If you’re landing on our website for the first time, you might be surprised to discover you can find a complete high-end kitchen when shopping recycled.
This was true for our customers J & L, too. The couple was searching for cabinets for their office kitchen when they found us on Craigslist. L said she knew it was possible to find a couple of second-hand appliances or cabinets, but she hadn’t realized people were also recycling full kitchens.
They were most impressed by the quality you get for your buck when buying used.
“We were thrilled to get high-end cabinets with nice roll-outs trays and soft-close drawers for the same price as the cheapest, bottom-of-the-line sets we had found at the big box stores,” L said.
J & L went with a recycled quarter-sawn oak cabinet set by Merillat. J took on the task of installing everything himself. The couple had just finished redoing a home, but said they are by no means DIY experts, “We’ve mostly been learning as we go!”
In total, it took J about two weeks to install everything, working on the project mostly during the evenings after work.
When buying new, your cabinets are usually made to fit your space. When you shop recycled, it’s the other way around. You have to create a layout for your kitchen based on your cabinet set and how it will best fit your home.
For their office kitchen, J & L measured their space, took all the cabinets’ measurements, and drew quite a few different layouts on paper to see how everything would come together.
“It’s basically like putting together a puzzle. We kept drawing different plans for how the cabinets would fit until we came up with the layout that made the most sense,” L explained.
The couple had a few cabinets left over, so they repurposed them into a cabinet/linen desk for a bedroom. Many of our cabinet sets also come with all the countertops we can salvage in the uninstall. J & L’s granite counters didn’t work for their kitchen, but they were able to use them for desks and an office command center.
J & L said the process of installing their kitchen went pretty smoothly. Their biggest challenge was the corner. J had to cut a new base insert piece, and it took some measuring to match everything up correctly. They also had to change around and cut some trim pieces. The cool part was it worked out that they were able to use some of the extra trim to frame their built-in microwave.
We love J & L’s office kitchen project because it’s proof you don’t have to settle for cheap, poorly-made cabinets for your build or remodel.
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