Thread: My BIG kitchen project

Hi Alastair. Isn't it amazing how kitchen design has changed. Love those narrow square edged laminex benchtops.
At least yours were white, ours were lime green!

Looking forward to the next installment.

Looks great! I bet you are glad that you are all done now.

Originally Posted by Alastair

I have been largely absent from the forums for a while, partly due to work pressures, but also due to the all-consuming size of the project above.

Hi there

Something appears to be wrong with your attachments. If you have time, could you try to re-upload them? cheers

As usual with computer photos, a few problems with loading....
you may find the kitchen work easier than getting the photos out.
Look forward to seeing them.....

Regards.

Northern silky oak, around 1 cube if my memory is correct...

Greg

Don't know what was the problem?
Sloth could view, and OK in preview

Herewith reposted.

I have been largely absent from the forums for a while, partly due to work pressures, but also due to the all-consuming size of the project above.

I have taken a bit of stick from Greg Ward regarding my hibernation, and promised to do a WIP on the project.

Well, that never eventuated, but this is more of a WTINFFF, (work that is now finally finished............. and there isn't an extra F there) I'll post pics and some description of the highlights of the various stages.

We finally bought a house, after 10 years renting since we moved to Oz. One of the reasons we were able to afford, was that the place had an absolute cave of a kitchen. "I can redo that for you he said bravely...." Famous last words

In case the final outcome was less than expected, I took a set of "before" shots, to look back on fondly:

A couple of views, showing the acres of bench space, and the stunning timber finishes. Did I say cave?
From:
NW
Attachment 156416
E
Attachment 156417
N
Attachment 156418

Part of the problem was that the kitchen also served as passageway to half the house, as well as an inside/outside laundry.
NE
Attachment 156419
SW
Attachment 156420
S
Attachment 156421
In the background, the very first stages of work on the walls.

TBC

regards

Originally Posted by Sir Stinkalot

Looks great! I bet you are glad that you are all done now.

Hey, Easy on

Those were the BEFORE pics,

regards

Hi Alastair. Isn't it amazing how kitchen design has changed. Love those narrow square edged laminex benchtops.
At least yours were white, ours were lime green!

I just put in a lime green kitchen bench in my DIY kitchen. Sorry to hijack the thread, but I felt compelled to lob a defence for lime green - I'm sick of seeing bland kitchens.

Continueing............

Since I would be doing this evenings, weekends and odd days' leave, one of the challenges was to do this in phases, so as to allow at least a shadow of a functioning kitchen to be maintained. All up it has taken the better part of a year.

First part was to start with building a new pantry/mw/glassware cabinet along a blank wall.
Attachment 156456
This would give much needed storage, and allow the fridge to be moved to the site of the demolished pantry, thus allowing me to get in and close off the inside access to the laundry, thus removing one thoroughfare.
Attachment 156457
Cabinets were designed as cutting lists, and cut for me by a local panel business. I then assembled them at home. A plug here; these guys were fantastic with help and advice, and absolutely accurate and very reasonable. I will give details to anyone who is contemplating a similar project.
Timber, (as Greg has said) was Northern Silky Oak, from Boutique, and good stuff. Doors are all rail and stile, with 6mm bookmatched q/s panels. I used mainly Hettich hardware, and finished with sprayed satin acid-cat lacquer.

The next stages were:

Strip end wall, and resheet without door.
Build 1st set of cabinets and plinths.
Take a couple of days' leave, and rip out stove, strip wall, resheet, and install cooktop & oven assembly, and corner and end cabinets, with temporary benchtops.

Build second set of cabinets and plinths.
More leave, and rip out dishwasher, sink and remaining cabinets, and resheet wall. (There was only bare timber frames behind the old stuff.)
Install rhs cabinets, reroute plumbing, and install sink, dishwasher etc along with temporary benchtops.
Also installed rangehood, and top cupboards.

By this stage, things were starting to take shape. While still a work-in-progress, at least the kitchen was fully functional, (if not exactly pretty)

Attachment 156458

TBC

regards

Originally Posted by scottbr

I just put in a lime green kitchen bench in my DIY kitchen. Sorry to hijack the thread, but I felt compelled to lob a defence for lime green - I'm sick of seeing bland kitchens.

Lime green was all the rage 30-40 years ago. Don't tell me things have come full circle

Lookin good Alastair . SWMBO will be happy

Next installment:

This has been a protracted exercise, as said, not least because of p*xy "60's builders. There wasn't a wall, floor, or corner which was anything resembling square, level, upright or straight. Add to that I had to learn the trades, (cabinetmaker; gyprocker; plumber; tiler; spraypainter, and general jack-of-all, to go with the woodworking I thought I already had.

Problem is that as you finish the last bit of anything, you realise you have just now mastered it, (and should go back and redo the earlier bodgy bits) Yeah right

Anyway, the next was to measure off the temp benchtops, to order the genuine article, so as to compensate for the multiple deviations. In the end I got this almost right, with only one 6" bit, where the tiling is 1/8" shy of the benchtop, and will have to have a wider fill of silicone.

While I was waiting for the tops, I got an undercoat onto all the new surfaces. and finished off thefinish coating of the reveals etc. I would have liked to have done stone tops, but the combination of the price, and the fact I would not have been able to install them myself, swung me to Laminex.

Then it was more leave, to fetch the benches, rip off the temp tops, refit cooktop and sink, and finally install.

Attachment 156571

And back to the endless production line of making doors

As these were completed and sprayed, they were fitted. At the same time, splashbacks were being tiled. Not too much fun, working under rangehoods and cupboards, and over sinks.

Note the functional doorhandles

Attachment 156572

These were finally replaced with (34) knobs, turned from Imbuia, which I had been hoarding since 1969!
Then on to the seemingly endless round of finishing
Grouting
Filling
Sanding
Painting
Ducting rangehood
Installing pendant and down- lighting
etc
etc

To yield the (almost) finished article.

Attachment 156573


More pics to come.

regards

You may remember I querried whether the silky may be too busy, but it looks great and lightens up the kitchen no end.
I can remember the boards and am always impressed with how well they can be made to look with a bit of work.

Bet you're glad it's finished though.....

Greg

Nice work under pressure.

It's a bit hard to ever sit down and chill out for five minutes when the kitchen is ripped apart