I’ve been asked and asked about how we accomplished parts of the kitchen and what the costs were. Thank you for being curious! But, I feel terrible. This post, for some reason, has been slow to publish. I was actually going to publish it about two weeks ago and then we had a little mishap on placing the hardware at the wrong height. We had to sand, fill, paint and then put the hardware on again. So, all of that’s to say that I was just now able to take pictures of the whole thing with the hardware in the right spot on all of the doors. So, today I’m sharing our custom DIY Kitchen Doors and DIY cabinets – All the the Details on the costs!
*If you’re new here, we are in the midst of a very long kitchen remodel. We are the slowest DIY’ers ever. Part of that is that we do not like to work in the evenings through the week and the other part is that we pay cash for the renovations. Just keeping it real. =)
Ok, let’s jump right in.
I guess we will talk about the original kitchen cabinets first. We KEPT all the cabinets and drawers in the ‘U’ shape. There was nothing wrong with the actual cabinets or drawers and this saved us a lot of money! The drawer fronts on all the drawers and the cabinet doors were tossed out.
The drawer fronts (look closely below to see) were broken in a few spots on multiple drawers.
My grandpa and I then made drawer fronts. We made them out of poplar (since we were painting them – we used Benjamin Moore Advance to paint them) and used the original drawer fronts for sizing. I believe we made 13 of them and they ended up costing around $125. They were pretty easy to make since I’m a simple girl. I wanted just a rectangle with no border or anything.
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*Edited 02/23 to add: The paint color is Cracked Pepper by Behr but we had it color matched so that we could use the Benjamin Moore Advance line. The handles are Lewis Dolin brushed bar pulls. You can find the brushed brass pulls at Lowes, My Knobs and Hardware Hut.
The cabinet doors were another story. There was really nothing wrong with the cabinet doors other than I didn’t like the inset, raised panel AND the hinges were all on the outside. After lots and lots of looking (locally and online), we came to the realization that we weren’t going to get the look we wanted without replacing the cabinet doors. The hidden hinge hardware was not meant to be mounted on a door with a raised inside panel. We were going to try to make them work but we weren’t having much success. So, we went back and forth on whether to make the doors or have them custom made. After talking it over with my Grandpa (who helped me DIY the woodworking part of the kitchen), we decided to have them made.
We ended up paying $505 for all the cabinets (including holes drilled for all the hinges and the hinges themselves)! The price ended up being just under $23 a door. When you figure in the time to drill the hinge holes and the price of the hinges, I feel like we got a steal. If you don’t know, the hidden hinges are $5.99 for two hinges. So, we would have needed 42 hinges to hang the cabinets. The hinges themselves would have come to around $130.
Just to lay all the cabinet door details out – the price included the unfinished door, the hinge holes drilled and the hinges. The door price would go up if you wanted a fancier door face. I wanted the simplest thing they had and I ended up with the cheapest price because I was planning to paint them. If you wanted, say an oak cabinet door, then that would have been a little more expensive.
(Buy the Highland Cow art in our Society6 shop)
Ok, so that get’s all the drawer fronts and cabinet fronts taken care of. Let’s chat about the wall that we completely took out in our kitchen and the cost/details of rebuilding it.
Originally, we had this:
I hated the desk in the kitchen, because it was a clutter trap for us. Also, it was too low to do any kitchen prep on, so I felt like it was wasted space.
We took it out and then started moving things around.
Eventually, we ended up here:
We’ve already talked about the cabinet doors and drawer fronts, so let’s focus on the actual cabinets themselves. My grandpa and I built the fridge enclosure, the pantry and the two cabinets that flank the stove. I think the total cost of these units, once we finished, was around $475. There’s quite a bit of wood there and the pantry has lots of shelves.
As far as a how-to on what we did, I’m not going to get into the step-by-step of that. This project was way out of Luke and I’s skill set as well as tool set. I do think we could have managed to make the cabinets that flank the stove. Also, I know there are good tutorials out there for making them, but if we would have done it ourselves… our cabinets wouldn’t have been adjustable nor would our shelves been edged with wood to make them look finished.
