Area Built-ins Recreated!

Holy cow! Yesterday our front room looked like this:



and today it looks like this:


Even though this project has been planned for years, I still can't believe the transformation!

When we first moved in, we knew there should probably be built-in cabinets between the living & dining rooms, and once we started stripping away the ubiquitous white paint, we discovered there had once been cabinets, and got an idea of what they had probably looked like.

We based the design on our neighbor's wonderful built-ins, and after years of watching the local craigslist and ebay, we finally found antique cabinet doors of the right size to use as a starting point.


We handed them off to Rick at Shadowhill Custom Wood, and I set out to sand and refinish the existing posts and beam, (and agonized over how to hide all the damaged wood on the left hand post-- ugh!!) so they would look ok with the new cabinets attached.

Here's the post with the worst damage and discoloration (just after I got it sanded):


Oh, and once I got the wood stained and varnished, it became apparent that it wasn't oak after all! So far the best guess is that it's all chestnut! (I'll someday get a slice under the microscope to tell for sure).



Meanwhile, Rick created the posts and cabinets in his shop, and yesterday Team Shadowhill got everything installed and made it look like it has been part of the house since the 1920's!

Here are a few photos of the installation process:








and a couple closeups of the finished cabinets, which let a lot of light through, and open to either side.




Here's the view from the dining room-- now a separate space from the living room & entranceway!


I have been informed that these cabinets have now upstaged our fireplace as the centerpiece of our house. :D