Will's refurbished cabinets circa Nov 2007

Will's refurbished cabinets circa Nov 2007
Originally uploaded by turbofan

OK,

well this is really an old photo, but I have been thinking a lot about re-use. I'm still working on finding a good photo of this project finished... Right now the poor thing is covered with ingredients of what will soon become bread and christmas cookies.

But lets talk reuse. The thing was free. I got it off www.twincitiesfreemarket.com it's funny that I actually got it from a college guidance counselor! Funny how small the world is (and how many people go to Hamline!)

So it DID take a bit of work. Lots of paint removal, lots of routing to fit in the little wine fridge. Thank god I am up to date on my tetanus shots! Part of the cabinet was a little.. well, rotten. so I ripped it off and put in a dishwasher.

I spent a lot of time on the drawer pulls. I used paint stripper and steel wool and got a cool brused effect out of them. Very Restoration Hardware. But it I had to do it all over I would have just simmered them in hot soapy water until the paint bubbled off. I have done that with hinges and other hardware recently. It's Way easier. LOVE IT!

Things to watch for in the updated photo:
-A way cool wooden end panel.. Made of maple to match the cabinets and oak to match the rest of the house.
-lots of stuff on the counter.
-no more white sticky on the stainless dishwasher

I do have to admit that I haven't attached everything yet.. I know that it's been over a year but here's why.
We've been working with a contractor for 6 months to add an upstairs bathroom. Part of the big project involves sinking a couple of new load bearing supports in the basement. So we are going to put in two additional and give the sagging floor a bit of a boost. It will even out the floor a little, and this project sits right on top of a sagging spot. I didn't want to get everything installed and then have to do it all over again when everything was straightened out.

besides, it works just fine right now... except that the dishwasher flips out a little bit when you open it all the way. oh well.

God that floor looks awful against the new shiny stuff. Guess I should put that on the punch list too :)