Our Moody DIY Basement Kitchenette REVEAL!
August 17, 2023
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A reveal of our basement kitchenette transformation -- from an empty alcove
with cement floors to a super functional space we love!
There are a few more projects to finish, but I'm calling this one DONE for
now! I'm really, really proud of the work I did in this space. I tackled a
few "firsts" and they turned out so well.
We absolutely fell in love with this layout when we walked through our
framed home all those years ago...but the basement is what completely sealed
the deal for our family.
There was a dedicated spot for a future kitchenette, and I thought we'd
tackle this spot soon after moving in.
Ha!! That did not happen. More than five years later I started working on
building this kitchen and I worked my butt off on it before the holidays
last year so we could use it during the winter months.
This is how the room looked for years:
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Because I thought we were going to finish this space sooner, I didn't even
have our builder install carpet here. It was a pain for those five years,
but it was nice to not have to pull that up!
When our son was younger this was a great spot for coloring and
crafts.
Over time we transitioned to a bigger table in the adjoining space, so this
was just a storage spot for everything that would eventually go there.
:)
1. The kitchen plan and layout.
I knew from the start I wanted this room to be moody and cozy like the rest
of our basement. I also wanted to put this great space to good use.
Last fall I shared
my plans for this empty kitchenette
and the cabinet layout I had decided on. I threw together some very basic
graphics to show you the three sides of this room:
The only appliances we had to consider were wine fridges we already had and
a full sized fridge. We had a water line run for that when we built.
The part I was most excited about was the sink! We had that plumbing roughed
in when we built the house, so that placement was already set right in the
middle of the back wall.
I think the builder of our home meant for the kitchenette to only be placed
along the long back wall, but I knew we should take advantage of all that
space!
2. The cabinet options and what we picked.
After months researching the best cabinet options for the money,
I knew custom wasn't going to be a consideration. So I was looking into
online and hardware store options.
I shared the
pros and cons of ALL of the cabinets available online and in store
at the big box hardware stores.
I decided on unassembled cabinets because they offered all the bells and
whistles -- higher quality, soft close drawers, better materials -- but for
less than similar options because I would have to assemble them
myself.
Putting them together was surprisingly easy! The instructions are simple to
follow. I've used a lot of cabinets for projects over the years, and these
were by far my favorite:
I would 100 percent consider these for any future projects!
The cabinets were installed by contractors. I highly recommend having professionals do this for a large project!
Contractors who are familiar with cabinet installation will know how to add
spacing between each cabinet, which is important when opening doors and
drawers.
3. Installing LVP flooring for the first time (and my thoughts).
For years I eyed a LVP (Luxury Vinyl Plank) flooring every time I walked
through Home Depot.
I was excited to finally get it down after all these years of cement floors!
After living with it for a bit, I shared my
thoughts on LVP flooring and some installation tips:
Not saying I ever want to do it again, but it wasn't horrible. :)
Our LVP flooring has held up beautifully! No scratches, dents or water
damage so far.
4. Installing the countertops, sink and faucet.
I've transformed many rooms from top to bottom over the years, but there
were still a few DIY projects I hadn't tried. That's why I'm SO proud of
what I accomplished in this space!
Because I'm impatient, figured out how to
install the butcher block counters, sink and faucet myself. I've installed smaller countertops before, but nothing quite this
big.
I cut the butcher block down, then treated and installed the counters. After
that I cut out and inserted the sink, installed the faucet (and learned how
to add plumbing to roughed in pipes) and the garbage disposal all on my
own.
It was starting to come together!:
I can't even TELL you how excited I was to have a working sink in that room
and that I had done it myself! :)
It's been months and not one leak!
5. My backsplash pick and DIY "brass" gallery rail.
When I saw some crazy inexpensive
black and gray ceramic tiles that looked like marble, I was hooked! They were exactly the look I had in my head for the
backsplash.
I installed them using
the adhesive tile mats
I love so much and then got to work on the long shelf (nine feet!) above the
backsplash:
I've always loved the look of a brass gallery rail on a shallow shelf --
they are so classy looking and the shiny metal is a nice touch with the
darker tones.
The true brass options are crazy expensive though, so I came up with a
much
cheaper DIY tipping rail option
using items from the craft store. I LOVE how this turned out!!
6. Adding counter-to-ceiling built ins.
This space is a great size! I could have gone with upper cabinets all the
way around the room, but I knew it would be wasted space.