As far as the fridge enclosure with the wine cabinet and the pantry, we would have been totally lost by ourselves. The tricks to keeping it all square (and the big pipe clamps to do this) would have been way over our head. Plus, my Grandpa decided to make up plans so that both units could be carried in the house and then tipped up, meaning the back of each unit is at an angle. Then the trim covers the angle so that you don’t see it was built that way. Anyways, the math on that part alone would have thrown us for a loop.
All of that’s not to say that you can’t do this on your own. It’s to tell you that, with our building experience (the Mid-Century bed is the only thing we’ve built), it was way out of what we could do.
I’ve kinda spread out the price breakdown throughout this post, so I’ll tally it all below.
DIY Drawer Fronts – $125
Custom Cabinet Doors and Hinges – $505
DIY Pantry, Fridge Enclosure with wine rack, and cabinets that flank the oven – $475*
*Includes things like screws, nails, wood glue, etc.
Total – $1105
We feel great with what we DIY’d versus what we paid to have done. I think we spent our money really well here. Would you have done something different?
John Morrison says
February 2, 2016 at 6:55 amWITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE DOORS , I WOULD HAVE TACKLED THE CABINETS MY SELF,MAINLY BECAUSE I HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE AND WOULD HAVE LIKED THE CHALLENGE.
AS FAR AS THE ADJUSTABLE SHELVES . YOU CAN GET A TEMPLATE TO DRILL HOLES FOR MOVABLE SHELF BRACKETS .
I DO LIKE THE WAY YOU RS CAME OUT THOUGH ! GOOD JOB
Ashley Mayes says
February 2, 2016 at 9:45 amThanks John. We did use a template for the holes, but it was something my grandpa made forever ago. I’m a little jealous you have the skills to do all of that. I hope I can get there eventually!
Kathleen Hornbecker says
February 2, 2016 at 6:55 amThe kitchen makeover is gorgeous and I thought the cost a 100 times more than your actual cost! Outstanding transformation and encourages others to makes changes in their homes. Congrats on your kitchen project!
Ashley Mayes says
February 2, 2016 at 9:46 amThanks Kathleen! I think the key is being open to try things but not be afraid to ask for help as well. Also, it totally helps to shop around for pricing!
John Morrison says
February 2, 2016 at 6:58 amTHE SECOND REASON I WOULD HAVE TACKLED IT IS I AM ALWAYS SHORT ON MONEY !
Ashley Mayes says
February 2, 2016 at 9:46 amHaha, aren’t we all!
Kristi says
February 2, 2016 at 8:25 amIt looks incredible!!! SUCH a transformation!
Ashley Mayes says
February 2, 2016 at 9:46 amThanks Kristi! It feels pretty darn good. We still have quite a few things to do, but we are getting there.
Charlotte W says
February 2, 2016 at 8:41 amI think it looks amazing!! And it sounds like you did a great job knowing what you could manage yourself and what was best to source, and still managed to save a TON of money. Your cost is outstanding. The wall with the stove just seems to have so much more usable space.
Ashley Mayes says
February 2, 2016 at 9:47 amThanks Charlotte! The stove wall is definitely a game changer.
Julia@Cuckoo4Design says
February 2, 2016 at 9:20 amIt really is fantastic! I love how much you were able to do with your grandpa. New cabinet doors and drawer fronts are on my list too.
Ashley Mayes says
February 2, 2016 at 9:48 amThanks Julia! It totally helps to have someone in the family who is knowledgable. When I was doing my research on the doors/drawer fronts, I did see quite a few affordable sources online. They might be willing to partner?!
Brynne@TheGatheredHome says
February 2, 2016 at 10:16 amOh my gosh, this is incredible Ashley!!! I’m so glad you shared the cost for the cabinet doors – I would have expected it to be much more expensive! What an eye-opener! And how special is it that your grandpa helped you create those custom cabinets? You guys did a wonderful job!
