WNY Handyman

If you have a backsplash in your kitchen that you really don’t like, but don’t want to go to the trouble to do a major tile job, consider some of the peel and stick alternatives.  If you can do it for your floors, you can do it for your walls.  In addition to that, the price isn’t too bad for a real unique look.  I found some tile at Amazon for between $3.50 and $5.50 per square foot (click the image below for details).  The price depends on the color that you choose.  Oddly enough, copper was the least expensive option.

You could even go over an existing tile backsplash.  You will have to address any exposed ends in a unique way, but the look is completely new in just a few hours.

The idea behind this project came to my attention while at Home Depot. They carry a beautiful peel and stick tile product from Aspect Metal Tiles.  The tiles are 3″ x 6″, come in boxes of 8, and are available in 4 colors. The price is around $20 a box, so you can see how pricey this option might be with each box covering just 1 square foot.

Metal backsplash tile installation

You can find other options out there if you look hard enough, so if you are after something unique, you might want to give Ebay a try.  There are manufacturers who well direct such as www.stainlesssteeltile.com. This company seems to have the largest variety of designs and colors available.  The installation isn’t the peel and stick type, but it is still very simple with the use of a tube of construction adhesive.  The unique tile shapes provided make this a great source for a unique back splash look.

Good luck with your tile backsplash project.  A couple of hundred dollars and a few hours of your time can have your kitchen looking like a new, modern home.

For many, the search for inexpensive kitchen cabinets draws them to the Internet. If you are like me, you LOVE a bargain (don’t we all). I had some idea of what I wanted when I started searching for my project. I was happy to hear that one of my favorite suppliers of RTA cabinets had the color and style that I was searching for. The RTA Cabinet Store was able to supply me with my cabinets.

Disclaimer: I am an affiliate of the RTA Cabinet Store. If you order from there (after clicking through from WNY Handyman) we will receive a commission on your order. Because of that, we are happy to answer any questions that you have regarding your RTA cabinet purchase. Obviously, the company has its own support system, but if you would like some advice from someone who has used a variety of suppliers I would be happy to answer any questions that you have. Please post in the comments so that others are able to benefit from your questions.

Step 1: Kitchen Cabinet Layout

Step 2: Confirm inventory

Step 3: Place order

Step 4: Receive order

Step 5: Assembly

Step 6: Installation

Enjoy.

Who doesn’t like before and after photo’s?  Where would HGTV and DIY Network be if we didn’t love them?

The following picture is a before and after shot of a kitchen that we recently renovated.  It isn’t a complete “before” shot since this was taken after an interior wall was removed, but you get the picture.

Before and after kitchen

We opened up a bedroom to expand the kitchen into a modern, eat-in kitchen space.  The cabinets were replaced with a Harvest Maple RTA Cabinets from the RTACabinetStore.com.  Our counter top was custom built (u-shaped) using laminate from Wilsonart (Madura Gold 4923).

The sink was a great option for a tight space.  Our kitchen was a bit narrow and we weren’t able to go with a full size double basin sink.  This Moen top mount provided 2 basins, but didn’t have a full sized 2nd basin.  It was a 25″ wide double basin which makes it ideal for a smaller kitchen (or a kitchen with a 30″-33″ sink base cabinet). The sink was less than $115 to boot (Moen Sink at Lowe’s).

For the appliances, we purchased Kenmore units for the range and microwave along with a Whirlpool dishwasher. The total appliance cost came in just under $900.

The flooring was a great find for a less formal eat-in kitchen look. We located an oak hardwood that was a builders grade product that was much higher quality than most flooring products in that price range.  The boards were true and the installers loved the product. Ask most installers to put in a tavern or builders grade product and they probably won’t be happy.  Many installers will refer to tavern grade flooring as “fire wood”.    However, this product was far above its grade. The lower grading had to do with the color variation in the product. However we were after a casual feel and it pulled every wood tone in the space together. The hardwood came from Georgia Carpet Outlets and came in at around $2.80 a square foot plus $2 a square foot for the install.  Well worth the money.

The wall color has gotten a lot of compliments and is a warm neutral tone.  The color is from Sherwin-Williams and is called “bagel”.   The back splash tile was done with a relatively inexpensive 2″x2″ tile from Lowe’s.  It is a stock item that runs just under $4 per square foot.

Overall the kitchen remodel turned out terrific. The space works well and the colors are warm and inviting.

Kitchen before and after

Kitchen before and after 2

If you have renovated a kitchen, you are certainly aware of how much of a bite the cost of cabinet hardware can take from your budget.  When shopping for hardware, you will find that prices for knobs and pulls will vary wildly. If you are after higher end pulls, get ready to pay through the nose at the big box stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot. Even at the lower end of the market, you will find that your knobs will cost at least $2 each.

