Tags
architecture, cabinet, cabinet face, Cabinets, diy, drawer, drywall, Filing cabinet, High end kitchen, Home Depot, home improvement, kitchen, luxury kitchen, Mantel, mantle, molding, pullout, rail, range, Spice, spice cabinet, stud, Viking, Wood
Back to reality – we had finished the mantle above the range. Of course I *could* have stopped there. But really, I couldn’t.
I had seen the pullout spice rack cabinets and thought they would look oh-so-lovely on either side of our range. Problem was, NO cabinets fit the dimensions we were left with…GRRRR. I told my husband though, that I didn’t think it would be a problem because I was *pretty* sure I saw a segment on HGTV (or some home improvement/DIY show) where they made their own and it *looked super easy*. Plus, it was essential to my design and would mirror the pullout cabinets underneath! Poor guy…he had no idea how frustrated he was about to become.
I called the company that did my kitchen, but they didn’t have a cabinet narrow enough to fit into the space. No problem. I’m handy now! So, we headed out to Home Depot, to find some cabinets that fit and I would just paint them the right color and make them work, but they didn’t have them either. I was willing to settle for just cabinet fronts at this point, but you guessed it, they didn’t have anything that would work. So … we were starting from scratch. Still slightly optimistic, I told my husband all will be OK because I’ve seen it before and all we needed we the right thingamabobs to pull them out, some wood and molding.
For the cabinet faces, we cut a piece of wood to size, then outline with small molding that I had selected. We also needed a small raised panel in the middle, which was achieved by:
- Taking a flat, 2” piece of molding
- Cutting 2 “V” shapes out of the top s into either end, with the top of the “V” the width of the molding
- Cutting 2 “V”s into the width of the molding
- Nailing (or liquid nail) down the flat piece of molding
- Inserting the 2 “V” shapes into the ends and attach
Voila! A cabinet face! To turn this into a rack that could hold spices, I figured out the height that I wanted each tier. For each tier, I needed a shelf with a piece of wood the width of my cabinet face and 2 small walls nailed to the side so that the spices stayed on the shelf. First we made the shelves with the sides, then cut out a corresponding back piece that was the same size as the front cabinet face. The shelves were attached to this and the front cabinet face from behind to minimize nail holes.
The most important part of the pullout spice rack was the “pullout part” and that’s where it all fell apart for us. Making pullout drawers aren’t really that easy when you’re dealing with drywall, drywall corners and wood in the walls. These 3 things, so completely foreign to us, got the better of us to the point that even with holes in the wall, we were just going to forget the project. I’ve never heard more cursing in my life – from both of us – and I didn’t know I knew so many words!
We finally were so frustrated that we needed to take a break and we walked away from the project.
We lived with our kitchen with massive holes in our walls for over a month. Both of us knew not to even bring it up. It was that torturous of an experience! We had gone through multiple pullout rails, every imaginable fix, only to fail.
But after 4 weeks, something was in us to try again. My husband might have done some research on his own – heck, for all I know that’s how he spent the whole month – but when we came back to the project, I have no idea what was different, what we did different, but it just worked. Was it the prettiest inside? No, some concessions had to be made in the way of a stud in the wall being shaved down a little so the drawer wouldn’t catch, but on the other side, we got it right 🙂 But out of my anguish came understanding and knowledge, which I hope will save someone else the sheer agony we went through!
My advice? IF you want a pullout cabinet, exhaust all resources first to get one pre-made. It doesn’t matter if the finish isn’t right – sanding and matching the stain/paint can correct that.
heidijudkins said:
Love the kitchen renovation ideas–we just re-did our kitchen so I’m totally on the same page.
littlepocketsofhappiness said:
It looks fantastic! Great job!
msfredrickson said:
Love it! And that kitchen is beautiful! Makes me want to cook!
MichelleChiang.design said:
Great job! I love it!
colliesofthemeadow said:
WOW! Great job! We really like your blog…. gives us lots of ideas.. 🙂
Keep up the great work!
God Bless You!
The Collies and Chuck 🙂
craftyninja said:
That is a fabulous idea!! I’m currently all kinds of annoyed with our present spice “rack” situation, and I love what you’ve done!!
