Custom Cabinets, part one!

Did you think I'd abandoned my kitchen project?
Or my blog?
I haven't. I've just been busy with real life stuff - Girl Scouts and the PTA, namely!

Back to the kitchen!
One of the most important elements in any kitchen is the cabinets, right?
All of the high-end kitchens have custom ones.
So I examined several Kitchen Design Magazines to try to determine what, exactly, makes cabinets look custom.
I decide it was finish (usually more than one), varying heights, hardware and niches.
To start, I gave my island a 2-step finish and tricked out the underside with a copper colored magnet board.
Next up, I tackled the "niche" idea.

Most of the ones I saw in magazines were above the refrigerator or the microwave. I chose to do mine above the micro, because it was a nice, central spot.

Here it is, before:

(taken last "FALL", obviously!)

First, I took the cabinet doors off and filled in the gigantic screw heads that holding the cabinet to the wall.  This ended up being a useless step - but I thought I should explain the white patches ;)

 

Next, I used a jig saw to cut the crown molding off the top.
I practiced a little first, but this was still only the 3rd or 4th thing I ever cut with a jigsaw. I didn't exactly get the angle exact on the right side...but I fixed it later!

Then I painted out the inside with the same paint I'd used on the island.

This is when I started the top piece - the part I was REALLY excited about.
I used my jigsaw to cut out two side pieces, free handed from a picture I'd seen in a magazine.
Then I built the rest of the box - the back and a thin strip for the top. The whole thing was made out of 1/2" MDF.  I attached the crown molding to the top and painted the whole thing.

When I slapped it on top of the cabinet, though, it looked...unfinished.
Obviously the angle on the crown molding (right side) was off. I took that down and adjusted it, but still wasn't satisfied.

I stared at it for a couple of days, feeling like it was wrong somehow. My husband kept telling me how great it was...hoping I'd just FINISH the damn thing, I'm sure!
Then I decided to try putting beadboard in the back. I painted it the green that I had considered for the island and slapped it in and LOVED the result.

(not shown - my superhero of a husband shortened the cord from the microwave, removed the plug piece from the wall and wired it directly into the power source, so instead of hiding a 2 foot coil of thick grey cord I only had to hide a 3 inch piece! LOVE him.)

Here it is, all accessorized.

Accessories: the white jar/bottles are from the thrift store - all were clear until I spray painted them white! I paid $1 or less for each of them. The basket and artificial artichokes are also from the thrift store - the 'chokes were still in plastic (never opened!) when I bought them for .75 each! and the basket was $2. The little black architectural thing was from the thrift store and cost .75.  The fluer-de-lis plaque was from Hobby Lobby and was my big purchase - $6. The silver thing is an antique vegetable chopper that was my great grandmothers. It's still super sharp - my husband cut himself on one of it's blades while washing it!

I really think it adds to the "custom" look of the kitchen - it gives a nice, staggered height to the cabinets and another finish, plus it's a great decorative space :)

Stay tuned for Custom Cabinets, part two!
(coming soon - I promise!)