There is an inexpensive alternative available.  The Internet! Since you are reading this, you certainly know that. However, I wanted to share what I found since it can be rather difficult to find cheap knobs and pulls online unless you look hard.

What I would recommend is that you pick something from a local store and mark down the brand and model.  You might be surprised to find some sellers on Ebay offering the same items at half price.

In my case, I needed 20+ brushed nickel knobs and 2 brushed nickel drawer pulls.  The drawer pulls was where there was a real savings.  The in-store price was $4.99 each. Online, the cost was $2.99.  There was a shipping cost, but since the items are small, they can be packed and shipped priority for $5.95.  Consider the fact that this is an out of state seller who isn’t charging sales tax and some of that cost if off-set.

Visit: Knobs and Pulls on Ebay

Discount Knobs and Pulls

Pair these knobs and pulls with some inexpensive kitchen cabinets and you have a winning renovation that won’t break the bank.

It seems like everyone loves a makeover. We renovated a home in Lancaster NY and never posted the before/after shots. The difference is pretty dramatic. The project seemed to take forever, but we didn’t have the man hours to commit to getting it done quickly. .

Take a look at the before and after photos:
Lancaster NY Renovation.

Garfield before and after photos

We took this chopped up floor plan and opened it up to give it a modern feel. We had to move some windows and add others to make the kitchen functional. Overall, it turned out great. Take a peek.

I was researching some kitchen cabinet options and figured that I would give a company that sells on Ebay a try. If you are doing a kitchen remodel or renovation yourself, the cabinetry will be one of your most expensive purchases. If you go into your Home Depot or Lowe’s, you could spend thousands on a 10′ x 10′ kitchen.

If you are looking to save some money, you might be tempted by the stock cabinets that they have. The stock products can end up looking good, but you will not have very many options in terms of finishes.

If you are considering a ‘knock-down’ cabinet (otherwise known as something you have to assemble), you should look beyond your local home center. Since these items are knock down, they can be easily shipped. Easy to ship means that there is probably someone selling online at a steep discount to what you would expect to pay.

Inexpensive Kitchen Cabinets

Most knock down cabinetry is made of ‘furniture grade’ particle board. Calling it furniture grade is kind of humorous. That might just be another way to say “It will fall apart with excessive use”. Knock down cabinetry is also referred to as ‘ready to assemble’ or RTA. The assembly was much easier than anticipated. Easier than putting together your typical piece of furniture.

When buying a cabinet that you will be assembling, be sure that the cabinet box is made of plywood. You don’t want something that will fall apart.

Another thing that you will find with some of the RTA cabinets is that they do not have face frames. The cabinet doors cover the entire carcass of the cabinet box. This is often referred to as ‘full reveal’. Full reveal cabinets look great, but if thy are only this way because there is no face frame, you lose stability with your cabinet. The face frame really adds a lot of stiffness to the box. Since the face frame is usually made of solid wood, you will have a nice frame for your cabinet door to hang from and for the cabinets to be joined to each other.

The Ebay seller that I used is kitchenyourway. They are based out of Texas and are importing their cabinets from China. I was very happy with the colors that they offered (only a couple but nice). The quality of the construction was nice. The assembly was simple. The one negative that I would have to mention is the quality of the finish. There are some imperfections that I wouldn’t put up with if these were at a higher price point.

The cabinets that I priced out were $1472.90. That included the price to ship our kitchen cabinets to NY. Since this retailer is based in Texas, there was no sales tax charged at the time of the purchase. To purchase a similar set of cabinets from a home center, the price would have been in excess of $2,200 (not counting the 8.25% NY sales tax). I feel that the quality is much greater in that it looks like a custom cabinet and is solid maple construction with a plywood carcass. The company generally ships within a few days.

It might be worth exploring this option if you are renovating a kitchen. Many of the companies in this business will sell you a low priced ‘sample’ cabinet to let you see the goods. The price for a 9″ base cabinet was around $50-$70 (including shipping) for the sample from the companies that I looked at.

Hope this helps. If you are in the Lancaster, NY area feel free to contact me if you want to take look at the cabinets in person. They are going into a renovation that will probably become a rental unit.

Bottom line is that there are many options when you get to the lower end of products with the local cabinet retailers or home centers. Do some searching. You should search on your favorite search engine for “rta kitchen cabinets”. Or, do the same search at Ebay. I think you will be pleased with the options available.

Another RTA cabinet seller that we have used is RTA Cabinet Store. They are located in Pennsylvania and offer a nice line up of RTA cabinets.   Since I am in NY state, the location helps to keep our freight cost low and allows for a very short lead time on our cabinet orders.