The Kitchen Reno: Cabinets Start to Take Shape

I am so excited to see the cabinets start to take shape! I started with the bank of drawers to the right of the stove and assembled the box. First I tried using biscuit joints but it was time consuming and hard to align so I switched to pocket screws.

Then I assembled the box for the sink cabinet.

I also have the parts ready to assemble the pantry, but since its ceiling height, I will have to assemble it in place.

From there I started working on the face frames for the 2 cabinets using the oak. These I assembled with glue and pocket screws as well. I made a calculation error with the frame for the bank of drawers’ right of the stove; I forgot that the heating vent protrudes an inch into the room and that the face frame on that side should be wider to accommodate. Luckily I caught the mistake before the glue set and was able to fix it with replacing only 1 piece.

And now we know: I think I am making good progress but with all the events set for August, we may have to delay installation until October.

Completion of the Ottoman

I think this ottoman is my favourite project to date…although at the time I love each project more than the last. Still it looks great all complete. For the top, I added 4” of foam layered with batting over top.

From there I added a layer of red fabric and started doing the tufting. Although fun, it turns out tufting is hard on the hands, pulling the thread really tight cuts into your skin over and over. The most important thing seems to be doubling up really strong thread for the button and to start in the centre and work out, line by line, then do the outside edges.

Once the top was done, I attached it to the frame with brackets and inserted the drawer. You can hardly tell there is even a drawer in there when its closed.

So far it is super comfortable to put your feet on compared to the toy chest that was there before 

And now we know: although it is much better for our feet, there is nowhere to put drinks but on the floor....guess an end table is going to be built in the future.

The Kitchen Reno: Cutting the Wood for the Cabinets

Tom and I hauled the table saw outside for the day and starting cutting the sheets of melamine down to size. We ended up using the circular saw for most of it as my table saw only extends to about 24”. I also used the jigsaw to cut the jog out of the corner of the end gable where they will be visible.

I also started cutting down the oak boards into 1.5” and 2” strips for the face frames. 

And now we know: the oak created a ton more sawdust than the melamine, my husband was so happy that it was outside…

Taking a Jigsaw to the Couch

Well, I’ve never seen my husband so angry with me as he was this weekend. With my friend staying with us and our time booked solid, when I started working on the couch, he was shocked. Here’s what happened; my friend went to the gym and I was itching to work on something so I decided to cut the arched back off the sofa to make it look more modern.

This idea was actually something I had been discussing with a friend for a couple of months, I planned to do it while Tom was gone but ran out of time. So that morning, it seemed like a fun thing to do. I removed the fabric back and the upholstery from the top rail. Underneath was 2 pieces of plywood with a gap in between. I thought the arched part was a separate piece and I would just have to pry it off but no such luck, a jigsaw was definitely needed. At this point Tom was horrified and could was freaking out over the potential dust. I offered to move the couch outside but he just shook his head and said to get it over with. 

 So using the jigsaw, I cut off the arch.

From there it was simple to put the foam back in place and staple the fabric over the top. It’s still not my dream couch, but I think it makes it a little more modern until we can afford to replace it.

And now we know: It being your birthday does not give you a free pass to do whatever you want in the house…next time I will wait till my husband is gone to do anything like this…