You know how I love some smart storage, but we don't need quite that
much! :)
We only had uppers hung along the refrigerator wall, and left the other two
walls open. My husband and son insisted on a TV, so that took up most of one
wall.
On the other one, I had a plan for a bit of decorative shelving that would
be useful but also look great. One of my last projects in this space was
building these simple
counter-to-ceiling built ins:
I love that they add a bit of character, plus hold our wine glasses (find
those
gold wine glass brackets here) and some other bar-type items.
7. Filling in that empty space above the cabinets.
I've always disliked that awkward empty space between the top of upper
cabinets and the ceiling, at least when it's such a an in between distance
like this:
At our last house, I shared how I
extended our existing cabinets up to the ceiling
and made them look custom.
This time I had to change up my method a little bit, because I wanted to
hide that space, not use it.
I made this one up as I went! 😂 Instead of making boxes for above the
cabinets, I nailed some scrap wood into the ceiling so the front pieces of
wood could nail into them:
You can barely see it here, but I also nailed a strip of wood into the top
of the cabinet so the front panels could be nailed in at the top (ceiling)
and the bottom.
This was by far my least favorite project. All the angles
suuuucked.
But it's done!:
Let's take another look at how this basement space looked before!:
And how it looks now!
|
| See how I built that shelf above the fridge here! |
The whole build took about three months and we saved up and paid cash for
this entire project. The only part I did not do was the cabinet
installation.
We have absolutely LOVED having a functional kitchen down there!
Last winter we entertained down there quite a bit, and having a sink and
fridge has been wonderful. I'm SO glad we went with a full size
refrigerator. It's wonderful for snacks and frozen foods we make in the air
fryer. :)
There are a couple more small projects I'd like to do in this space. One is
a fun accent wall treatment here:
And then I plan to build a bar/peninsula to the left of this wall of
cabinets:
It will hold the microwave and bar accessories, and will provide another
spot to sit in the basement. I have it all figured out in my mind, and I
plan to get that finished up before the end of the year.
Here's a list of a few of the items in this project:
- The baskets are from Target and I can't find them anymore, but these are very similar.
- The rug in front of the sink has pretty green and blue tones.
- Those glass storage jars are SO pretty. I love them!
- The large art was from HomeGoods.
- The brown lamp is from Target. (I changed out the shade so it would tuck into that corner better.)
- This is our third black quartz sink -- I don't know if I'll ever go back to stainless!
- The pretty shagreen oval tray is from Target.
So fun! I hope you enjoyed the DIY recap and the kitchenette tour! :) If you
have any questions please let me know in the comments.
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The kitchenette is beautiful. Do you have a drop ceiling in your basement?
ReplyDeleteThank you! No, we have nine foot ceilings down there, it's great!
DeleteYour basement kitchenette looks fabulous! You did a great job. Love the design, colors, and finishes.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
DeleteWOW!!! Amazing ~ it's beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThank you Reenie! :)
DeleteBeautiful! (As is all of your projects!) My OCD wants you to "crown" your DIY shelving to match what you did above your cabinets. But I'm anal like that. =)
ReplyDeleteThank you!! I'm planning on it! I have to finish the last smaller projects first. :)
DeleteOh my gosh that's amazing! You did such a great job on that. I love all of it!
ReplyDeleteThank you Stephanie!!
DeleteLovely use for a basement; the kitchen is beautiful but about the one upstairs?
ReplyDeleteSo gorgeous!!!! Congratulations on creating such a beautiful and functional space! I imagine it'll make you smile every time you look at it! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat job, well done! Plus, you've obtained more skills.
ReplyDeleteDoes your husband help you with projects?
ReplyDeleteNo, he helps me carry things (like all of our cabinets down the stairs). But otherwise I do everything myself. :)
DeleteCan we have a post dedicated to sinks and why you love this one? I saw the link routed to offset drain and my curiosity was peaked. - KNatGU
ReplyDeleteGood idea! I love the black because it hides everything and I have loved the touch of black in our kitchens.
DeleteLove it all. What color are your cabinets?
ReplyDeleteThank you! They are the Dove Gray color.
DeleteWow!!!
ReplyDeleteWow! Turned out beautiful! Another GREAT diy!
ReplyDeleteOh my...WOW!
ReplyDelete