Cue angels singing, this kitchen is DONE! I started building the cabinets over a month ago, and now everything is installed and working and fabulous. I hope you’re ready to ogle dozens of photos, because I’ve got about 22 to share with you. Which is technically less than 2 dozen, but who’s counting? Let’s get started!
This wall was our toughest spot. The sink was tricky to install since it’s a wall mount and the faucet can only be in one place. After a few days of finagling, it’s now leak-free and gorgeous. If you recall it’s a vintage cast-iron sink I found on Craigslist and had resurfaced and is pretty much my heartsong. It’s amazing and I love it. Plus we were able to find an adorable throwback faucet with 4 pronged handles with the little H and C on them.
It’s pretty much the most adorable thing ever. That “curtain” is actually just a throw folded in half over a tension rod, but I’m in love with all those colors so it’s staying. Anyway, back to the sink. My love. It was actually kind of a bitch to get in there. The faucet plumbing was set to the standard dimensions because like a spaz I didn’t tell Tilson exactly where I wanted it. So when we went to install it we were left with an odd 12″ gap to the left of the fridge. Instead of leaving it open, I used a few 1×12′s to build a six-shelf veggie cabinet so the whole wall looks custom and built in.
Happy accidents, right? I’m actually really glad it worked out like this because it makes the wall look really fancy. Those open shelves are another fave feature in this room. I ordered the minimal shelf brackets from the Container store and they were an absolute breeze to install. My dad had some amazing 1×12 oak in his barn which we cut down to size and sanded. I’m definitely no pro at staging, but it’s a great spot for wine glasses and coffee mugs and all our miscellaneous knick knacks and decor!
These two cabinets are both made from a 21″ carcass, and plans will be found on Ana White’s website shortly. The double drawer cabinet is my favorite of this size. I’m planning to build a removable divider so I can store all my silverware upright instead of in those obnoxious organizers.
The bottom holds all my tupperware and such. Though the cabinet next to it looks standard, it has a little surprise.
I decided to make the drawer face a flip top and use it for concealed paper towel storage! I bought a simple closet rod hanging system (just two circular brackets, nothing fancy) and used a scrap dowel to hang my paper towels. It’s so nice to have them close by and handy without cluttering up the countertops!
The oven wall was also custom built, with 30″ standard bases. I decided to leave out drawers and opt for larger doors and shelf space. It helps with all those tall pots! The uppers were supposed to be 27″ but due to some mathematical errors on my part they’re actually 29″. Whoops! Oh well, extra storage, right?
I decided to use vertical dividers on the left for my baking sheets, and horizontal shelves on the right for dishes and glasses.
Since we had a very basic, boring vent hood, I chose to build it in with plywood and trim to match the cabinets. It came out even better than I expected! It’s interesting without overpowering the true star of this show, my 1950′s Magic Chef gas range.
This was also a CL score, and I honestly could not be happier. I get more compliments on the stove than anything else in the kitchen! Plus it’s cooking great so no complaints there. I need to make some french toast on that griddle soon.
I have to say, I’m really surprised with how well the island turned out. It’s composed of 4 separate cabinets, two 24″ bases sandwiching two 21″ standard bases. We “built them in” by using 1/2″ plywood strips between the carcasses and screwing them together. Once they were attached I added on beadboard backing and 1×4 trim and kickplates. It really does look like one cohesive unit.
For this 24″ base we decided to leave off doors and have two shelves, one that would fit our countertop microwave. Jacob ran the electrical wiring so that we can plug in the microwave and added an outlet to the side for mixers and phone chargers. I totally love that it looks like we have built-in appliances. I guess in a way we do!
This is also a 24″ base, with three shelves for cook books and cutting boards. The two 21″ cabinets are your typical “standard” cabinets. Nothing frilly, just a drawer for cooking utensils and hot pads and a door with a shelf inside.
For the legs, we just bought three 35″ table legs from Lowe’s and cut them down to cabinet height. Then we topped it with a sheet of plywood reinforced with a 2×4 frame for strength. I took that to a local welder and he made a stainless steel sleeve for it. Once we got it home we screwed the plywood directly into the legs and cabinets, covered the top with liquid nails and set the sleeve down on it. Then we topped it with a spare blanket and set large rocks on it so the glue would set. And voila! A gorgeous custom island.