Ashley Mayes says
February 3, 2016 at 7:05 amThanks Brynne! I agree on the cost being an eye-opener. I think sometimes we forget that we can half diy things or keep parts of thing to cut down on the costs.
Chloe Joy says
February 2, 2016 at 1:16 pmIt looks amazing! Great job! One thing I didn’t see in the price breakdown is the hardware — would you mind sharing where you found those nice handles?
🙂
Ashley Mayes says
February 3, 2016 at 7:06 amHey Chloe – Thank you. They are Lewis Dolin Brass Bar Pulls. There are quite a few stores that carry them (Lowes’s – online, My Knobs, Hardware Hut, etc.).
Rebecca says
February 2, 2016 at 11:33 pmYour new cabinets are gorgeous. Very nice job. Thansks for sharing how you did it and the cost. We are getting ready to redo our kitchen, so the information helps!
Ashley Mayes says
February 3, 2016 at 7:07 amThanks Rebecca! When I’m getting ready to tackle something, I always love it when I can see budget information so you are quite welcome.
Jenn says
February 5, 2016 at 8:17 amThis looks AMAZING!! I love it!!
Ashley Mayes says
February 6, 2016 at 8:53 amThanks Jenn! I love looking at the before/progress! It totally makes the whole reno worth it!
Janet Sutton Towner says
February 5, 2016 at 9:54 amWhere did you buy your cabinet doors, they look very nice.
Ashley Mayes says
February 6, 2016 at 8:54 amThanks Janet! http://kdproduct.com
Ashley ~ 3 Little Greenwoods says
February 20, 2016 at 4:40 pmWhoa. This kitchen is incredible! Thank you for sharing the cost for the cabinet doors – I would have expected it to be much more expensive! I can’t wait to see what room you tackle next!
Ashley Mayes says
February 22, 2016 at 7:12 amThanks Ashley! We aren’t finished yet, but we are close! I love reading detailed price breakdowns because I find it so interesting (and informative!). So, I felt a bit weird putting it all out there, but I’m glad I did.
LR Harrell says
February 20, 2016 at 4:59 pmGetting things together to redo my kitchen, and I love the paint color you chose. Who makes it and what color is it? Looks almost like what I’ve chosen. You’ve done such a wonderful job!! I so wish I could move cabinets around, but I am removing my built-in microwave, too. It’s too high for me, and am filling space with a couple of additional shelves/cubbies. Thanks for sharing your beautiful success!!
Ashley Mayes says
February 22, 2016 at 7:17 amThank you! We used Benjamin Moore Advance and had it color matched to Behr Cracked Pepper. I would definitely recommend spending a bit more and getting the BM Advance line. It’s an amazing paint line. I bet those shelves/cubbies will look so good! Good luck on your renovation!
Kati says
February 21, 2016 at 3:08 pmThis is such a beautiful transformation! I agree that you spent your money very wisely. I’m super impressed with the difference for only $1105. Great job!
Ashley Mayes says
February 22, 2016 at 7:18 amThanks Kati! We still have some things to do (tile the walls, flooring, sink, etc.), but overall, we are super happy with how it’s coming out and the price breakdown.
Judy Auten says
February 22, 2016 at 1:34 pmWhat is the color and brand of paint that you used on the cabinets? They look so nice with the white brick.
Ashley Mayes says
February 22, 2016 at 2:03 pmThanks Judy! We used Benjamin Moore Advance paint and had a paint store color match to Behr’s Cracked Pepper.
mandy cat says
August 25, 2016 at 5:30 amYou’ve already made some wise decisions. Trying to work in the evening is a good way to burn out in a hurry; working at a slow pace is always better if you can possibly manage it. Paying cash instead of going into hock = good. Knowing the limits of your own skills = even better. Of course, your smartest choice was getting the right grandfather, hearty congrats on that one.
Ashley Mayes says
August 27, 2016 at 11:59 amThanks so much!