TBM said:
Love the pullouts!
bellissimom said:
It looks great!
soniarusso said:
Great job! I will definitely keep that in mind for my future house. Lovely blog, I like everything Interior Design and DIY! 🙂
Purely.. Kay said:
Oh my goodness.. I LOVE what you’ve done with the place :). I love those cabinets.. they are simply wonderful and so darn ingenious. Great post
quantumphysica said:
This is so awesome… I can hardly believe you actually made those yourself… Thumbs up and RESPECT!
riddletounfold said:
I laughed when I read “I tell my husband all will be OK because I’ve seen it before and all we needed we the right thingamabobs to pull them out” because I know that would scare the begeebers out of my husband. Your incredible looking kitchen, however, proves you say “thingamabobs” with a much more convincing result.
ADetailedHouse said:
When writing the post, I had to ask him what they were called because I *still* didn’t know what they were called after all that! “Rails” Now I know!! We were extremely naive going into that project!! Thank you SO much for visiting and reading my post!!
Viciously Sweet said:
This is beautiful. This is my first time to your blog and I have to say I’m loving it. I really like this detail it an ingenious way to make your space so much more usable!
visualriver said:
What a great idea. I just sent your blog to a friend of mine who is remodeling his kitchen right now. He’ll love it. Thanks!
ADetailedHouse said:
Thank you so much for passing my blog along!!! That is fantastic!!! How thoughtful to me and your friend!!!
amysworlds said:
Hah! What a good idea!
susan sheldon nolen said:
What fabulous ideas! I have an old Victorian that I have been working on. It too is an ongoing project!
ADetailedHouse said:
It must be fabulous – the house, not the work!! You should post pictures! I am utterly fascinated by old houses and the beautiful craftmanship! I started following your blog because I too am owned by my dogs and you by your Fox Terrier, me by my Jack Russell and German Shepherds. Good luck on the project!
susan sheldon nolen said:
Thanks!! I love doing up houses also. I tried really hard to keep my in keeping with the time period but with mod cons. So my washer is hidden, and so is the old baxi heater! It’s great fun! Funny, my first dog was a German Shepard named Bandit.
stylebyladyg said:
I am in awe of your achievements, well done you. Ha I can relate to the expletives putting the spice racks together. A simple idea that took as long as the kitchen build!, but the end result is worth it. We are going to attempt to sand, stain and varnish 3 hardwood floors next as well as entirely rip out the kitchen and kitchen floor! Eek dreading the start of this one!
fwinslow said:
Beautiful and creative! I just LOVE what you do on your blog…will be back 🙂 I feel inspired after browsing around!!
Authentic Scents said:
All I can say is WOW you have a beautiful home! I may not be the first to tell you this, nor the last! I often look at Architectural magazines and see all these beautiful homes decorated and easy flowing and then dream of my “one day” home. Everyone’s home no matter how small or how big can be presented beautifully – you just have to have an eye for it! My Aunt has several efficient space-saver/well placed sliding cabinets such as these and they are just wonderful!
zoey232001 said:
Extremely ambitous and admirable! That is a fantastic job you did. I am jealous of your kitchen. It is a dream kitchen – nice and big. You are brave for the white! It is very classy!
Nancy said:
What a fantastic idea! I love the pull-out cabinets! They are beautiful!
ladystamper said:
As a hater of wasted space, I LOVE what you did with the spice racks! How clever!! You have wonderful taste….I’ll be watching…and drooling….:o)
Raven said:
WOW! I mean, despite the difficulties you had putting it all together, what a fantastic idea! I would LOVE to have something like that. And a hutch over the range…that’s something I haven’t really seen before. Once I have my own place to do with what I wish, you bet I’ll be installing some sliding spice cabinets. 🙂 Very inspirational!
whimsyink said:
This seems like a really great solution, and a great way to save space. It also looks really nice, and is very creative. I like it!
Animalcouriers said:
Very clever and classy solution to the age-old problem of a real cook!
Cloches & Lavender said:
Beautiful kitchen I think it came out fantastic. I love all the detail.
Cynthia
Teresa Wendel said:
Envy you! My spices are stored in a low box that I have to pull out of a cupboard. I finally got smart and wrote the names of the spices and herbs on the lids so I don’t have to rummage through the entire box to find the cumin,…
Kitchens said:
These are the best kitchens that I have seen ever. If someone have kitchens like this who doesn’t want to cook there.
Thanks for sharing.
ADetailedHouse said:
Thank you for reading my blog! I appreciate it!
ramonasvintageapplianceforum said:
Happy Valentine’s Day to me – I found your blog!
