, as I wouldn't be able to magic that time in place 

In regards to that white stove - cooking on gas = open flame is naturally hot.
The only spray paint I'd know of, that can stand it, would be the paint used for exhausts, e.g. of motobikes. To my knowledge it'd even have to be heated up to cure completely.
The reason I'd NOT use it, that enamel surface is surely WAY smoother and hence better to clean than any sprayed paint could be.
You might get it re-enameled in black (that used to be the favourite colour prior to white came up for stoves) - but if you plan any changes, I'd not use anything than porcelain or enamel finish for ease of cleaning

martin


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## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

Thanks Jerry and Martin. And Martin, (my wife would say) just like a man, I didn't think of the cleaning part!! LOL Don't think I'll paint it. We will probably just use it as is for now, and later on just buy a new one - Black!


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## MartinW (Jun 26, 2013)

Lee,

good idea.
And since we're using a built in gas stove from IKEA for years now (5 cooking areas, silver stainless steel), I can tell, that electric ignition system isn't too bad. Actually we really like it. One can still ignite in other ways, in case of a break of electrical power.
And the other good thing about that stove is, you can build the cabinet in whatever way you want, and the cooking area is set into the top like would any other cooking area.
Ok, no gas oven - but we opted for an electrical one with hot air circulation system anyway - so that was the optimal combination for us.

So maybe an alternative (for later) to a standalone, black gas stove, might be a cooking area to set into the top of a cabinet. Mostly these are available in stainless steel silver - but some providers have them in different colours, too. This could be combined with any oven to build into a cabinet, too.

Martin


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## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

*Closer look to some features.*

Here are some picks of a couple of things in more detail. 

The first pick shows a "dead space" between the stove and the corner cabinet. This was a little screw up on my part, that actually turned out for the best. All the cabinets but for the corner cabinet, I made my own plans, basically from the old cabinets. But the lower corner cabinet door use to be on a 45 degree face frame and door. Made it hard for this short person to reach for plates in the upper corner cabinet. So I used a plan that I found for an L-shape corner cabinet with bi-fold doors. But I could have adjusted those plans for the extra 4-5 inches I had to play with on the left side. But I didn't. So I had this dead space after installing my corner cabinet, and installing the stove back center with exhaust fan cabinet. Also, I knocked out the 10" or so spacing between the old cabinets and the ceiling and ran my cabinets all the way to the ceiling. So both the Wife and I needed a step stool to reach those suckers (which store things we don't use all the time). So this dead space became a place to keep the step stool, so we wouldn't have to go to the laundry room every time we/she wanted to get to the top shelf. Hence, no more dead space. First pick shows secret latter cabinet. Second pic is of it open, ready to grab a handy step stool.

3rd picture shows a towel rack I made inside the left cabinet door, under the sink. As you can see, I have yet to fill the screw holes. That will come very soon. 

4th picture shows the two "normally" fake drawer faces under the sink. 

5th pic shows no more fake drawers, but useable compartments. I found these special hinges and compartments either in a Lee Valley or Peach Tree magazines or somewhere. You can't see it, but the left compartment has a plastic finger, to put rings on while you are washing your dishes. Very cool, I thought. 

6th pic is a Nick-Nack shelf. I didn't like how the backsplash wasn't going to be center to the stove, if I cut it off at the exhaust fan cabinet. So I built this Nick-Nack shelf so that I could extend the backsplash, and have it all centered. My wife thought I was crazy, but that's just how I roll. Neat and centered... :agree: (The Christmas canisters, however colorful, will be replaced by gifts that our daughter is sending her mother for her birthday, next month. Knowing that she has three small shelves to fill.)

And the last pic, although nothing special these days, it is my wifes favorite of the whole remodel. She loves those big, full extension drawers, in place of the cabinet doors that were there before.


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## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

BTW, the step stool door, rolls out by means of two full extension drawer slides.


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## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

Lee,

Nice job on the remodel! I get started on something and then get side tracked. 

I replaced the counter top on our island and instead of the small prep sink it had I installed a large deep double sink and mounted it on a 4" riser. My wife and I are tall enough that it hurt our backs to stand and wash dishes bent over a regular counter top and and sink. Now both of us can wash dishes without killing ourselves. YES, I said both of us.

Now since you finally finished your kitchen I guess it's time for me to get busy on the rest of our kitchen.

Again, Nice Job!


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## Willway (Aug 16, 2012)

Great Job! Most all range tops are porcelain and there is no to make paint stick. I had the same problem with my wife not liking electronic ignition on the range. We wound up buying an Amana that has electronic oven and piezo electric igniters for the burners. The burners can still be lit with a match if the power is out, but not the oven.


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## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

Wow, don't know how I missed these last two replies. But thanks guys. 

Mike, I like what you did with the riser block. Not needed here though, especially in my case. I'm 5'2" and the wife 5'6". ;o)

Yea Dick, will even not attempt to paint it. Will do with what we have for now and buy a black one later on. 

I'm still getting orders, that I gracefully bow out of on building other peoples cabinets. Maybe with a larger work shop, and more free time, I would love to do it. But until I retire and build a larger shop, I won't be doing a complete set of cabinets again. I just can't wait till I'm completely finish and get to go do some fun things in the shop for a change. I am completely finished with all trim in the kitchen, but have a little left in the living room. about 30 feet of floor boards and some trim in the bay window and the attic opening that I moved from the living room to the hallway. Then after that is finish. I'd like to change a few doors in the hallways and on others change the out door frame trim. Change them all from white to stained to match the living room and kitchen doors. Then, after a serious brake from that. Remodel the front bath.


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## billyjim (Feb 11, 2012)

Great job. I like the floor too. Did you do that also


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## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

Thanks Bill! Yea, my son and I did the floors. Although they look like real stone, even walking on them, it's laminate. We had a party for my Mother-in-laws 75th, and boy did I get a swelled head for that party!! Compliments all a round! 



billyjim said:


> Great job. I like the floor too. Did you do that also


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