Custom Kitchen Cabinets and Drawers

Project: Manhattan Remodel and Cape Cod Affordable, Episode 16, Part 2



The facade of the Manhattan Brownstone has its wrought iron work, carvings, and Brownstone paint stripped and refurbished by Erik Nadoban of Nadoban Painting. Inside, a huge kitchen is outfitted with floor-to-ceiling custom cabinets designed to replicate the painted finishes and panel design of a Victorian kitchen. Thomas Bump of Fine Custom Cabinetry shows Bob the Maple veneer interiors, paint-grade mixed hardwood face frames, doors, and panels on these cabinets and drawers. The tinted, sprayed catalyzed finish is so durable and easy-to-clean that it is epoxy-like. On the doors, concealed hinges can be tightened three ways for proper hanging. On the drawers, concealed hardware supports self-closing drawers. In the front of this floor-through apartment, grand one-over-one windows replace 1940s conversion casements. These windows have a box casing on the interior that is the depth of the masonry wall. Victorian profile moldings surround the windows and soar to period-style, custom fiberglass cove moldings at the ceiling. Landmarks Commission approval for these windows may have delayed construction on the Brownstone for nearly a month, but Bob and Chris Vila agree it was worth it as they look at boarded openings on a neighboring building where custom windows were removed for lack of approval.
Part 1: Restoring the Brownstone Facade and Working on the Wrought Iron
Part 2: Custom Kitchen Cabinets and Drawers
Thomas Bump of Fine Custom Cabinetry shows Bob the Maple and hardwood panel cabinets that were built specifically for the Brownstone kitchen. The floor-to-ceiling cabinets were built in the shop, then disassembled for finishing and transported to the site for installation. The cabinets are constructed with Maple interiors and mixed hardwoods for the face frames and frame. The panel is medium-density fiberboard (MDF). The door hinges are concealed inside the cabinet and have three-way adjusting screws so that the door can be shifted up or down, right or left, in or out, to hang the door level and plumb. The cabinets have been spray painted with a lacquer finish that is tinted then catalyzed for a durable, easy-to-clean finish. Bump then shows Bob how the panels are made using puck holes predrilled on the back of the panel that are filled with adhesive so that it can sit in the frame without being pushed proud by a thick layer of adhesive. A small dab of hot glue holds the face of the panel in place. Bump then shows Bob the drawers that are solid Maple on the sides, front, and back, with a Maple veneer on the inside. They feature dovetail joinery and concealed tracks underneath that have a quick release and self-locking mechanism. These drawers are also self-closing.
Part 3: Custom Moldings, Window Casings, and Coves
This project deals with two very different notions of home. Bob begins on New York City's Upper West Side, where an 1890s Brownstone is revitalized through high-quality craftsmanship and sensitive design. New York's past meets its present, as the entire floor is recaptured and refurbished to create a spacious urban apartment on the doorstep of Central Park.

At the same time, Bob works with a Cape Cod developer to apply Massachusetts land use statute 40B to create affordable housing, and a neighborhood of homes in Mashpee, MA. These Energy Star certified homes show how quality building practices and reasonable asking prices can work together to provide livable, affordable homes and neighborhoods to those who work in our communities.

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