Thursday 21 April 2016

Kitchen cabinet

I am getting bolder and bolder with my Chippendale kits, so I have now taken two kits that I have done before, closed cabinet top (the first I ever made) and hutch cabinet, to make something different. I felt I could sacrifice both these kits because they are rather common and could be replaced if I ruined them. I have more respect for some rare pieces I yet have to venture on.

The challenge was not so much combining these two bits, because the instructions actually suggest exactly this as a possible combination (my other top cabinet is placed on a desk). The challenge was the finish. I wanted this to be a kitchen cabinet for the best kitchen, where nice china would be displayed for admiration. I had various ideas, but finally decided to use wash technique. In case you don't know what it is: you dilute paint with water, and depending on the surface you can add some glue. I didn't, but just painted coat upon coat with diluted paint which was plain white with a few drops of green.


I used the same green to paint the inside of the drawer, the fronts and the top cabinet. 


I must admit that I had not anticipated it to be difficult, although I should have known better. It is extremely difficult to paint an even edge between two colours. I had to do it over and over again. Also because I painted before assembly I had miscalculated and painted the wrong colour in a few places, and it's quite hard to paint white wash over dark green.

For handles this time I used small nails.

But the most difficult task was still ahead. Thinking back on it, I feel I was very brave when I made the first kit because it isn't one of the easiest. The fronts have to be aligned:



Twice they broke. It's just starting all over again. Then gluing on the glass panels:


Hinging the fronts it quite a task. With the base cabinet, one door was really non-collaborative. I let it reflect over its lack of collegiality overnight. It usually helps. The top cabinet hinges went relatively easy.

I am very pleased with the result. I think the wash works fine together with the green, for an original look.


Comparing the two pieces, this and the mahogany cabinet, you'd almost never guess that they were made from the same kit.

I am not yet sure where the cabinet will be and what kind of objects it will be filled with, so this is just a test:




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