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Suggestions please on resizing, installing salvaged cabinets

Deb Perry Studio

7 years ago

Hubby and I just bought an old lake house to renovate ourselves (empty nesters). The tiny kitchen is pretty disgusting and I can't even fully open the frig door or oven doors (pictures 1-3)! Having new cabinets installed are beyond our budget. So when I found these salvaged white, all-wood cabinets for $300 I snapped them up (picture 4). Of course, we have NO idea how to lay it out, resize or install - but we have courage and basic carpentry skills!

We plan to remove the partial wall (pictures 2-3), bump out about a foot for extra room, then build a solid wall up to ceiling beam (I don't want the kitchen open to the living room).

To save space, I want a side-by-side frig that's counter depth. I'd also love a wall oven and cooktop, but not sure if that's beyond our skill. We installed hickory floors in the living room and will run it into the kitchen (picture 4).

ANY ideas on layout or installation would be deeply appreciated! This is our biggest challenge! Thanks!

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Comments (5)

mama goose_gw zn6OH
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Welcome to Kitchens, Deb. If you can post a layout with the exact
measurements of the space available, along with a list of the cabinet
sizes, it will be much easier to help you. It looks as if you have some
HVAC issues, too, so let us know if that needs to stay. Do you want to
keep uppers over the range? Is that pantry space behind the kitchen? Do the appliances and plumbing need to stay
in current locations? Make sure to mark them on the layout.

If you
can't upload a layout, post the measurements, and I'll try to put them
on a graph for you. I've remodeled a kitchen using salvaged cabinets--it's time consuming, and sometimes frustrating, but rewarding to build a
functional kitchen with few $$$. Good luck!

P..S. I don't think you're going to need the corner susan. ;)
Deb Perry Studio thanked mama goose_gw zn6OH
User
7 years ago
What kind of woodworking tools do you own? You may need to remake some of the cabinets? What is your comfort level with a table saw?

Is the manufacturer still in business? Do they still make that door style? You may need to order more pieces.

You need the measured drawing of your space and a list of the cabinet sized that you have. It is like a giant game of Tetris. It will take quite a bit of time to figure out how to maximize the use of something that wasn't designed to fit the space.
Deb Perry Studio thanked User
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I do want to thank everyone for the great feedback and ideas. maureeninmd... yes I do love how cute my kitchen is and I know how close my cabs are to your old ones as I saw your pictures. And thank you for clearly stating my options and scenarios and the warnings about demolition issues. hestia_flames..yes I know all about that. I actually did the blue paint job that is on them now and whereever it chips which is especially on the edges of the interior shelves it freaks me because I don't doubt there is lead paint involved...I am sure it is on the plaster of my walls too. The chipping and repainting issues do make me want to demo the sink run, uppers and lowers. bmorepanic... I am coming round more and more to your point of view. Yes, I agree about keeping the range as far away as possible from the dining room. Right now my wall oven door opens down direclty in front of the dining room entrance and I always feel I am cooking right in the dining room. That is really awful when I have guests and they get to see all the last minute panics in the oven area. I have only about 63" to play with and so a single cabinet to the right of the range would be good. growlery...I am glad you like my blue box.. I could never demo that I am so attached to it! Yes, the rest of my house is simple but I think on the elegant side...I do love the simple kitchen look and right now I don't feel it is NOT country looking which I like. BTW I did not do the blue tile - it was there and I did the cabinets blue to tie in. The more I think about all this the more I think that I will not be happy really unless I demo all the cabinets except the blue box and install new. Now I need to figure out what to replace them with! I love the all white look but cannot run to inset doors. I also like the look of the shaker style doors that are not full overly and also have the lipped inset. I wonder if I could do something like those. I am not sure I would want to get quarter sawn oak uppers... too heavy and too mission looking for me. I want to keep the feel of what I have now but with new cabinets! I feel scope creep coming on but thank you all for you advice. Tina
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Deb Perry Studio
Original Author
7 years ago
Thank so much for trying to help! The bad news is that once we got the cabinets home, we realized that our skills aren't good enough and we don't have the right tools for fine carpentry work. But, the good news is that hubby plans to install them in his garage for much needed storage and counter space. So, it was still a good purchase. Just back to square one on kitchen planning. But thanks again!
practigal
7 years ago
I bought a used kitchen that I knew would fit (smaller cabinets). I also bought graph paper and marked off the kitchen including water and gas access and made little cutouts of the cabinets and appliances. Then I spent several hours pushing the cutouts around the graph paper. When I was done, an experienced carpenter installed all. One who understood that older houses may not have flat walls and 90 degree angles and knew how to make things look right anyway. I am very handy but I would still hire someone for the installation....
Deb Perry Studio thanked practigal
CEFreeman_GW DC/MD Burbs 7b/8a
7 years ago
I've probably bought 3 used kitchens, when I add in all the individual cabinets I've found in places you'd never believe! It only TAKES rudimentary skills to install cabinets. I'm here to tell 'ya, it's not brain surgery.
I've reconstructed a few. 39" into stacked cabs. I cut up 30" to make an w2118. cabinet.

Since I had no choice but to do it myself, I kept reminding myself that most of the cabinets I didn't pay more than $30. That was a pricey cabinet for me. So hack away. You've got nothing to lose -- particularly if the manufacturer still makes that door!
Deb Perry Studio thanked CEFreeman_GW DC/MD Burbs 7b/8a

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