✏️ Crafts Room Cabinets for Karen in Williamson Valley AZ

by Steve Shearer | Aug 19, 2024 | Cabinets, Lanae Shaker Cabinets, Millwork & Trim

What you see here is the high-quality cabinets I get from 🗄️ Lanae Cabinets.

These are RTA cabinets (ready-to-install). Obviously, the most dominate piece is the triple 30 inch wide utility cabinets topped with three 24 inch tall cabinets, then a “stacked” crown molding using a six inch filler board with colonial crown molding. Her custom countertops feature Formica Dolce Vita laminate with Formica’s IdealEdge laminate bullnose.

Karen's Casita Kitchen Cabinets, 7 Nelson white shaker cabinets

7 Nelson White Shaker Cabinets, 2 Shelves

The first install I did for Karen was for her casita back in 2021. She had received several 💲over-priced bids from other local retailers previous to contacting me.

Crafts Room Cabinets for Karen in Williamson Valley AZ

White shaker hardwood cabinets for Karen in Williamson Valley AZ

Crafts room cabinets with triple-wide ten-foot-tall utility cases

Crafts room cabinets with Formica IdealEdge countertops Williamson Valley AZ

Plan view layout for Karen’s crafts room cabinets

Stacked crown molding using a six-inch filler board with colonial crown molding

Formica’s IdealEdge laminate bullnose

Bob’s Wall-to-Ceiling Crown Molding & Kitchen Remodel

by Steve Shearer | Sep 12, 2021 | Cabinets, Challanges, Custom Cabinets, Millwork & Trim

It’s not elaborate at all, we’re changing the stained wood into white shaker, but not touching the island. And we’re not done yet.

Bob’s crown molding project started on September ‎01, ‎2020. He’s been through 2 painter companies for his doors, and taking them to a shop in Phoenix for the third go-around. Today, September ‎10, ‎2021, I drilled the doors for hinges.

And I really feel good because when I went to layout the doors and drawer fronts, I only got 1 wrong, and Bob can probably use it as a frame for an artwork crafted by our local merchants.

I had finished the wall-to-ceiling crown molding on Thursday, September ‎02, ‎2021.

This is something I hadn’t done for over 20 years. And as sure as God made little green apples, I had zero experience at pricing this project. But I wanted to do it and gain this knowlege.

He wanted 6 inch crown molding, and that monkey is not available in our small town, so I had to order it. I ended up getting 14: 3/4 x 6-1/8 x 84 Primed MDF Crown Moulding pieces. More pieces equals more joints. Great start for underpricing this job. Next, we need to paint it and since it’s already primed, I get to skip that step – WRONG!!

The primer was obviously laid on with a machine – very, very wavy. So now the trim has a texture that needs sanded (see pics) AND an extra coat of paint because 50 percent of the primer got sanded off! More time for underpricing!! Then I start the project with a return-to-wall trim piece – WRONG!! I should have started where the paint color changes (see pics). So this misstep burned a few more hours.

Woodworking Mistakes

The job took about 30% more time than I had bid. Naturally, the joining of the crown took the most time. And about 75% of the way through this project, I realized that using a biscuit cutter would save time and even the joints out better.

I had introduced to Bob that we could use rubber molding for the curved bay window area, but it was a lot more expensive. I’m glad we didn’t use it, because you’ve only got one shot with this. Miss by over 1/16th of an inch, and I buy a new one. There was also no guarantee on how it would match up to the straight trim. I ended up making it with 6 pieces, about 17 inches long each to span the almost eight foot compass window.

I had unknowingly under bid myself on his wall-to-ceiling crown molding, but it’s no big deal,as I wanted to add it to my portfolio. I was solving someone’s problem, while I was prospering on my main goal.