Custom Builtins

Sometimes the right cabinet or piece of furniture just does not exist.  Fortunately I have a talented father who works for beer and can guide me through a design.  Lots of dust but the opening below is for a wall over and microwave.   It will not be a combination unit.   Combo unit = $2600.  Separate microwave plus wall oven of same Whirlpool line:   $1400.

The header creates a little challenge because it limits the cabinet size.  The basic idea is that we must fit a wall oven and microwave with trim kit.  The other priority is a large drawer on bottom for pots and pans.  Whatever is left can be a cabinet on top.  There is additional space behind header (see below looking up into cabinet space) so even if we have small doors there can be a pretty large cabinet.

Below is a rough sketch of the idea and it's relatively simple stuff.  Cabinet on top will have shaker style doors with a full overlay.  The top sides and bottom of cabinet can just be sanded oak plywood sheets attached directly to framing.  On the bottom is a basic base cabinet design with just one large 16" drawer and a 4" toe kick.  The primary kitchen cabinets will be a dark maple.  However, this cabinet will be painted white to give the it some neat contrast.

Plan B:  Do not use a trim kit around the microwave.  Basically it could just be a regular microwave placed in a cutout.  That will add 5" to the cabinet doors above.

Plan C:  Ditch the microwave and add two drawers below the wall oven, thereby moving the wall oven up some more.  Then use an "over the range" microwave above the cooktop and get rid of the range hood.  This design is the most practical and the most cost effective, but it does not look nearly as cool!


Another builtin we need will be for the entertainment center.   The photo below shows the space we have to work with.  The fireplace is to the left.  Above the fireplace will be the TV.  You can't see it but 8 speaker wires distributed throughout the lower floor all come out the wall in the corner.  I'm thinking of maybe some shelves that fit the same footprint of the removed drywall on the back wall.  So, the builtin would extent above the window about 1ft on each side. I guess the stereo, DVD, and cable box will need to go to the left of the window next to the fireplace.  Not ideal, but don't know what else to do.  Can't angle them because the space to the right of the window is not big enough.