Kitchen Remodel – Our Custom Cabinets

Things are really starting to move along here, so I thought it was an update worth sharing – cabinet installation!  If you’ve been following along, you know this has been a long, drawn out process, but the end is in sight!  I think … I don’t want to jinx myself.  Our fridge is already now delayed until September.  But back to the good stuff – the custom cabinets!  

They’re installed – most of them. We have some cabinets that are going to sit on top of the counters, so those will go in after the countertops are installed.  Which is today.  This is one area where I had some good luck.  My countertop guy told me to call him when I had a cabinet installation date, and he would get me on their schedule, and turn them around in a week.  Given all of the delays that we’ve experienced so far, I was skeptical to say the least.  But they are delivering on that promise.  I consider it a huge win because I’m hearing stories of it taking 2-3 weeks to schedule someone to come out and measure, and then another 2-3 weeks for the countertops to be fabricated and installed.  While I may have drawn the short stick on appliances, we hit the countertop jackpot.

The Plan

Let’s get to the main event, shall we?  If you’ll remember, this is the inspiration look that we had going at the outset of the kitchen remodel.  The colors may not register well here, but the perimeter cabinets are in Benjamin Moore’s Pashmina, and the island is Sherwin Williams’ Inkwell.  Countertops are honed Blanco Superiore quartzite.

I have long loved European inspired kitchens like those from Humphrey Munson, so I really wanted inset cabinets in this remodel.  I love the clean, classic look of them, and we’re incorporating some furniture looks with the molding in some areas as well.  Let’s take a peek at where things are now, shall we?  Just bear in mind that it’s a work in progress.  Lots of pieces to fall in place.

A Note on Custom Cabinets

We originally started with a kitchen design shop, and got a quote for semi-custom cabinets.  This is my first remodel, but the quote we got for semi-custom seemed kind of high, and if you wanted to go custom through them, the price would go up another 20%.  Since this is such a big investment, I did some research, and ended up talking to a local cabinet guy (who actually has the shop next door to me).  Started working with him, and found that we could get custom cabinets for the same price as semi-custom.  Suffice to say, it pays to shop around.  We got all sorts of custom features, and the cabinets are fitted perfectly for our home.  I’m never moving.

 

The Island

I struggled with whether or not to have an enclosed island, or an island with legs, and I’m really happy that I opted to go with the legs.  I feel like it’s a more casual vibe, which is what I want, since everything is so open now.  Plus, we’re not formal people, we don’t live in a formal house, nor do we live a formal life. 😉  Extra storage on the bar stool side of the island is going to be great for seasonal items and things we don’t use that often.

To give you some perspective on the changes in here, let’s take a look at where it all began.  Honestly, it’s hard to remember how it used to be, now that it’s coming together now.

Depending on the light, sometimes the perimeter cabinets read a little greenish, and I’m not sure how I feel about it.  But, I’m not going to pass judgment until it’s all completed.  But it’s sure difficult when you see every little piece of a project come together one step at a time.

I am really happy with the features that we’ve included in the cabinetry though.  My favorite so far is the area where the microwave and coffee maker will be.  So pretty, so hidden.

Changing the Functionality

The breakfast nook area is going to be repurposed as well.  Like I’ve said before, we rarely used it, and still have a large dining room right by the kitchen, so it seemed like a waste of space.  I think it will get a lot more use with the new setup.

We got rid of that niche, and will be adding more cabinets and some floating shelves over here.  And can we talk about the chairs? I cruise Everything But The House ever now and then, and stumbled upon these as part of a sale from a model home.  They couldn’t be more perfect for the space!

Lots of good things still to come, but I’m really happy with the progress so far.  Having even a partial cabinet installation complete feels monumental. Fingers crossed that the countertop installation goes according to plan.  The guy that came out to measure was really knowledgeable and meticulous, so I’m feeling confident that things will go well.  Really excited to see countertops in place – from an aesthetic and a functional point of view!

If you want to catch up on the planning and inspiration for this remodel, check out these posts:

Kitchen Remodel Plan and Inspiration
Kitchen Remodel Demo
Lighting Ideas

Jenny