This kitchen was a vast labor of love. A lot of planning, tons of sweat, quite a bit of salty language and an overwhelming amount of love and care went into it. I am so, so proud of it. I literally cannot stop smiling when I’m in the room. I hate to turn the lights off at night. Sometimes I just sit and stare at what we did. Because we did this! Not some pricey contractor or big box store. Two people with a little bit of know-how and a lot of determination. Now I sound like a cheesy DIY ad 
But seriously, it’s been the feather in my cap to have a hand-built kitchen. Something I can really be proud of building!
I know you probably have a lot of questions, but since this post is already a mile long I’m going to get into the dirty details tomorrow. Things like prices and sourcing and all that jazz. But for now, do a little ogling for me and tell me what you think!
More Kitchen and Cabinet Links:
51 comments
Skip to comment form ↓
Heather
January 7, 2013 at 6:12 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Absolutely beautiful! You guys have a lot to be proud of! I love the vintage sink. What’s a good price for that? I’m definitely gonna keep my eyes out for one. Are your countertops butcher block? I’m looking at doing my own wood countertops soon. I was debating on butcher block or plywood or 2×8 planks. Any thoughts? Great job! Enjoy!
killer b.
January 8, 2013 at 10:09 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thank you Heather! I paid $50 for our sink and it was pretty rough looking. Lots of rust and grime. Just make sure that it has not rusted through in spots and you’re good. I paid $225 to get it polished and surfaced, which seems to be a steal. It didn’t need to be re-enameled which was key. I LOVE this sink!!
As far as countertops, I think the butcher block is worth it. I paid $300 for 14 feet from IKEA and it looks and feels luxurious, not budget at all. Plus it was so easy to install, even with the sink cutout. You can also customize it by routing the edges or staining it.
Kelsey
January 7, 2013 at 6:28 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
LOVE the way that your kitchen turned out! What color is on the island? I’m totally obsessed!
killer b.
January 8, 2013 at 10:05 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
It’s called Burning Bush from Olympic. I’m also obsessed! I told my husband that it’s probably my favorite paint color of all time
Jake
January 7, 2013 at 6:44 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Killer you have really outdone yourself. It is really beautiful and it will offer you many days and nights of enjoyment, especially around the island. I was going to ask a stupid question “What stain did you use on the island top?” but decided you would see through my try at funny. Keep up keeping us posted.
killer b.
January 8, 2013 at 10:04 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I totally chuckled Jake. And thank you for the kind words! Its already been a great space for cooking and hanging out. I live it
Amanda
January 7, 2013 at 7:16 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’m so impressed, Brooke! I can’t believe you built that all yourself – it’s absolutely amazing. Fantastic job!
Shay
January 7, 2013 at 7:36 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I absolutely love your kitchen! From the beautiful colors to storage space its awesome! I hope I can do this when we build our house.
Melissa
January 7, 2013 at 7:59 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Congratulations, what an incredible job! Love the island in particular! How are you liking the countertops- both the butcher block and the stainless steel?
killer b.
January 8, 2013 at 10:02 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
So far I’m loving them both. Though if I were a perfectionist the stainless would probably drive me nuts. It’s already scratched and dinged, but that’s what I like. Im actually more excited about getting it to look more worn in than brand new!
Katie C (@SheLikesRuffles)
January 8, 2013 at 7:40 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Your kitchen is absolutely amazingggg! I am officially 100% jealous of the awesomeness that is happening in there. You did such a great job!
Kaye Partin
January 8, 2013 at 9:29 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
It looks great! I love it and can’t wait to see it.
Betty
January 8, 2013 at 10:03 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
It’s gorgeous! When you get to the sourcing part, please tell me all about the products used on your floor. This is exactly how I want my basement floor to look after we install the radiant floor heating.
Katie (@mrsfunnelcake)
January 8, 2013 at 12:50 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I really love it! And I want to know what it looks like on the other walls… is it an open kitchen? It looks huge! It’s so much bigger than what we’ll get in Switzerland. I’m jealous of your island. Hubs wants one some day for a breakfast bar. (That’ll probably only happen when we have kids and can’t fit at a breakfast bar…)
Seriously hot kitchen Brooke!!
