Call me old fashioned, but when we got married I registered for traditional china and crystal – and I don’t regret that decision one bit! Its brought out when we entertain and even if it’s just the two of us having a glass of wine after a long week. The only issue was that we didn’t have a good place to store and display it the way we wanted.
The breakfast nook in our house had a blank wall, so I got to work and designed built-ins with deep drawers on the bottom and glass-front cabinets on the top. Our cabinet builder gave us a quote and we were so excited to have them built and installed.
I am thrilled with how they turned out! These cabinets have added so much functional storage and is always where the buffet is set up for gatherings. It is easily accessible to the kitchen but out of the way of kitchen traffic, making it the perfect location. We opted to add an outlet on the backsplash to plug in crock pots or warming trays as well as a wall switch for the in-cabinet lighting. It is such a vibe at night!
Though I did not build these cabinets myself, I still have things that will change about them in the future and lessons learned. My style has developed a lot over the last few years.
Things that I will go back and change (eventually):
- Paint color – the current color is Silvermist by Sherwin Williams and it is so versatile and beautiful. The rest of the kitchen cabinets will eventually be re-painted and the extension will either be the same color as the kitchen or intentionally coordinated.
- Hardware – the black is beautiful and timeless, but this was not something I thought ahead on and ended up making a snap decision on the day of install from what I found at a big box store. It feels much more plain than hardware that I’ve chosen and installed in the more recent past and something that will be updated.
- Backsplash – the backsplash was chosen to compliment the white subway tile in the main part of the kitchen. While I like the simplicity of the white hexagonal tiles, the backsplash in the kitchen will also eventually be changed which, like the paint color, will need to either match or coordinate between the two spaces.
- Under cabinet lighting – the guys from our cabinet builder asked me if I wanted under cabinet lighting on the day of install and for some crazy reason, I said no. Clearly my head was not screwed on properly that day because the rest of the kitchen has under cabinet lighting and it just makes so. much. sense. Don’t make the same mistake I did.
- Countertop – when we had these cabinets built, butcher block countertops were the only option within budget. However, we would like to eventually add stone to coordinate or match the kitchen. Our cabinet builders assured us that it would be an easy change (structurally) when we are ready to make the switch.
What I learned from this project:
- Even if you’re contracting a job out, make sure to really think through all parts of the job. I was so focused on what would be stored inside the cabinets, that I didn’t give the hardware, backsplash, and paint color much thought.
- Especially in open areas, make sure to consider future plans and the entire space. This wasn’t something that was immediately obvious but became more apparent as time went on.
- Adding massive amounts of storage to your home is addicting – watch out!
