Guest Post by Mr. Lettered Cottage
Meet Kev.
My husband, and the man behind the magical molding in our kitchen.
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Hello there!
I’m Kevin, and this is my first blog post. Here goes….
Let me start by saying I thoroughly enjoy working on this home. I’m truly inspired by Layla’s never-ending passion and ideas. It has been absolutely magical watching this place come to life, and it’s so cool to be a part of it.
Alright, let’s talk molding!
This project calls for a lot of miter cuts, which, if your anything like me- means you’ll be running back to the hardware store to buy more wood. It can be a little tricky trying to figure out the angles sometimes. There are online tutorials about how to cut crown molding, but I’m more of a “wing it and pray” kind of guy.
I used this Ryobi compound miter saw. It was the cheapest one in the store, but it always seems to get the job done…
Here are the various pieces of trim, MDF and molding I purchased…
It’s just 1″x6″ pre-primed MDF, some 3″ crown molding, and some small, wood decorative trim molding. All of the cuts had to be made holding the molding at an angle. It took me a minute (and a few pieces of molding) to figure that out!
Here are the cabinets above the stove before I got started…
…and here is what the cabinet on the left looked like after I attached the first 1″x6″s, and the first piece of crown molding…
And here it is, all taped in place…
I wish we had a small nail gun. With all these projects, I think it’s time to invest in one!
I used a type of caulk that starts out pink, then turns white when it’s dry. Pretty cool!
Caulk can be a real life saver if the corners of the molding don’t meet up perfectly.(Or should I say WHEN the corners of the moulding don’t meet up perfectly!)
Here is a photo of the kitchen cabinets with all of the new molding in place. That was definitely the hard part. Now on to the fun stuff!
I used small, decorative wood trim to hide the seam between the cabinet and the 1″x6″. The miters are a lot easier to cut on these little guys, because the trim sits flush to the cabinet, it doesn’t stick out at a 45 degree angle like the crown does.
Next up on my to-do list was to install an above-range microwave. I put up a piece of wood to mount the top of the microwave to.
I simply secured the shelf to the cabinets on either side with L brackets and screws. Pretty easy…
I had an electrician come over and install a dedicated outlet above the wood shelf for the microwave to plug into. It was a cinch for him to install, and since he was here less than an hour, it didn’t cost that much at all…
Oh yeah, that reminds me. I say, don’t let the placement of your outlets dictate the placement of your furniture. I used to think the T.V. had to go on whichever wall the cable outlet was on, even if it meant you hated the way your furniture was arranged. For the price of a night out on the town, an outlet can be moved. And all that furniture you worked so hard to get, will finally look/fit right!
Here I am, getting close to the finish line…
I added a piece of wood above the microwave to give it some extra visual height…and added some more of the little decorative trim and this log scale stick Layla picked up at Eastbrook for good measure! 
I painted everything black, distressed the edges, added a coat of polyurethane and put a cool old wine rack, we got for $4.99, on top. Layla isn’t a huge fan of wine racks above microwaves, but I like it, and I’d like it to stay. It even looks cool empty…
There used to be a cabinet hanging where the new microwave is, so I’m going to reuse it by re-hanging it above the refrigerator. Then on the right side of the fridge, there will be another tall, pantry cabinet, like the one on the left side of the fridge. Layla says it will make the fridge look more “built in”, and I’m down with that.
Layla still needs to add more corbels underneath the upper cabinets I just finished, but for now, it’s 6 o’clock, and I’m going to go see if she wants to kick it on the front porch with me.
One more thing though, before I sign off. I want to thank you all sooo much for all the kind comments you leave here! It truly means the world to my bride. You have all inspired her more than you will ever know. This blog has changed our lives in such a positive way…and it’s because of all of you!!
I had a great time writing this, have an awesome weekend-
Kevin
P.S. We have plans to change out the refrigerator, the dishwasher (which is broken), and the stove (which is malfunctioning) with stainless steel ones, too.
Leave a Reply
21 Responses to Guest Post by Mr. Lettered Cottage
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Sarah E says:
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Lisa Webster says:Apr 26, 2012 at 6:24 am
Yes PLEASE!!!
I am sooo excited to do this project too, but I can’t figure out how to attach the 1″x6″ to the top of the cabinets! Are they just sitting up there, like unattached boxes or are they nailed into place or something entirely different???
Help!!!
~LisaP.S. Love, Love, Love your blog!!!
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Damaris Ginorio says:
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Sandee says:
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Chelsea says:Feb 1, 2011 at 10:33 pm
You guys are so cute! My boyfriend and I are buying a fixer-upper in a few months and I cannot wait to try out some of your ideas… I am already planning… with an imaginary house with imaginary scenarios for now
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Jess and Tyler says:
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Layla says:Dec 10, 2011 at 1:26 am
Hi there! Thanks so much for the comment, you can find all the answers about the kitchen here: http://theletteredcottage.net/our-house/
We used a grey based primer and brushes. Hope you have a great weekend!
-Kev
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Jess and Tyler says:Dec 10, 2011 at 8:55 am
Ahh! Hoooray thank you so much! There comes a point where some projects just aren’t fun anymore and these cabinets have become exactly that. Did you know you can’t put laytex over oil without a primer and that you really can’t purchase oil anymore? We didn’t………and all our cabinets are olive grey oil. Words of wisdom: don’t try to renovate an entire home within the 2 months before Christmas. Used to be called Project Schmidt Move-In but we’ve given it a few other names since then…haha high five guys, you have a beautiful home! Tyler and I will have to send you a picture of the kitchen when it’s done
thank you again! -
Alissa Porteous says:
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Mary says:Feb 24, 2012 at 8:50 pm
So awesome!!! Our kitchen mirrors your “before” pic…which is terribly unfortunate for us. I’ve convinced my fiance to do this project to our cabinets, woohoo! One question…how did you attach the whole shebang to the cabinets themselves? Was that also wood glue or did you nail them in?
Thanks muchly, and I love this website guys, keep it up! It has become one of my favorite internet haunts
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Linda @ it all started with paint says:Oct 19, 2012 at 6:04 pm
I know this is an old post for you … but it’s a new idea for me. And it gives me an overwhelming amount of hope and motivation that I too can give my builder grade cabinets some style and personality! It feels doable … so every few months I stop by and revisit to remind myself what my kitchen can grow up to be one day ….
Oh, and congrats on your new home purchase. It really looks so charming. And the view looking at the lake makes me think of a Caribbean island.
And I see what you said about the finishings not being what you would have selected. But am excited to see you put your personal stamp on it …
Linda
Dumb question alert. How did you attach the 1×6 to the top of the cabinet?
I tried to see if someone else already asked this question, but could not find the comments for this post. Basically, I’m hopeless.