Theresa
January 8, 2013 at 1:44 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Awesome job I am really in love with the floor is that stained concrete?
killer b.
January 10, 2013 at 10:59 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Wow, I need to do some posts soon on the rest of the house! Yes, it’s an open concept. There’s a dining area and a living area abutting the kitchen without any walls in between.
Jennifer Jones
January 9, 2013 at 9:59 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
So gourgeous! I love all of it but especially the cubby shelf with the baskets by the fridge! Totally doing that! Not sure I would urn off the light either. What a great accomplishment as well. You should be proud.
Kelly Smith
January 9, 2013 at 1:11 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I love it!! You are amazing and I totally love your style. What an inspiration to me as I face a kitchen remodel in the near future. Thank you for posting and sharing!
killer b.
January 10, 2013 at 10:57 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thank you so much, I appreciate your kind words
Laura
January 9, 2013 at 1:24 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’ve been waiting to see this ever since you posted about the sink and range a while back – man would I love to have those! What an awesome job, it looks AMAZING!
chesha
January 10, 2013 at 11:27 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Freaking. Amazing. That is one of my favorite kitchens ever.
killer b.
January 11, 2013 at 11:22 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Best comment all day! Thank you
tricia
January 11, 2013 at 5:50 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Very creative and lovely! The sink and range are my favs : o )
Kim
January 11, 2013 at 8:54 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh my! So beautiful! I love, love that you incorporated vintage items and brought them back. That sink is priceless. Nice job!
Marissa
January 11, 2013 at 12:12 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Brooke, it seriously looks amazing! I especially love the island, something we’ve been wanting to add to our kitchen for a few years now. Our flooring is terrazzo, a bit like your finished concrete in that it’s solid. Did Jacob run the electrical for the island before or after the floor was poured? {Other than dropping it down from the ceiling, we can’t figure out how to electrify a future island without damaging the floor.} Sending my husband the link to this post right now!
Christina
January 11, 2013 at 12:42 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Wow! You did such an amazing job! I LOVE the island and am brainstorming ways to incorporate that into my kitchen. Thanks for the inspiration!
Thane
January 11, 2013 at 3:00 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Absolutely Beautiful kitchen!!! Great Job!!! Congratulations!!!
dori
January 12, 2013 at 8:53 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
love it! will you please share where you found the two cows print? thx!
debra @ homespun
January 15, 2013 at 9:15 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
This kitchen has so much charm…I’d rather have something like this than a standard modern kitchen with ho hum normal everyday cabinets etc. This is just wonderful!!!!!
killer b.
January 15, 2013 at 9:49 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thank you so much Debra! I totally feel the same way. Sometimes I get a touch of disappointment that it’s not a “Pinterest Kitchen” per se, but then I realize it’s mine and it’s awesome!
Kristie
January 23, 2013 at 7:32 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
It’s totally a Pinterest kitchen! I’m about to pin it
Kiana
January 15, 2013 at 9:41 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Love, Love, Love your kitchen!!!! You did a fabulous job. I am so inspired! I have been braggin on you and your kitchen to lots of friends and showing them pics of your amazing work and realized I never told you how impressed and proud of the job that you did!! Thanks for being so amazing!!
jasmine
January 23, 2013 at 5:21 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I love this kitchen and that you guys did it yourself. Gives me inspiration to build our own when we build! Thank you!
hyladragon
January 23, 2013 at 5:26 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I will be renovating a bare room off the side of the house, the plan is to push the walls out a bit and move the kitchen in, and I havent done any carpentry since I was 16! More than a decade! I really nervous but this kitchen is truly inspiring! I would love to know what you did with the flooring, I am not sure if I would go the exact route, but I would love to know the technique, so I can consider more options. Your kitchen is definitely Pin worthy, Ive pinned a couple of pictures for reference myself! And I might print some of the pictures out and glue onto my planning board! Thank you for sharing!
killer b.