James King says
August 30, 2016 at 8:37 amThese look amazing! Great work, we’re needing some new ones as well, we have just re-done the floor in our kitchen with some amazing quartz tiles!
Ashley Mayes says
September 7, 2016 at 9:51 amThanks James! I bet those tiles are great.
Alex says
January 4, 2017 at 10:15 amLooking for paint to use on my cabinets and love how yours turned out! How is the Paint you used holding up? Did you have to put any protective top coat over it and is the matte finish hard to clean? Also wondering about how much preparation it took before painting, like if it took any sanding or deglossing. Thank you!
Ashley Mayes says
January 11, 2017 at 7:16 amIt’s great. I’d definitely recommend Benjamin Moore Advance line – it’s specifically made for wood. I didn’t do any sanding but I did clean them all off with a wet rag. No protective coat – just make sure to let the paint cure as the brand recommends.
Melanie C. says
January 29, 2017 at 10:11 amI absolutely love this look! Great job! Are your floors original? Do you know what color they are? The floor color compliments the cabinets so well.
Is this cabinet color good for hiding stains? That’s what I need. I’m actually thinking about getting enamel/powder coated cabinets!
Ashley Mayes says
February 1, 2017 at 9:59 amThanks Melanie. We actually had the wood floors (shown in this post) removed so that we could have our whole house have the same wood flooring. They were red oak but that’s all I know about them.
The cabinets have been holding up great. We painted ours but I’ve heard amazing things about the powder coated cabinets.
Katie Wade says
March 28, 2017 at 10:34 amYour kitchen just became my ultimate in inspiration! We need new cabinet doors and I’ve found the whole idea very daunting. I see the company you used, were they local or did you order online? Also would you mind sharing what kind of doors you ordered material wise and how many were included in this cost? Thank you so much. I can’t wait to explore the rest of your blog. xx, Katie
Ashley Mayes says
March 29, 2017 at 8:58 amHi Katie,
The company was local but I’m sure you have a similar one where you live. Or, I have been seeing semi-handmade doors (I think that’s the company name) floating around the web. They look really nice. If you go to our “kitchen reveal” (just search that on my blog)… all the doors you see were included in that price. Door prices go up depending on if you are planning to paint or stain. Paint grade of course is cheaper. Also, if you want more ornate doors… those are more expensive too. Hope that helps!
Katie says
July 13, 2017 at 2:01 pmHi Ashley!
I stumbled upon your blog via pinterest and we just bought a home so your house and blog is definitely serving as inspiration right now for me. I love the color of your cabinets and the custom doors. That is probably the route we will have to go as well. I’m curious where you got your custom doors made? Do you have any recommendation of where to get quotes from on this type of project. We are working on a budget here 🙂
Thanks so much!
Katie
Ashley Mayes says
July 17, 2017 at 8:08 amWe got our cabinets at a local cabinet shop. In your area, I would just look up cabinet/woodworking shops (not kitchen design places) and start there. Ask lots of questions but I bet you’ll find them to be super helpful and inexpensive!
Helen Tutt says
March 14, 2018 at 3:41 pmHello!
I was searching for dark cabinet kitchens, found your blog & I’m in love with it – especially the kitchen! We’re hoping to do something similar & I wondered if I could get your advice on the cabinets above the fridge. I LOVE them & I think I have a similar skill of wood-working to you (I’ve made shelves, benches and a kitchen table, but have rarely used a table saw). Sadly I also don’t have a grandpa who knows how to make cabinets – so I wondered just how difficult was it and what made it so hard? Did you need special equipment? Many thanks 🙂
Ashley Mayes says
March 16, 2018 at 2:05 pmIt’d be hard to make without a table saw because of the width of wood you are using but if you have one… then I’d say it’s definitely within the skill set that you said that you have!
Helen Tutt says
March 19, 2018 at 11:44 pmThanks! We were thinking of buying a table saw, so this might have pushed us towards that decision. This is definitely an inspiration, so thanks for posting all the details.