Kitchen Cabinets 2

The kitchen islands provide so much storage and counter space, that they almost double my kitchen size.  I had them built on casters so that I can move them around based on what I need them for.  The tops are the same size and height so they can be pushed together into one very large (4' x 8') island, or split into two.

One island is open underneath.  I had Kelowna steel fabricators build two legs based on my drawings, and SuCasa Cabinets attached the counter, shelves and casters.  This island also has an overhang to allow for two counter height stools.

The other island is enclosed, two big cupboards on one side, and drawers on the other.

The legs are 2"square steel pipe, with plates on the top and bottom.  There are two crossbars for the shelves to sit on.

The legs could have been painted, or powder coated, but I like the industrial feel of them just the way they are.  A quick wipe and a couple of clear coats and they were done!

When they first got delivered I thought I had made them way too big, but now that my eye has gotten used to them (and I have filled them to the brim) I am so happy that I maximized my storage space.  In this little house every inch counts!

kitchen cabinets

Our kitchen cabinets were custom built by SuCasa Cabinets, a really fantastic local cabinet company.  Rick deserves full credit for putting up with my unusual requests during this project, and I am sure that at times he thought I was crazy (don't worry Rick, I won't hold it against you!)

The reason we wanted plywood cabinets was twofold... we thought it would reduce the cost of the cabinets (turns out we were wrong), and we loved the unconventional look of them. I have always been a fan of flat-front cabinets, but solid wood is tricky because of warping and cupping.  Veneer looks great, and  plywood is just a very honest and industrial version of veneer.  Especially with the edges exposed!

From a cost perspective, it turns out cabinets like these are actually a little bit more expensive than standard cabinets... the reasons for this are:  

• There is extra labour involved every step of the way.  Screwing the boxes together, finishing all the exposed edges, leaving the frame exposed, cutting out the handles, oiling everything by hand.
• The Appleply plywood was more costly than standard ply, as well as an upcharge for NAUF glue.
• Hardwax Oil isn't cheap either

But, now no-one has a kitchen quite like ours.  Was it worth it?  Absolutely!

Here are a couple of inspirational photos of cabinets that I love.  I took these with me when I went to meet with Rick to see what would be possible.

inspiration: image from dwell

inspiration: kerf cabinets

I then sourced some plywood called "appleply" through Upper Canada Forest Products.  It is a type of plywood with extra layers so that the edges can be exposed without fraying.  It's made with NAUF glue and domestic white birch, and then Rick finished it with hardwax oil (I know, that all goes without saying at this point.. and yet I feel compelled to mention it yet again).  The boxes of the cabinets are screwed together wherever possible (instead of glued and nailed) and are constructed of NAUF birch plywood.  And so without further ado here is our finished kitchen!

This photo shows the kitchen how we actually live in it, complete with cakes that didn't rise and wood stacked too high outside the window.

detail of drawer interior

detail of lower cabinet cutout

detail of upper cabinet cutout

You can see in the detail shots the lovely striations of the exposed plywood edges.  The ends feel just as smooth and satiny as the fronts.  We decided on the cutouts instead of hardware because to me if feels very organic to have the handle integrated instead of applied.  The look is unusual for sure,  but that's what we love about it!

Soapstone counters by Canyon Soapstone.. more later!

The open shelving - a first for me.. would you do it?

I am getting used to the open shelving, although because I like to have everything just so I am feeling a strong desire to replace my motley crew of mugs with something more appropriate... and handmade.  I have two by Meghann Hubert which I love, so I think I will add to the collection! 

I am so thrilled with the finished kitchen.. the cabinets function beautifully, the finish is durable, and the interiors don't smell like new cabinets (in fact, they don't smell at all!).

I have too many photos to show you all at once, so you can look forward to seeing the islands and the bathroom cabinets in upcoming posts!

Other wood bits

So beyond the plethora of wood on the ceilings and cabinets, we also sourced a NAUF birch plywood (are you sensing a theme here?) closet organization system through From the Forest.  Fred was gracious enough to allow us access to his shop one evening, where a frenzied 5-hour oiling stint ensued.  Yes, more hardwax oil (another recurring theme).

the pantry

In addition to the closets, we had Fred prep some 2" x 13" planks of reclaimed fir for our window sills.  Gorgeous.  I love that our 8 foot wide windows have one solid plank for a sill.

I love the stains of old nail holes

Now we just have to pick a colour!  The fir itself is a little too pink in undertone to coordinate with the birch and hemlock, so I went on the hunt for some non-toxic wood stain.  What I found is Saman.  It is available at Modern Paint and Floors in Kelowna.  The water-based stain is reminiscent of milk paint to me.  Only it is more translucent.  It appeals to the artist in me because you buy basic colors and mix your own custom one!  I picked up a Black, a White and a Navy to play around with.. I have made samples with different ratios of black/white and water (the Black has a blue enough undertone I didn't need the Navy).  The more water you add, the more translucent it becomes.

The stain does not take as well to the darker part of the grain, so the grain will definitely still show.  I have yet to tackle the actual project , but I will post pictures to show you the results!  Oh, and I'll top coat it with... you guessed it!  Hardwax oil!

I guess I'll have to finish unpacking these first...