First of all- holy cow. We just had a crazy earthquake a few minutes ago. Very strong! It was completely unexpected for our area (we’ve never had a strong one before). The epicenter was right outside of Richmond (only about 35 miles from our house) and it registered about a 5.9! We’ve even heard from friends up in NY who felt it. Miraculously nothing fell off the walls or broke, but the whole house shook violently and it was insanely loud (we all gathered under a steel-enforced doorway and stared at each other). So yes, we were all shaken up by it but very thankful that we’re ok and hope that everyone else who experienced it is too.
Now for the cabinets. We promised to share all of the other places we hunted/solutions we considered when it came to the office built-ins (mentioned here) – because our thrift store cabinets definitely weren’t the first things we found. And we figure since not everyone can stumble upon six cabs for six bucks (uh, we never even thought that was possible until this recent discovery) we hoped that detailing a few other options that we considered might help anyone else who can’t find secondhand cabinets that work for them. So here we go, on a virtual cabinet-hunting whirlwind of sorts…
Our first stop was actually the Richmond Habitat for Humanity ReStore, but we didn’t find much in the way of cabinets. We did find that Clara loves the breeze from a big industrial fan.
And that they had this crazy big leather / zebra-print lounger thing if anyone’s interested. Tres practical for storytime, no?
The cabinet situation though was almost enough to make us give up on the ReStore entirely (everything was too tall or too wide and we couldn’t find six identical cabinets (or three identical double-wide-ones) that would work to make our wall of built-ins look related enough (and not like a mismatched secondhand cabinet sale). They did put us on a notification list in case anything that matched our needs came in, which was nice (never knew they did that).
So next we dragged the kiddos (yes, Burger included) to Lowe’s and Home Depot to see if their stock cabinets could do the trick. They had a lot of affordable-ish options for unfinished cabinets in a slew of shapes and sizes. Our rough math put us at about a $300 investment for three double-wide cabinets (to create left, middle, and right cabinets with two open spaces for our chairs along the built-in wall like this). Then we could have just painted them and topped them with a wood counter, which wouldn’t have been too bad for a wall of built-ins and a nice long two-person desk (around $400 for two desks or something custom built-in along an entire wall sounded about right I guess).
The only hitch in our plan were the cabinet sizes. Base cabinets were the perfect depth for a standard counter (24″) but their toe-kick made them too high (35″) for our chairs (27″). We contemplated adding casters to our chairs to make them higher, but weren’t sold on the idea (especially because 2″ casters might be cool, but 4″ casters would be a bit much for our chairs). So we looked at 30″ upper cabinets instead, but at only 12″ deep it’d make for either a super narrow desk or cabinets that floated a foot away from the wall. Definitely something we could remedy by buying additional lumber, but again, not ideal.
Then it was time to do some Craigslist surfing, but nothing turned up in the way of cabinets that would be the right depth or height off the bat (and we worried about sacrificing stability and making things look a little – uh, shady- by trying to cut something down or build it out). If we had found something super cheap or almost perfect (like our much-shorter-than-average $6 ReStore cabinets) we would definitely have pounced on them. Even for around $100 for the set. But nothing with the right dimensions came up after a few consecutive weeks of checking back.
Then we turned to Ana-White.com to see if we could find any awesome plans to build something ourselves (like the plans that inspired our giant console table build). There were definitely a few workable options, but we realized that a lot of the plans would cost more than $30 per cabinet (thanks to lumber, hardware, hinges, and interior fittings) – and because we noticed that many secondhand cabinets on craigslist and in thrift stores were under $30 (and some were priced waaaay under that), it made us wonder if we’d actually spend more building something than retrofitting something existing.
Next we checked out Ikea. From their website, it looked like we could build their cabinets without a toe-kick, making them the perfect height (around 28-30″ instead of 35″+, which would be too tall for our existing chairs (even if we added casters to them). Score! And we all know Ikea has tons of customization options, so it was starting to feel like a perfect solution… even if it was a bit pricier – roughly about $500 if I did my math right, since we definitely wanted doored cabinets over open shelving (for Clara reasons along with the general desire to very roughly mimic the look of the base cabinets from our built-ins – though not exactly). We were actually pretty invested in this being a good solution, so I started mapping it out using their online planner tool (technically for kitchens) since we were planning a stop there after our visit with Cat, Travis, Elsa and their new son Edison.
But that trip to Ikea never happened, thanks to our decision to give the Alexandria Habitat For Humanity ReStore a chance while out of town. Though even that trip started off somewhat discouraging. They certainly had more cabinets than our ReStore in Richmond…
…but the prices weren’t necessarily screaming “take me home” at first. Yowsa.
