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The Cabinets

October 18, 2008

The budget is quickly dwindling, and we still have lots of big-ticket items. One thing we’ve been worrying about is what to do about cabinetry, which is always expensive. For just about everything we need not just a deal, but a steal.

Builder Scott called me late in the afternoon last Wednesday.

“I’m at Habitat. There are cabinets here. Come over.” he says.
“How many?” I say.
“There’s four. They’re hickory. They’re good. Come over.” he says.
“That’s not enough,” I say. “I think they should all match, don’t you?”
“It’s a small kitchen. These are good. Come over.” he says.

So I go. (Actually, my stupid car wouldn’t start, so Scott came and got me and we went back together.)

The cabinets are good. But there are only four. There are guys bringing other cabinets in the door as we’re standing there.

“What about those?” I say.
“They’re white,” Scott says.
“But there are a ton of them,” I say, “And they all match!”
He ponders.
“Maybe we could send them out to the cabinet shop and get them painted,” he says.
“Or maybe we could paint the walls some crazy color and clean them up and keep them white,” I say.
“Maybe could send them out to the cabinet shop and get them painted some crazy color,” he says.

We ask the guy to price them. We know that if we bought them at say, Lowe’s, or a custom shop, they would be anywhere between $2500 - $6000.
Scott predicts the guy will come back with a price of about $1500.
I make no prediction, because I don’t incessantly and compulsively hang out at Habitat for Humanity like Scott does.
The guy comes back with a price of $850.
I buy them on the spot.

Here’s how they looked on that day. I’ll put a picture of the finished result in the slide show.

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