When we first moved into our house, I would just stare at the wasted, open space above our cabinets and scream (inside my head), "WHY?!" The extensions on the sides of the cupboards that went all the way to the ceiling didn't make any sense and gave the appearance of the cupboards being unfinished. Perhaps they were unfinished. Who knows? So from day one I had been considering how we could change up our cabinet arrangement without getting new cupboards.
Removing the Cupboards
To get started, we invited some burly friends over to take down the cabinets. Boy, were they heavy! We weren't even sure how they were mounted onto the walls, so that was a bit stressful. Turns out they had been nailed directly into the wall, with the nails being driven diagonally through the wood of the cupboards. We were a little worried we'd accidentally bust up the cupboards while prying them off the wall with a crowbar. But thankfully they remained intact! Whew!
Once the cupboards were down, we took them outside to cut them down to the desired size. To do this, we used a circular Skil saw, which is a great tool for this particular job because of the long metal edge along the blade that is easy to guide along an edge to cut a really straight line. You could use a clean-cutting blade on a jigsaw too, but it's so much easier to keep a circular saw perpendicular to the cutting surface.
We taped the area to be cut with duct tape to help prevent splintering. Then we clamped down a straight edge (we used a scrap piece of wood) to guide the blade, making sure that it was spaced the same distance as the distance between the saw's blade and the metal edge of the saw. This kitchen renovation was the first time I used a circular saw by myself (for cutting down the shelves when I didn't want to drive to my dad's house yet again to use his table saw), and I'll tell ya right now—I'm putting one of these on my Christmas list. What a handy tool to have for the budding woodworker/renovator!
I used poplar wood to create shelves to mix in with the new cabinetry arrangement. I selected poplar because it's harder than pine or the "whitewood" that you find at places like Lowe's and Home Depot. It doesn't stain nicely, but it sure takes paint well. I used a variety of plank widths (10" planks for the lower shelves, 8" plank for the upper shelf) and attached 1x2s to the front with wood glue, clamps, and a few finishing nails. The 1×2 edge piece gave the shelves a bulkier appearance, elevating the look of a standard board without a lot of work or money. The edge also exists to hide my under-cabinet lights which will be mounted under the shelves, as well as the Ikea brackets. I did have to slice a bit of the top and front edge of the Ikea brackets, though, so they would fit nicely underneath the shelves.
After the wood glue had set up, I cut down the long planks with their new front edge, using a circular saw in the same way we cut down the cabinet above. Cutting them after attaching the front edge made for perfectly smooth edges for each shelf.
After the cupboards and backsplash were in place (more on the backsplash later!), we hung the shelves. I used these Ikea brackets which I had trimmed down to fit perfectly underneath the shelves, nestled tightly against the front lip I had attached to the boards before painting them. We didn't space the brackets with the wall studs (because the brackets wouldn't match up with the studs and still look nicely spaced), so we had to use heavy-duty bolts secured into drywall anchors (like I did here). On the brick wall, we used Tapcon screws. To put up the Ikea brackets, you just slip the metal bracket hanger over the screws or bolts, then secure with a screw through the face of the bracket and cover with those little button hole covers.
Note: The Ikea brackets are a barely off-white color, so I wet sanded those and painted them the same color as our shelves.
When we put the cabinets back on the wall, we put them all the way up against the ceiling, but we were still left with a little gap between the cupboards and the ceiling. To hide the gap on the sides where the cabinets met the wall, I used white caulk. But the gap along the ceiling was a bit wider, so we used 3/4" quarter round to cover it up with a nice, finished look. We cut the angles of the trim pieces with a miter saw (similarly to how I did in this framing post) and only goofed up on a couple of cuts. It's easy to get confused when cutting angles, even if you are confident that you're doing it right! I recommend practicing first on smaller scrap pieces before you ruin a long piece by cutting it exactly to size, but with the angle in the wrong position.
We used an air nailer to drive in nails every 12" or so along the quarter round. You could also use a hammer and nail, but be careful not to dent a soft wood with the hammer! After the trim pieces were up, I painted them with a coat of the cabinet paint to make sure the whites matched and also to fill in the tiny gaps between the quarter round and the cupboard face.
