Building DIY kitchen cabinets… *VIDEO*
INDEX OF ALL KITCHEN POSTS
INDEX OF ALL VIDEO POSTS
For centuries, I have wanted Paul to build the kitchen cabinets that live in my head… and he just, WOULD NOT.
His concern:
The customer is an overly-particular lunatic.
In pursuit of my overly-particular dream of perfection-and-lunacy, I got two estimates for custom kitchen cabinets; both were $13,000.
We are not people who spend $13,000 on anything… but if we were going to take temporary leave of our senses, it certainly wouldn’t be for BOXES.
It would be this.
OBVIOUSLY.
Anyway.
Cabinets.
Mid-range cabinets would’ve cost us under $7,000— that’s what Paul wanted.
I just was… no.
I refuse.
Bring me cardboard and duct tape and I will make the cabinets myself and then I can buy AT LEAST FORTYSEVEN GFT’S.*
*giant fancy things
The thing with me is that I can have ideal perfection.
Or a can of garbage.
I have zero interest in anything in-between.
Forever, I have TRIED TO EXPLAIN to Paul, the NO SENSE of spending SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS on something I DON’T WANT— arguing that since mid-range cabinets are ridiculously-expensive-boxes-of-non-ideal, we can skip striving for the conceptual utopia that lives in my head, and just go with five-dollars worth of wood that Paul hammers into something resembling a cube.
But Paul’s resistance has been SO STRONG— his concern: what he makes, will not be FACTORY PERFECT, and this will be problematic, RE: customer expectations.
I finally figured out the right amalgamation of words to convince him:
I want you to build the cabinets.
Exactly as you design them.
I will have no opinion.
All I will say is that they are fantastic.
I will choose the drawer fronts.
And I will find some other human to torture with my stain demands.
Other than that, I’M JUST HERE TO APPLAUD.
Was he skeptical?
lol.
Has this been CHALLENGING for me?
OMGYOUHAVENOIDEA.
View this post on Instagram
ANTIQUE GILT SCONCES ARE HERE.
New topic— crowdsourcing info on filtration
We currently have reverse osmosis water filtration… we are going to upgrade to a remineralizing system? Yes?
I am looking at two brands… both have good reviews but I cannot tell why the a significant price difference… does anyone have input?
1. $480– 600 GPD High Flow, Tankless, Reduce TDS, Compact, Alkaline Mineral PH, 1.5:1
2. $230– ROES-PH75 Essence Series Top Tier Alkaline Mineral pH+ 75 GPD 6-Stage
Ok! That’s it… we got our sample drawer stained!! So excited to show you!
Staci Torgerson
August 11, 2020 @ 8:48 am
I had to get a RO system about 2 yrs and did a ton of research. We finally went with this system and its been great. Just thought I’d share
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N2941T2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_qmPmFb6YZR863
Amber
November 23, 2022 @ 11:01 pm
Trash or ideal perfection. . . Never have I felt like someone understood me until now!!! You are my soul mate, lol. Nobody understands why I either shop second hand stores or the most expensive version of the things I can find. If I am going to pay full price for something, then I want it to be the best quality that there is!
Pat Coletta
August 11, 2020 @ 8:57 am
Like you, when we renovated our kitchen my husband said, “I’m NOT paying 23K for BOXES!!”. We found a place that imports solid wood cabinets and we’re really happy with them.
Pam Hoffman
August 11, 2020 @ 9:08 am
OMG, I need a Paul! You are so lucky … he is so talented!
No cat/kitty update?
Sherry
August 11, 2020 @ 9:09 am
Those cabinets are beautiful. Paul is a treasure!
Keith Moulin
August 11, 2020 @ 9:25 am
I’m bad at remembering things I find important at the moment. IF you happen to get a good response to your question posed today can you send out some sort of alert? If not, it’s okay. I’ll try to be an adult and look back. I want to know if there’s really a huge difference in quality as well between one product and the other. Thanks.
Cricket Miller
August 11, 2020 @ 9:27 am
Did you ever make a decision about the hidden induction cooktops? I’ve been holding off but will 100% be doing it when my ideal perfection is initiated.
Cheryl
August 11, 2020 @ 9:29 am
Both of the remineralizing systems you linked have predetermined faucets… And sadly none of the available options are antique brass wall mounted bridge faucets.
Lisa Smith
August 11, 2020 @ 9:30 am
Can’t WAIT to see more of your amazing house!
Brittany
August 11, 2020 @ 9:33 am
I feel like Paul saying his boxes would not be “factory-perfect” is a false statement. They will be lovely! Your in-progress shot with the mirror and sconces is so pretty!
molly
August 11, 2020 @ 9:34 am
I would love to see a tutorial from Paul about building those cabinets!
