Locker clean up

Justin picked up an old metal storage locker last week. Initially, it was going to be a case of a quick wash then off to the antiques centre. We then decided it would make a great home for all our cleaning stuff which is scattered around the house in various corners & cupboards. So it became an up-cycling project instead.

The weather was still gorgeous then – the perfect job for a sunny afternoon in the garden.

The metal was primed, then painted a warm buttermilk cream colour to match other pieces in the kitchen.

We bought some clear, sticky-backed vinyl which can be printed on using a ordinary ink-jet printer. Then designed a little word cloud with appropriate housekeeping terms and ran a couple off (more of that later).

This was then attached to the door.

The locker is tall enough for mops & brushes which is ideal. There’s space for buckets and also a shelf on which sit polishes & sprays. We have a small section of wall between the window and door to the garden. It’s exactly the width of the locker so it’s found a perfect home.

We’re very pleased with the results. If you fancy doing something similar, we printed off two copies of the word cloud. We can post the other one off. You could use it on a similar locker, a wooden box – or perhaps an existing cupboard that you have in the house. Anyone interested? Just leave a comment on the post and we’ll pick someone at random in a week or so!

3 Tips for Measuring Kitchen Cabinets

_{image credit: Joe Wolf}

Starting a kitchen remodel can be an exciting time – it can also quickly become a time you can’t wait to just be over and done with. Many home-owners don’t realise all that is included in a kitchen renovation, but with some additional knowledge, the task can actually turn into something that can be fun!

Here are some tips to follow when starting out in selecting new kitchen cabinets.

Use all the free tools available

Many home improvement and cabinet stores have great cabinet materials that can help you start measuring your cabinetry and see what options are in stock that will fit your needs. This material is typically free and can save you a lot of time in planning. It’s important to keep in mind that unless you’re doing custom cabinetry, you’re fairly limited to the cabinets that are kept in stock.

In addition to brick and mortar stores, many companies have online tools that can be very helpful in laying out a new cabinet design. Often, they will then tell you exactly what cabinets you will need to finish off your new design. It’s almost like having a personal kitchen designer to help you from start to finish.

Use the measurements from old cabinets

If you like the general layout of your current kitchen, but want an updated look or wood, use the measurements from your existing cabinetry to give yourself a starting point for your design.

This can be especially helpful if you’ve lived with the existing cabinetry – you know what drives you nuts about the current layout and what improvements should be made for a better functioning kitchen. Use this knowledge to your advantage!

Another alternative is to simply refinish your existing cabinets with new hardware, stain, etc.

Often times home-owners are shocked that their existing materials can be refinished into beautiful, updated pieces to give their kitchen a whole new look. While this might not be for everyone, it’s definitely an option to consider.

Things to consider

If you decide to go with in-stock cabinets, keep in mind that some cabinets require an additional cabinet to sit next to it, or a separate trim piece needs to be purchased to make the cabinet have a finished look. Also, this might seem obvious, but most DIY-ers are surprised to find out that cabinets aren’t finished on the top. They are designed to have a counter top placed on top of them to finish them off. This is important to consider if you’re considering in-stock cabinetry for other uses besides traditional kitchen or bathroom use.

Also, have you ever noticed that in typical kitchens the cabinets above the fridge are actually deeper than the rest of the cabinetry? This is done on purpose. Many people learn the hard way that this isn’t just a style preference. The cabinets are designed to be deeper so that they are more easily accessible. Keep this in mind when designing your kitchen layout.

Additionally, you might want to consider adding electricity to your cabinets, especially if you’re adding in an island. This can save you a lot of headaches, and it allows you to use kitchen appliances on your island, adding to your overall available work space.

[disclosure*]

Author biography: Alex Orton is a PR and content marking professional living in Washington DC. He has worked in both the software and non-profit space and enjoys writing, politics, and running around the nation’s capital. Alex enjoys writing articles for companies like Knotty Alder Cabinets.

Growing our own

This year we decided to grow more of our own – and we’ve got no excuse, as Todmorden‘s the home of Incredible Edible.

We have a variety of crops to look forward to in the coming weeks.

Most of them are growing in containers as much of our garden is paved with stone cobbles. It also makes protecting them from the ubiquitous slugs & snails much easier.

We use lots of the old galvanised metal ‘dolly tubs’, buckets and bins.

The plants seem to like it!

Potatoes, beetroot, carrots, tomatoes, rhubarb, strawberries, broccoli, courgettes, squash, peashoots, salad leaves, a variety of herbs – and yes, those are figs.

There’s still a little room for some flowers.

Perennials like the hostas, astilbes and lupins return each year like old friends. Although this year’s harsh winter saw a few losses.

To these we add a few annuals – osteospermums, lobelia and the like.

We’ve enjoyed working in the garden this year, growing our own. We don’t think self-sufficiency is here just yet – but hopefully we’ll reap some rewards!

Cupboard love

This vintage 1950s kitchen cupboard / kitchenette has been this week’s little renovation project.

We collected it from a garage over in Wakefield and set about giving it a bit of TLC.

First of all, it got given a good wash inside & out with hot, soapy water. The original red Formica laminate was very faded and mottled, so we repainted it in a lovely vintage spearmint green colour. If you’re uncertain about what colour you want you can buy little tester pots. You can even get colours specially matched at many local DIY shops.

We lined the shelves with a chintzy oil cloth that we bought online.

It’s now standing in our Picture House Antiques pitch waiting for someone to come along and give it a new home – in the meantime, it’s great for displaying our kitchenalia shop stock.

H is for Home Harbinger

Category: diy