I can't even believe how fresh and open my kitchen feels now, and we added more storage instead of taking any away! The reconfiguration alongside the white paint job has given us such a dramatic change, it was certainly worth the elbow grease! -Mandi
Credits // Author and Photography: Mandi Johnson. Photos edited with Spring of the Signature Collection.
64 Comments
Way to go, Mandi! I generally prefer natural-looking woods and brown hues, but this looks so much better. I’m so impressed by your handiness!
Cat
http://oddlylovely.com
Wow, you did a super job. It looks great. I find white cupboards
always look nice and fresh!
amazing. i should try it with my kitchen
I love love LOVE the idea of using open shelves instead of cabinets. It makes a large space look huge, but in my little tiny apartment, it ought to make my space look just about right. Very cool!
Great inspiration on how to reconfigure a kitchen rather than throw everything out and buy all new. Very creative solutions.
I absolutely love what you guys did!!! Mixing open with closed shelving is a great idea 🙂
We move into our new home in three weeks. I cannot even wait to put to use all of these ideas into my own space. Awesome job! Love it!
This is such a clever idea! I love the idea of an open shelf for the daily used things to keep them off the countertop
It’s amazing how a little paint can go a long way. I love how you did the top white and the bottom black, it’s the best of both worlds.
This is so beautiful! Thanks for showing that this is actually doable on my own!
Refinishing cabinets make such a big difference to a kitchen. I replaced my old ones (the doors wouldn’t even close properly – they’d just hang open) with a mix of open shelves and Ikea cupboards. The cupboards hide the not-so-pretty dishes, while I can display my showstoppers on the open shelving.
http://www.kikucorner.com
I love the idea of putting the open shelves at the bottom of the cabinets and having the cabinets go all the way to the ceiling. Genius! Open shelving is always so fun but it’s impractical. And that space above the cabinets, supposedly you can use it to showcase dish-ware, but that’s also kind of impractical (lols) and who really notices it when it’s so high up?!
But, having the open shelf on the bottom brings in style and practicality!
Nicely done!
What’s the cord dangling from the ceiling? Thanks!
xoxo,
the bbb blogger
I love this before and after. What a transformation! Looks so modern and fresh! great space to create amazing dishes!
http://www.oomphlove.blogspot.cs
Wooow! What a complete change!! Looks like two completely different kitchens!
I have the same pet peeve with builders not using space all the way to the ceiling, especially in closets. Love the kitchen; those countertops are amazing!
Wow! What an incredible job – know you still have more to go, but it is looking great! Love the fresh white mixed with the darker lower cabinets and butcher block style counters. Very pretty!
This is such a wonderful kitchen transformation. I love your new counter top and cabinets.
Nice inspiration.
xx
http://www.fashiondenis.com/
Loving these in depth posts, the kitchen looks great!
https://cornerstore.net.au
This is a much-needed fix to an all too common problem! I remember my mother and grandmother keeping all sorts of tzotchkes on “display” up in that gap above the cabinets, but when I encountered them in my last apartment, I had no clue what to do! Turns out, my cat just used it as a hiding space. If anywhere I own/live in the future has this cabinet configuration, though, I’m definitely going to keep this renovation in mind! Looks great!
<3 dani
http://blog.shopdisowned.com
I love it so much! Black cabinets + wood + gold = amazing!
Wow! Thanks for sharing! Your kitchen looks amazing. It’s crazy what a bit of paint can do with what you already have. And how great the cupboards look when up a bit higher. Well done Mandi!
Your kitchen became very beautiful, I like very much these white cabinets, that way the place looks bigger and bright. The plots are awesome too.
The kitchen looks amazing! I like the tall cupboards, they look better than the smaller ones and there isn’t a waste of space. The sinks in the corner are a great idea too.
Anca @ ancaslifestyle
Love the idea of a shelve under the cabinets!
Love how fresh this looks now. Great job.
it looks wonderful, Mandi. I am very impressed with your kitchen remodel! we recently moved our kitchen from its place to the living room, I know it sounds crazy but that way we won a much need new bedroom / studio. we still have to transform the kitchen into room but the new kitchen is already ready. I can totally relate to the crazy amount of things that fit into kitchen cupboards. I used the opportunity to purge and it feels really good 🙂
WOW, great job! And really creative idea. I love how it turned out. Thanks for the inspiration.
