Hi there!
This past weekend we did an unexpected project! We began by just planning to add molding to our very plain white cabinets. We live in a builder grade home and are upgrading and customizing things as we go! We had the option of upgrading the cabinets to have molding when we purchased the home but decided we would rather do it ourselves, save some money and get the exact look we wanted. Anywho… we did the molding on the cabinets and then just kept going! One thing that always bugged me about our kitchen was the big, huge microwave. It was the first thing you saw when you walked in, and I didn’t like that. So we decided to build a custom venthood instead and buy a smaller microwave to sit on the counter by the fridge. Keep reading if you’re interested on how we took our kitchen to a whole new level in one weekend!!
We started by building the molding that would go on the cabinets. We built each piece first and then attached it to the cabinets. We stacked a 1×3, then a 1×4 vertically, then a 1×2, then another 1×3 (see below)! We just nailed all of them together but Im sure you could use wood glue if you wanted to! We really like to buy the already primed wood that home depot sells, it makes the painting process so much easier and the boards are usually really straight and not warped.
So we just worked our way around the tops of the cabinets. The most difficult part of this was making sure the corners matched up. It’s just a matter of measuring, I know you can figure it out! Plus small gaps can always be filled in when you caulk before you paint!
After the molding was up I already loved my kitchen so much more! But my husband wanted to keep going!! I always dreamed of removing the microwave and he jumped right in! It was very easy to take down; you just unscrew the big bolts that are in the top cabinet. We still wanted to be able to vent above our stove so we bought a regular white vent hood from Home Depot. This was pretty simple to install, you just screw it up into the bottom of the cabinet and then connect the duct work and tape it really well! (sorry for the dark photos, we were working at night after the little one went to bed) Notice we removed the cabinet doors… we just couldn’t stop with the ideas at this point ha!
Now time to build the vent hood cover!! We started by building the “box” for the bottom with 1×6’s. Just measure how far the hood sticks out and nail the box together. Then attach it to the cabinets with your nail gun. Next we measured and cut two 1×2’s to lay on top of the box and create the slope for the hood!
Next we measured and cut the plywood for the front and sides. It doesn’t have to fit perfectly if you plan to add trim on top like we did. We just slid the front piece of plywood on top of the 1×2 slope, and it rested inside the box!
Now measure and cut your triangles out of the plywood for the sides! We glued the triangles in.
Almost done with the hood! We bought lattice trim from home depot and used it for the battens on the vent hood. We ended up nailing these on because thats just how we roll ha! (we are not huge fans of wood glue) BUT you can totally glue these pieces on however you want! Then your vent hood is done! Time for caulking and painting!
So I always wanted open shelving in our kitchen, I just needed something to break up allllllll the white cabinets in a row! But we wanted an easy and affordable solution so we took the doors off the cabinets. I caulked and painted all the molding, vent hood cover and the insides of the two open cabinets. Then we cut some 2×12’s to fit into the cabinets for the shelves. I thought using bigger thicker wood would give a better illusion of floating shelves instead of just painting the previous cabinet shelves white.
I stained them with my VERY favorite wood stain. It’s by Behr and the color is Cordovan Brown, you can find it at home depot (exterior stain). I love how this part turned out and I cant wait to style these shelves for every season!!
Before
After!!
What do you think?? I plan to share more up close videos and details on my Instagram stories (@thebloomingnest) so follow me along over there! Thanks for stopping by!
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