Leah
August 15, 2020 @ 2:57 pm
Agreed! Please?!??
At least one post — several would be even better!. He doesn’t have to be funny. He can write it like it’s a badge requirement in the boy scout handbook if that’s easier.
I am also an overly particular lunatic. And, I have been thinking about making my own boxes for a while now. I would love to know what he did!
Martha Foss
November 22, 2022 @ 3:52 pm
Glad you are back but I can’t find a picture of the kitchen finished… am I looking in the wrong spot?
Gail
August 11, 2020 @ 9:57 am
As a single woman who is always in the midst of some project/remake of some kind, The fact that your Paul exists gives me hope that I may find one like him! Forget perfect cabinets, I can’t seem to find the proper sofa! Why is- Very Firm, lower back, traditional style, solid cream with a white under tone in color (stop showing me grey!) 7 ft in length- so hard to find at a semi affordable price?
The furniture store people are losing patience with me. Can you imagine?
Elle
August 11, 2020 @ 10:26 am
I’ve been really happy with my Shaklee water pitcher. Read the specs here, and see how it compares to Brita and Pur. You have to buy from a distributor, though, just let me know if this fits your requirements.
https://images.shaklee.com/library/product_sheet_getclean_water.pdf
Lisa A.
August 11, 2020 @ 10:27 am
I think Paul should go into the custom cabinet making business and then you can buy all the GFT your heart desires!!! He is amazing …..
em
August 11, 2020 @ 10:30 am
So I have no real opinion on RO systems. I will say that drinking filtered water is a more enjoyable experience so if it helps you drink more water, then I’m all for it. That said, the “health” benefits of alkaline water are dubious. Your body is designed to stay in a veeeerrrrryyyy narrow pH range 7.35-7.45 for blood. Different digestive organs have different mechanisms for changing the pH of the stuff in them, but the acidity/alkalinity of the substances going in play very little role.
I’m sure the cabinets will be amazing.
Alta Walters
August 11, 2020 @ 11:08 am
Paul is correct in his estimation of the customer. I certainly hope the marriage can survive cabinets. Long ago, I endured the world’s second longest kitchen remodel, which He had promised to do, but I ended up doing most of it (and washing the dishes in the bathtub for nearly three years.) Within a month of kitchen completion (and it was gorgeous) I moved out. Now I have remarried, moved across the country and we have built a new house and a barn. Most of the materials, cabinets, light fixtures, etc, are vintage craigslist–mostly arts and crafts style. If in some afterlife you ever decide to change styles, I highly recommend arts and crafts–less expensive and much less fussy. I cannot imagine how you dust it all!
Brenda
August 11, 2020 @ 11:22 am
We just got a Pristine Hydro water revival system but don’t have it installed yet. It does the remineralization. Hope to love it…
Kay
August 11, 2020 @ 11:35 am
You might want to think about a whole house water filter. Otherwise all the stuff you don’t get in your kitchen water you will absorb and breathe every time you shower or wash your face and hands. That alone made a huge difference in the quality and clarity of our water. Then for drinking, making tea, etc., I found a pitcher system called Clearly Filtered that even filters out fluoride, which is quite difficult to get rid of. Then, because I’m a fanatic, I bought a Big Berkey. That system filters out every bad thing you can imagine, including fluoride if you buy the special filter, AND it can be used with non-potable water!! If for some reason the water stopped flowing out of our taps, we could walk down to the brook and bring home water in buckets.
Kay
August 11, 2020 @ 11:38 am
I forgot to say that these systems leave the minerals in the water.
Amy
August 12, 2020 @ 11:20 pm
@Kay
I want a Berkey when we re-do our kitchen. Glad to hear you like it and I like that it’s not really unpleasing aesthetically.
Catherine W.
August 11, 2020 @ 12:38 pm
Paul is next in line for knighthood … or sainthood…. or both.
Bernie
August 11, 2020 @ 12:42 pm
I have no answer to your water question. Don’t do what we did: Move to the mountains, have fabulous spring water until 3 out of the first 5 years the spring runs dry necessitating drilling a well 605′ deep thereby blowing your entire renovation budget. Ten years later we are starting the reno. Infrastructure spending is NOT exciting…although we have great water!
Amy
August 12, 2020 @ 11:27 pm
@Bernie
We had a dug well where we thought the line froze up after not being able to figure out what was wrong (many years ago) & so we had to spring for an artesian well 8k later we found out that the new well has arsenic in it and we cannot drink it! I pretty near cried & screamed. Then recently we put an addition on uncovering the old well line which was not broken after all just disconnected and now we will be using our old well again. Came full circle and lost some money on that whole project. It will be a treat to have our own water again.