Yes, yes, yes! I have been thinking of doing something similar soon. A few questions: How long did the whole process take – from taking the cabinets off, to painting the wall, painting the cabinets, reinstalling the cabinets, and adding the shelf? I’m thinking of doing this during Thanksgiving break (I’m a teacher), but don’t know if I’ll have enough time.
And… “I did have to slice a bit of the top and front edge of the Ikea brackets, though, so they would fit nicely underneath the shelves.” So you have to make the top thinner, so that it would be hidden by the 1×2? Were you worried about the bracket splitting? I live a 3-hr drive from the nearest Ikea, so I’d want to buy the right number of brackets the first time around, and not have to worry about the bracket splitting.
My kitchen cupboards don’t quite go all the way to the top either, a couple of times I have braced myself and looked up there. ICK it gets so dirty. Just why can’t they just go tot he top, to the ceiling. SO dumb. My kitchen is all dark wood, very inspired, jsut need my assistant to become inspired too.
You can read more about that in the paragraph before the last before/after images. It’s from the hood vent and will connect to the next fan when we instal it. The hole in the ceiling also needs to be patched. This is still very much a work in progress. 🙂
-Mandi
Good questions! I’ll share more about the timeline in the grand reveal, but you can also see some of it broken down in this post (http://abeautifulmess.com/2014/07/refinishing-kitchen-cabinets.html) under Planning a Schedule. It all depends on how much cabinet space you’re working with, honestly. I had a lot of doors and drawers to do, which took a lot of time patching holes and sanding, priming, wet sanding, priming again, and painting. That was the most time consuming part. Pulling them off the wall and sawing doesn’t actually take that long. But any time wood filler or paint is involved, you inevitably have a drawn out project due to drying times. It’s possible to do all of the painting in one day if you’re working with a spray gun and high capacity air compressor, and if you start first thing in the morning on a day with good weather.
I did slice about 1/2″ off the top of the Ikea bracket, and trimmed down the length of the top section of the bracket too. They do sell shorter brackets, but they were too short. If you are worried about compromising the integrity of the bracket (which didn’t seem to be a problem, in my opinion), you could just use a 1×3 instead of a 1×2 to create your shelf. If the 1×3 (which actually only measures .75″x 2.75″) is too wide, you can rip it apart with a table saw to get it the exact width of the bracket+top board width. Does that make sense? If not, just ask, and I’ll try to clarify. 🙂
-Mandi
This turned out amazing! Def gives me inspo for my kitchen that is in dire need of a remodel!
Blessings!
Star
http://dearlynoted.wordpress.com/
I love that you have a rational understanding of open shelving and cabinetry with doors. I see so many lovely kitchens with all open shelving and I have no idea how they keep it that nice on a daily basis. Plastic kid plates and sippy cups need room to hide, as do the mismatched stuff we all have.
You did a lovely job. My cabinets go all the way to the top of my 9 foot ceiling so it’s certainly a way to maximize space. I love it although a step stool is needed frequently!
wow! love all of the white!
xxoo,
nikki
http://www.dream-in-neon.com
Wow, this transformation is so stinkin’ gorgeous! I absolutely adore it. I know I couldn’t live with complete open shelving, so I love the combination of both!
xoxo
Taylor
Love what you’ve done with this space…. very creative use of space and materials. Would love to hear a bit about your counter tops… it looks to be a butcher block… was this a DIY project or did you have it done?
Sorry if I missed you explaining it earlier….
I can’t get over this transformation….you wouldn’t believe it was the same kitchen. X
I’m curious…after moving your cabinets up, to make room for the open shelving, do you find the items up there difficult to reach/inaccessible, or is it all still pretty handy?
Thanks,
Rachel
This is such a great series, thank you! We are in the beginning stages of our kitchen remodel – planning, budgeting, sketching, so it’s great to follow a few (hundred!) steps behind you! Loving the transformation!