Great eye candy, great taste and great design. I’m coming back to pin on Pinterest.
Love that kitchen..
ADetailedHouse said:
You are too kind!!! Great Valentine’s present to ME getting a comment like this…Thank you!!!!
Canyon Cabinetry said:
Wonderful solution you came up with! Looks great!
Annie said:
Those are the COOLEST! Talk about right at your fingertips!
tereseh said:
Amazing idea! I think I’m in love…
🙂
Rachel said:
Nice spices
Nicekitchen!!!
ADetailedHouse said:
Thanks! I organized them before the picture 😉
Sarah Meyer said:
Well done! Love it!
ADetailedHouse said:
Thank you!!
KP said:
Beautiful, I will have to remember this if I ever get the chance to remodel my horrible kitchen.
catsmum said:
makes me wish my ;’could turn his hand to anything’ late DH was still alive. He would’ve totally jumped on this idea. Well done.
cloudoflace said:
Loved this idea! You really are brilliant! 🙂
orples said:
I love the ‘inside’ cabinet options available today. They make it so much easier to get organized. The kitchen you have shown is very clever and looks like it would be a joy to maneuver in.
positivereinventing said:
beautiful work
Ronda (No 'H') said:
I really love this idea, my pantry is so disorganized and it’s diving me crazy. I think i’ll copy this! I’m pretty handy myself and with lots cabinets and some that have been vacant since moving into this house, adding pull out draws is a fantastic idea! Why didn’t I think of that? lol
pinsandpetals said:
I LOVE this. Have you experienced any drying-out of spices being so close to the heat, though?
Rae said:
Wow, these are beautiful shelves! And I love the look of a “fireplace” stove top area. Stunning!
Liz said:
wow – I want one of those! Very nice.
violetsandcardamom said:
Love that you have them right next to the stove! The hard work was totally worth it!
purpleplusdesigns said:
Reblogged this on purpleplusdesigns and commented:
AWESOME SPACE!!
Part Time Homemaker said:
Ooooh this is very nice!!! A home cooks dream!
suecarolinepage said:
Brilliant idea.
Kerina said:
I just read about your recent Spice cabinet adventure…wow that cabinet is to die for! I love how it looks like a secret door. When I buy my own house I’m definitely going to insist on one too 🙂
Anne from Glam said:
Did a pull-out myself. But it was a 5-6 foot thing that was a bit unstable and overloaded. Makes lots more sense as a spice pull-out next to the stove.
Great idea!
Kirsty said:
This is so amazing!! I want this now, when I build a house!
granolawannabes said:
awesome!
Natalie said:
I am hoping to one day have a kitchen that fantastic looking!! Great job!!
A WAH Mom's Point of View said:
Love this idea! I could use a few of those! Thanks for posting. 🙂
TeamNesbitt said:
This is an impressive project! You’re a gal after my own heart… you can’t find what you want, so you create it! ha-ha!
how many wpm can you get? said:
i love your blog, i have it in my rss reader and always like new things coming up from it.
ADetailedHouse said:
Thank you!! That is so very nice to hear!!
Cris said:
That’s very cool, an idea I would have never thought of . . . or could build, for that matter. Kudos!
cherylbsilveira said:
omg. my favorite phrase ever in quotes : “looked super easy.” love it. most of life “looks super easy” til you attempt it, like having kids, or being a stay at home mom, or staying married to the same person, etc etc. Carry on! Keep the faith!
Skipping Stars Productions LLC said:
Reblogged this on Skipping Stars Test Kitchen.
Jennifer Ward-Pelar said:
Amazing. I love the drawers. You can actually find what you’re looking for without having to move everything and then move it back. It drives me crazy! Great post.
Laal said:
inspiring! great spice cabinets! good luck on pulling through and not giving up!
aaroncoalson said:
One of my favorite posts! This looks like a job we need to tackle as well.
I look forward to learning DIY tidbits from you in the future!
aeizzy said:
Love this … so clever!
MrsPeas said:
Wow, making a functional pull-out cabinet is not a task I would take on lightly! You guys did a great job. Love the high ceiling!
naush said:
Super fabulous !! Could only dream of having a spice cabinet like that one !! Its awesome and so are, the other posts I read of yours. Amazing projects ! I’m going to keep poping over to check out your latest and oldest projects.
