kitchen renovation - part 2

The kitchen floor plan is a galley style with the garage entry on one end, and the pantry on the other. It is a very efficient arrangement. While some may desire more width on the corridor than the current 4' 4" at the widest and only 3' 7" at the narrowest, I would not want an inch more. A sensible width is the point about a galley floor plan for able to efficiently reach the counters and equipment on both sides within a step or an arm's reach. I have often work with the dishwasher door open while the wash being air dry (instead of using the heated forced air drying cycle), and the kitchen is totally usable because of the relative placements.

In the same room of the kitchen is the family room which the Vitra ad wall - cum counter partition demarcates the two areas. Along the wall on the same side as the pantry entry there is a great 12' expense with the possibility of a lot of storage. I want to install a length of base cabinets and use them to store less frequently used large cookware and some small appliances like automatic rice cooker and toaster. The problem is it can only accommodate cabinets of 18" nominal depth, and ikea does not sell 18" base cabinets.


My design goal of this row of cabinet is again to achieve the non-ikea look with very clean front. That means fitting cabinets with identical width with wide door proportional to the space. I want a very slender look and the shallow depth constraint really play to the favor.

I bought standard 24" deep ikea base cabinet carcasses and cut them down to 18" depth. To do it properly requires more than simply just cut off 6". I have to recreate the rabbit for the 1/4" back panel, and make holes for the dowels that hold the panels into an assembled carcass. Also new holes for the shelves needs to be drilled. Fortunately for me I already have cabinet working skill under my belt. I built all the kitchen cabinets from scratch in my previous kitchen renovation - long before ikea came to the Pacific Northwest and there were no acceptable alternative unless one has the budget of the 1% (American wealth scale).

side panel with new row of shelf holes drilled

using my field-made drilling jig

like assembly line production - the back rabbit cut

using the field-made rabbiting "jig" on a table saw

the base panels (right) requires new holes drilled for the adjustable plastic feet

test fitting the feet on a piece of scrap

yes, those too are ikea cabinets in my mini shop

the counter top is fabricated from framing fir lumber bought from Home Depot

wah lah!

slightly different elevation - the toe kick still have to be fabricated

Some additional notes:

• I prefer my own purpose-made toe kicks over ikea ones that scream ikea
• The counter top is fabricated by joining two pieces of framing rough 16" wide green douglus fir; It is sealed with oil based polyurethane brushed on by hand and sanded. I tell you it is not an easy task
•  One thing I learnt good design requires a lot of restraint; I chose a design without top cabinet to maintain the aesthetics of the open space in keeping with the architecture of the house. It is all too temping to embellish to a cabinet here and there, or install drawers instead of a single swing open door.
• On addressing the challenge of find suitable new wall panels due to the window and pantry door relocation  I took to heart in design, one common sin is the attempt to deceive. Instead of trying to match the old panels I simply search for panels that do not clash with the old but would stand on their own side by side in the same room. This requires carefully planning of the demarcations of the transition points.
• In the mere 11' span of the cabinet between the refrigerator and the pantry wall I was able to make fit 3 24" wide base contiguously to achieve the high-end look.
• Instead of using the bases designed for sinks I hacked a standard base to accommodate the double sink with drain board. The drain board actually seats above the dishwasher which requires a cutout extends to under the drainboard. This avoid the ugly stock sink cabinet which prevent the use of a full height front door - again to avoid the result screaming ikea
• all the panels in the pantry has been replaced; the shelves too custom-made with birch plywood from Home Depot.
• there is no backsplash except behind the sink; the single segment of backsplash is fabricated with a recycle steel plate embellished with "grinder art" inspired by Jackson Pollock's famous dribbled painting technique
• I remember hearing a (Scottish?) expression once of something has a good pull. There is nothing I hate more than a door without a good pull, especially a car door. In automotive and kitchen there are all too many designs that succumb to fashion victim by either hiding the handle or rid it entirely. I like all my tools to be tactile and I can never live with a kitchen without a pull in plain sight. Problem is clean looking pulls are extremely rare. I settle on the ikea ones which they charge way too much given its very economic construction and rather rough finish. The biggest drawback it it tends to catch your lose clothing if you are not careful.
• all the cabinet door has blum-motion dampers - yes, ikea's kitchen door hinges, draw movements, and dampers are made by blum