I’ll be explaining the butcher block countertops in the near future. 🙂
-Mandi
Well the upper shelf of the cabinet is now bonus storage that I didn’t have before. The open shelf under the cabinet is used to hold items I formerly kept in cabinets, so I didn’t lose any of my reachable storage, I just gained a shelf that’s a bit tricky to get to. I have a step stool beside the refrigerator which I use to reach the top shelf. I keep serving dishes, holiday dishes, and extra pantry items (flour, sugar, oil, that couldn’t fit in canisters/jars) on the top shelf, so I don’t have to get to it very often.
-Mandi
Beautiful! What color paint did you use for the cabinets?
I love the new paint color! Looks so amazing. Great job.
WOW! I love this! Great use of space!
Wow! This looks fantastic! I’ve been thinking of doing something similar.
How long did this take – beginning to end? I’m thinking of doing it during my Thanksgiving break (I’m a teacher), but don’t know if that’ll be enough time.
Thank you! The timeline is definitely dependant on the scope of your project and the amount of cabinets you are dealing with. Our kitchen had lots of cabinet doors and drawers to work with. You can see how I broken down the work in this post (http://abeautifulmess.com/2014/07/refinishing-kitchen-cabinets.html) under Planning a Schedule. The most time consuming aspect of our kitchen project was patching holes and sanding, priming, wet sanding, priming again, and painting the cabinets, and second most time consuming was the countertop. Pulling the cabinets off the wall and sawing doesn’t actually take that long. But any time wood filler or paint is involved, you inevitably have a drawn out project due to drying times. It’s possible to do all of the painting in one day if you’re working with a spray gun and high capacity air compressor, and if you start first thing in the morning on a day with good weather.
-Mandi
Wonderful and cleverly done!
For quite a while now, I’ve been into dark bottoms and all white upper cabinets.
Spot on, just so lovely to see your version. Especially the black-black, with same-tone-painted frames too.
The golden handles are a joy to behold. Very elegant and t i m e l e s s !
I love the knobs and pulls and am looking for something just like that! Where are they from?
The small rounds knobs were from a local hardware store ($2 each) and the long brass bars were found here: http://www.myknobs.com/lew31113.html
-Mandi
Awesome, thank you so much!! 😀
is a bathroom style vent enough for a kitchen? We’re remodeling our kitchen and not having to accommodate a vent hood would be awesome!
What paint colors did you use? Love the dark color with butcher block.
Mandi this is great!
Also, I am considering butcher block countertops–what wood did you choose/where did you buy?
Thanks!
My boyfriend is teeny, and I collect midcentury kitchenwares, so the space above the cabinets works great for us. He can reach (almost) everything in the cabinets, and I can store my pretties.
If you don’t mind me asking how much did it cost ? By the way it’s beautiful 🙂
Hi Mandi, beautiful job! I have a question: where, oh where, did you get the brass pulls for your drawers? We just moved, and I am itching to replace the ugly oversized knobs/pulls in our kitchen with some sleek brass. Been unable to find anything I like so far, but yours are absolutely what I want.
Love this kitchen! What gray did you use for the base cabinet?
Oh yay! I look forward to the countertop explanation! Or did I miss it already?
Thanks!
I realize this is an old post, but just wanted to comment on how impressive this transformation is, and at a minimal cost. I love the power of paint and a little bit of sweat equity. Great job!
looks great well done!
looking to do something similar with my kitchen.
I realize this is several years old now but we’re facing a similar situation in our kitchen. Our cabinets are definitely not screwed into the wall and I’d like to remove ours. Did you have much wall damage when removing the cabinets? I’m concerned about what is most likely lead paint that is a few layers below our existing wall surface. Really not interested in tearing out our walls at this point in the game.
I just googled incorporating old cabinets in a kitchen update and came across this post! We just moved into our 1957 home and are trying to figure out how to give our kitchen an update without doing a full rodel. The cabinets still function well and are solid wood, so it would be such a waste to get rid of them. And we really can’t spend very much on this. Your post has inspired us with the idea of reconfiguring them and adding on to them where needed! Thanks so much for sharing and your kitchen looks incredible! Now our main challenge lies in how to reconfigure our kitchen layout…