I broke down last summer and put in new cabinets. After almost a year, I still like the cabinets. Although the quality isn't high, they do a fine job for a part time cabin. Once I built my house cabin, I will make my own cabinets. I was limited by time, so the Lowe's Hickory cabinets got the job done!
I am posting this because I really didn't find much on the Lowe's Cabinets before I bought them.
I few things I don't like:
- Obviously MDF is cheap, and I don't think these will last as long as I would like.
- The slides are rather flimsy, so the drawers aren't heavily loaded
- The shelf in the bottom cupboards only extend half the depth, really reducing storage capacity. I am going to put a full shelf in.
Other than those flaws, I like the cabinets. The hickory goes well in a cabin and they were easy to install.
I posted more pictures on my blog, but here is the installed cabinets, before the new countertop and sink was installed.
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h99DoL5sd-s/T7A-d9PIStI/AAAAAAAAAB0/EP1qfgURiXI/s640/DSCN6685.JPG)
We don't have running water in the cabin, so there is a bucket under the sink. Next summer I will make a graywater system and bury a 55 gallon drum with holes in it. For water, in the winter we haul 5 gallon jugs. In the summer we have a 100 gallon tank we pump river water into. The tank gravity feeds a copper line with a simple valve to give water to the sink.
Looks pretty slick to me.
I'm using the same hickory cabinets in both my main camp and the guest camp. Cabinets are never cheap, but my builder is also a cabinet maker and admitted he'd be hard pressed to duplicate them at the Lowes price. I'm looking to add a darker walnut colored solid top to replace my formica off the shelf top. Looks great. Post some more photos of your camp for us to see!
Doc
The old counters are in the picture. I can't seem to find a new picture of my counters ???
You asked for pictures ? ;D
I built new front and back doors for the cabin. They aren't installed yet but we did haul them to the cabin
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wclspM_vCog/T5XwjknfC8I/AAAAAAAAABE/5GzKYURN0Js/s640/photo.JPG)
It takes some time to get to the cabin. Here's the dog running on the lake before we snowmachine to the cabin.
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h74lUVOU4FA/T7BSLDeiyHI/AAAAAAAAADY/-f0UricQI70/s640/2010+331.jpg)
Here's the view looking downriver in front of our cabin
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-El7QJMNJX94/T7GHqmMw-tI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/yRJ1Cb-rJnQ/s640/2010+1558.jpg)
And to keep the construction talk going.... Here are the new coat hooks I whittled for the cabin. Can't have too many hooks in the winter!!
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fWrClP9Qs74/T7BGy29sXCI/AAAAAAAAACY/-4SjBAOmGPg/s640/DSCN6354.JPG)
Here are the cabinets in the boat! We have a 2 hour boat ride to the cabin. Sometimes it takes longer if we get stuck on gravel or sand bars :P
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EehUJgH4Ml8/T7A-x-ZKX2I/AAAAAAAAACM/siBp933GSsM/s640/photo+1-1.JPG)
Of course the dog's favorite spot in the cabin is in front of the woodstove. Lazy dog!
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JobrNLt3vXY/T7BSaLAFS0I/AAAAAAAAAD4/k2a7Rv7DDhU/s640/DSC_0526.jpg)
The exterior of the cabin. One day I want to build a real log cabin!
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aJgVGTbDohw/T7BLnKg5IsI/AAAAAAAAADM/GAN8yOkNbrg/s640/DSC_0780.jpg)
The spruce logs and paneling are my favorite parts of the cabin!
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nv5WxtOoQO8/T7BSdTEyehI/AAAAAAAAAEI/HPdIYzpvwtk/s640/DSC_0971.jpg)
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-El1KZMN60MQ/T7BSkhUTcrI/AAAAAAAAAEg/1bfpNtFxS50/s640/DSC_0981.jpg)
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UmMpS-8rZaE/T7GH4WEh60I/AAAAAAAAAF4/wr5tiMp4jmw/s640/2010+2450.jpg)
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0hOROglOl-w/T7GIG1fStQI/AAAAAAAAAGw/GJ7h53sB-h4/s640/2010+554.jpg)
Winter transportation
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jUkB-708R5M/T7BSbryom9I/AAAAAAAAAEA/TZonDqzsOVU/s640/DSC_0742.jpg)
The dog loves to chew on these old caribou antlers. I guess he's getting more calcium.
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lhb7raSuLSU/T7GH81ivbZI/AAAAAAAAAGI/j2HJOhk65HI/s640/2010+2469.jpg)
wow! your photos look like a travel journal. Where is your cabin located? What an adventure! thanks for posting
Thanks! Wish I had time to do some work out there! We are located in Alaska. It really isn't a perfect cabin, and would never appear in a magazine but it really doesn't take a nice cabin to enjoy beautiful scenery. I would love to go there and I would love to live there year round if life would allow it! I don't know what it is about going to the cabin that makes life simple and carefree. My favorite time is rivertime; no schedules, no timelines, no worries. Life is great!
Love your place! Really enjoy this forum. I am planning on building a new cabin/full time residence in the near future and love to see all the ideas!
That would appear in any magazine I might publish ;D Looks absolutely fantastic.
How's the fishing?
Quote from: aktundra on May 16, 2012, 10:46:00 PM
Thanks! Wish I had time to do some work out there! We are located in Alaska. It really isn't a perfect cabin, and would never appear in a magazine but it really doesn't take a nice cabin to enjoy beautiful scenery. I would love to go there and I would love to live there year round if life would allow it! I don't know what it is about going to the cabin that makes life simple and carefree. My favorite time is rivertime; no schedules, no timelines, no worries. Life is great!
Love your place! Really enjoy this forum. I am planning on building a new cabin/full time residence in the near future and love to see all the ideas!
Thanks for sharing! [cool] However I love those types of cabins and they go well here in this forum. There is just something about them. They are just good old affordable cabin. So many that hit publication are not. I and 95% of the people right now can not afford the doorknob, let alone the door to most of those critters that hit the stands.
Quote from: rick91351 on May 21, 2012, 09:16:21 AM
Thanks for sharing! [cool] However I love those types of cabins and they go well here in this forum. There is just something about them. They are just good old affordable cabin. So many that hit publication are not. I and 95% of the people right now can not afford the doorknob, let along the door to most of those critters that hit the stands.
Couldn't agree more! Your place embodies rustic, pioneer style, log cabin living. Simple but cozy. Grab a book/magazine on log cabins and all you'll find are huge luxury "cabins" that must run in the millions. A steam room and media room? I could fit my suburban Cape Cod style home into their "family room" d*
Keep the photos coming! We love photos of building, but obviously we also love photos of life around the cabin.. BBQ, fishing, etc. Isn't that really why we're all here?
Cheers,
Doc
Thanks for the views of the country. Impressive and the dog obviously has control!!!
Building up there must have been quite a project...2 hours from the landing.
Sweet! That's awesome! I love it!