Love
Naush
absinthefiend said:
Brilliant and beautiful all at once. I love the cornices on the mantle, and I love the economy of space these pullout racks achieve. Well played!
emmycooks said:
What a beautiful kitchen! I SO want spice racks like that–but without any of the work. 🙂
Emma's Diary said:
Omg your kitchen is stunning!
spilledcookies said:
Oh my gosh! I absolutely love crown molding and the creative ways you put it to use are amazing!! I love the idea of the pull out spice racks too!! You guys did a terrific job! Thank you for sharing!
Cherry
steelbluebird said:
Beautiful house!
doctoratehousewife said:
Awesome idea. I’m always using my spice cabinet racks!
Ben Leib said:
I love the title of this post. I’ve got to admit, I’m not a homeowner, but that kitchen and those spice cabinets are pretty awesome.
Hope said:
I am in love!!!! Your pullouts are amazing! I have been trying to figure out ways to make my kitchen more functional and I think converting my small upper cabinet next to the stove would work great as a pullout!
swindence said:
I finally took some time to wander through and love what you are doing with your home! We hope to renovate our kitchen some day and you have some great ideas. Will be following with interest…
Wendy said:
Fabulous! I just love what you did! Now, I have to go look at my kitchen to see if there’s space to do something like this….
gardendak said:
Love the pull out spice racks. I have a really nice kitchen that I love but no good place for spices. And, I love to cook so I have many. I am so impressed. Very nice site.
jamily5 said:
You rock! you are much more determined than I could ever be. I admire youer persistency.
Kelly K @ Dances with Chaos said:
I want those spice racks, but my husband’s DIY knack is more electronic related – our marriage might not survive the thingamabobs….
Feng Shui By Fishgirl said:
wow! i love how they are positioned right on either side of the stove.
memyselfandkids said:
You’re attention to detail amazes me.
makeup101 said:
I like your Detailed House blog. It’s god to know that some people still cook the old fashioned way and use spices. With all the prepared food and fast food people eat now days, using spices is becoming a lost art. Good job!
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reubenswoodcrafts said:
Hi. Amazing site! A bit too grand for me, but I like it all the same. I wish I had your followeing. I had to leave a comment about the spice racks. I too am a suckker when it comes to clean and clver design. This sort of thing is right up my alley. The design is simple, yet effective, blends in well but most importantly…. its functional. I have to admit, I admire design much more if it is functional and has purpose. Good work – hope to see more like this in the future. 🙂
graysmum said:
this is EXACTLY what I’m looking for! HOW WIDE IS THE SPACE YOU HAD FOR THESE CABINETS? I’m showing this picture to my contractor, but would love to know your dimensions.
Thanks!
ADetailedHouse said:
Hi! The space that we had to fit the cabinets in was 7″ wide, so our top spice racks are 5.5″ wide, 22″ high and 20″ deep. Also look at some of my other posts for better pictures, like: http://adetailedhouse.com/2012/02/03/to-the-kitchen/
Let me know if you have any other questions!
graysmum said:
This is EXACTLY what I’ve been looking for. Can you please share the dimensions of your space so I can show this to my contractor?
Thanks!
Christina said:
This is exactly what I needed to read. What a great job, your kitchen looks great! I need to make my spice pull out a size that pre made ones don’t come in as it will be around 20 inches high. I was just wondering if the pull out rails are only installed on the sides of the middle shelf or if there is anything under the pull out at the bottom?
ADetailedHouse said:
Hi Christina! I do not have any other rails except the ones installed on either side, which offers plenty of support. If you look through some of the kitchen pictures (maybe in other posts), the pullouts below only had one rail on each side and they were from a kitchen cabinet manufacturer.
Another option would be to install the rails on the top and bottom. Hope this helps 🙂
Christina said:
Thanks so much, this is very helpful!
ADetailedHouse said:
Oh good!! The project is SO worth it!! Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
Linda Hill Hritz said:
We are refinishing our kitchen from Home Depot stock unfinished cabinets. We ended up with that 5 inch gap and I really wanted a spice drawer.for that. I found one on line, for $500, which is more than we paid for the entire corner of cabinets. You’ve inspired us. I am making a pantry by cutting and stacking 12 inch cabinets. You talking about doing it will justify it to my husbnad. THANKS 🙂 🙂 🙂
ADetailedHouse said:
I LOVE that this inspires you!!!! That to me is inspiring!! If you have any questions, please let me know 🙂 Good luck on your project!!