The soapstone countertops are in and beautifully darkened up with with a good rubbing in of mineral oil. Now I'm wrapping up the last bits of cabinet doors and drawers to get back to 100% kitchen functionality. It's been 16 months since I did the first bit of demolition. We've been kitchen vagabonds for far too long.

The Secret Panel

Following ancient IKEA hieroglyphic instructions, I built a large panel from two drawer fronts and a VÅGLIG mounting rail kit. (I have no freaking clue how that's pronounced)

Say goodby to a visible dishwasher! The panel clips into place and gets screwed in from the back. This appliance is going to disappear into the cabinetry.  Shhhhhhhh... seeeectets. 

IKEA can't take the credit; apparently Franklin W Dixon created the concept in 1946:

I combined a second set of drawer fronts to make a similar panel for a trash / recycling pull-out.

I motored along through the kitchen, assembling drawers and doors until, finally I opened the last box. The last, of the 1,532,434 flat-packed, assemble-it-yourself, stack 'em so high you can't see out the office window box! 

It was glorious. With one last trip down to the recycling drop-off in the pickup, house would be free of cardboard. 

I slipped in the last-of-the-last pieces, a sink base door. I reattached the filler plate below the sink and stretched my back.  CABINETS DONE!!!

A quick roll

I gave the craftsman window trim a good coat of quality primer to protect the wood.  I don't think I'm going to be painting the kitchen and trim for a while. I'm going to wait until I install the exterior door first. 

A quick note on exterior stuff - One does not simply install a door, in Phoenix, in the summertime. It's hellaciously hot! Just plain stupid hot. I did a window a couple summers ago, and it was complete nonsense to do it this time of year. That was on the north wall, the new door is going to be on the west. Nope. I'm waiting until summer is over. 

Like the south wall, this one is primarily drawers. These full-extension, pull-outs are awesome. There are two large drawers in each cabinet, with a small, "hidden" drawer at the top for small stuff.

Installing knobs and pulls

Once again, I pulled out the outstanding Kreg Hardware Jig and started drilling holes. As easy as the jig makes it, it's a nerve-wracking thing to bore holes through brand new cabinets.

In the end, I managed to hit every location, dead on! (Check out my review of the jig: Installing Knobs and Pulls with the Kreg Cabinet and Hardware Jig), 

The whole kitchen is complete with brushed nickel knobs and pulls. 

Check out how all three of the new elements look together for the first time. The soapstone countertop, the cabinets, and the hardware play really well. They're all brand new, but look classic. 

The kitchen is far from complete, but it's at least 100% functional. We've moved all our pots and pans, dishes, and stuff into the new cabinets. We were able to demolish all the temporary kitchen setup in the dining room and cart it out to the curb. If you missed it, here's a fun video of me flattening a kitchen full of decrepit old cabinets for the bulk pickup crew.