Unless Turned Useful
While painting the kitchen, I noticed the soffit above the kitchen sink was warped and seemed to be made of thick cardboard. I decided to take a peak behind it to see what was hiding back there. A million dollars maybe?
No luck on the money. But I hit the jackpot with lead paint and a mouse skeleton.
The kitchen has little storage space to begin with. Shown are all the wall cabinets, besides ‘pantry’ cupboards at the top of the basement stairs. I decided the space would be perfect for storing cookbooks.
After taking a few measurements, and making a trip for some lumber, I pieced together the wood to fill the space and fit around the soil pipe (where I found the electrical that runs up into the attic). The left over stain and varnish from the floors came in handy for finishing the piece. I even added some trim to hide imperfections where it meets the walls since they are not exactly straight.
I’m just tall enough to stand on my tippy-toes to reach the books. I keep a step stool next to the sink for the rest. And it was just coincidence that the paper towels fit in the side so nicely.
Materials
- Circular Saw
- Drill
- Hammer
- Measuring tape
- Finishing nails*
- Wood Puddy*
- Sand Paper*
- 1 x 12 x 10*
- 6 x 24″*
- Trim*
- Pre-Stain
- Stain
- Finish
- Rags
*Total Cost: $54
I wonder if the mouse died of lead paint exposure? Poor bastard. Anyway, lovely job with the cabinets (and everything else). When Denise and I buy a house we could certainly use your advice.