January 23, 2013 at 5:28 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thank you, that is a huge compliment! We paid to have our concrete slab stained, and it is so beautiful. I love it. Very easy to keep clean and maintain. These cabinets are one of the easiest things I’ve built! The finishing took much longer than the actual building.
JSolomon
January 23, 2013 at 6:05 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
This is really, really amazing, and you have actually really inspired me to try to convince hubby to let me take a stab at building our own cabs. One question – how did you do the vertical dividers? Is it just plywood?
killer b.
January 23, 2013 at 11:57 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Yes, it’s the same ply as the cabinets. It’s incredibly sturdy and holds a lot of weight!
Jenny Lisk
January 24, 2013 at 9:53 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
this is awesome!! just pinned…
Katie
January 24, 2013 at 1:21 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Wow, nice job! Can you talk about the cabinet doors, hinges, lessons learned, etc? Also how did you do the other countertops? Congrats. I’ve had plywood in my garage for almost a year and only one cabinet made so far for my DYI kitchen. My delay has been saving to hire an electrician and a plumber. My husband and I just don’t have those skill sets. I LOVE the color you chose for the island. Beautiful floors too!
killer b.
January 24, 2013 at 1:53 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hi Katie, I just updated the post to include the links for my tips and tricks on each cabinet and my lessons learned. I hope that helps!
Katie
January 24, 2013 at 5:41 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Awesome, thanks so much! I’ve show your blog to so many people. Would love to photos of the rest of the house. Thanks for sharing your story with us!
LisaT
January 24, 2013 at 10:51 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Love. Your. Kitchen. You all did an amazing job!
killer b.
January 24, 2013 at 10:53 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thank you!
Gene Dixon
February 7, 2013 at 5:38 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
You built the most awesome, wonderful, comfortible looking kitchen I have ever seen. Just amazing!
killer b.
February 7, 2013 at 10:18 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thank you so much!
Tracy@Simply-designed.us
February 12, 2013 at 11:50 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I have a question for you Brooke – How did you join the cabinets together so the face frames stay snug together? I’ve asked the question on Ana’s site too, but so far, no one has answered. I’m in the middle of building my cabinets for my laundry room and I really need to know!
Thanks!!
killer b.
February 12, 2013 at 12:11 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hi Tracy! Sorry you haven’t gotten a response yet, but I’m going to tell you my “secret”. The Kreg Jig! It is a MUST for any builder. That thing is awesome. It makes pocket holes and the hold is tighter than any I’ve had with traditional build methods. It’s $100, but totally worth the investment. Don’t waste your time/cash on the junior, get the full sized jig setup. I used the jig to put my frames together, then glue and my nail gun to hold them onto the cabinets.
Tracy@Simply-designed.us
February 12, 2013 at 9:50 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thanks Brooke, I have the Kreg jig (as well as lots of other Kreg products)
But, what I’m wondering is if you use a special screw i.e. cabinet screw to hold the face frames to each other… So… if you set them all up next to each other, how do you keep them staying together… make sense? I’m not sure how to explain it. I saw once on tv someone using a special type of screw to keep all the base cabinets together so they didn’t move around and I wondered if you did something like that. Besides screwing them into the wall .. ;-/
killer b.
February 12, 2013 at 9:54 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ahhhhh! Now I get it. You mean the boxes (or carcasses). The face frames are the 1×2 square frames that go over the boxes to make them “pretty”. I did attach the cabinets to each other. I used 2″ drywall screws, since that’s what we had on hand. Worked just fine. I drilled straight through one box, through the gap, then into the other. On the island I used 1/2″ hobby wood (it’s in the board aisle, below the boards) to fill in the gaps so there wouldn’t be any shifting, since they’re “free floating”. But again, 2″ screws. I didn’t want the screws going all the way through the second cabinet. We didn’t have any problems with them.
Tracy@Simply-designed.us
March 2, 2013 at 11:41 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thanks so much for that little piece of info! I’m done building my base carcasses, I have yet to install them, but I’m going to get some uppers built first and install those first. So excited though!!! Thanks for all the input!!!!!
Lee
February 17, 2013 at 10:33 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Good job! Did you build the vent hood cover too? Do you have a plan for that too?