Of course, that was until we came across the ones in the very back with $1 stickers on them that screamed “You’d be an idiot not to take us home. We’re six friggin dollars!” And the rest, as they say, is history.
Well, not totally history – there’s still lots to do to these puppies. But that’s a story (and a project) for another day. Someday soon hopefully. You know Sherry and her propensity to paint anything that doesn’t move…
So in summary, it was harder than we thought to find cabinets that were deep enough (24″) and not too tall (over 30″) and we ended up checking two thrift stores, two home improvement stores, an online build-it-yourself website, a Swedish warehouse, and the list of a man named Craig. The cost of the project ranged from around $300-$500 at most places that actually had things that might work (not including a countertop), which was definitely making us sweat a little. Custom built-ins can obviously add function and value to a house, but unlike adding a patio to a monkey-grass-riddled side yard, it somehow felt a bit more like a rushed gamble to spend half of 1K on a desk, at least for cheap-os like us (who built our current desk from an old bathroom door). So we’re glad we took our time and eventually came across something around 95% cheaper. The lesson: hold out if you can, and leave no stone (or store) unturned (unvisited?). Whenever we dive in too soon we get all nervous and twitchy and sometimes even lay awake wondering if we rushed into something that might not be the best thing for our house/lifestyle in the long run. So there you go.
What have you hunted down after visiting a bunch of stores or googling a ton of options? Is there some sort of magic number (like five places) that usually results in a major score? Have you been searching for something for months or even years that continues to allude you? Isn’t it funny how the perfect thing is always in the last place you look? Probably because once you find it you finally stop looking.
Psst- The lady wife did a fun little interview about how our blog has grown and revealed a lot of behind the scenes blogging and book-writing info for anyone interested right here (it’s long, but full of tons of juicy stuff, at least in my humble husband opinion). We’re also over on BabyCenter talking about a sweet little boy’s nursery that we crashed (coolest light fixture we’ve seen in a long time).
Crystal says
Crazy, I live in Pittsburgh, PA and was sitting on the couch when I felt the house shake a little. I went out side to see if someone hit our house. Not sure if we are feeling after shocks here or something else weird happen. Anyone else in Pgh feel it?
Hannah says
So glad to hear you guys are alright! In other natural-event news, how are you doing with the whole Hurrican Irene thing? It’s supposed to pass right by VA.
BTW–the cabinets will look awesome!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, that hurricane thing. I think we’re hoping it’ll curve out to sea and not really hit us. But I guess we should get ready just in case, right?
xo,
s
Hannah says
Yeah, hopefully it misses everything, since the east got hit with a hard winter. I could make for a cool post (or series of posts), about how to protect/ready your home from natural disasters.
YoungHouseLove says
That would actually be neat to find an expert (since we’re so not knowledgeable about that stuff- but would love to learn more)!
xo,
s
Alisa says
A natural event readiness post would be amazing. I’m living in tornado country and it freaks me out (originally from CA- no tornadoes there!). I was in my first tornado a couple months ago and didn’t even notice it (my sewing machine is loud!). I have an emergency pack but I’m sure there’s a lot more I could do to prepare my family!
YoungHouseLove says
Anyone know any reliable experts out there?! We definitely wouldn’t want to do some general googling and just report on that (there can be so much conflicting info) but to hear from reliable experts on the subject would be amazing!
xo,
s
Mel V. says
Talk to your local branch of the Red Cross! They do free preparedness presentations for businesses and other organizations – it might be a novel idea to them to present to an online audience, but if they’re like the people I worked with here they’ll be happy to give you all the information you can ask for.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s a great idea!
xo,
s
Kathi says
we felt it here in detroit! Crazy….
Karen F says
so glad you posted – this may sound weird, but when I heard the epicenter was near Richmond, I immediately thought of you guys! I’m in NJ, apparently it was felt here, but I didn’t feel anything.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks for thinking of us Karen! So glad we’re ok, it felt so crazy. Literally like someone had picked up our house and was shaking it up and down violently. It lasted so long too!
xo,
s
Penny says
Love the days where you find a “steal” like that! Very jealous, very.
P.S. How often do you get earthquakes out east? Call me crazy from Minnesota, but thought they only happened out west (doh!). At least we only have to worry about being snowed in – hold on tight out there! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Never! This is our first one that was anything more than a slight rumble that most people don’t even detect. But this one was BIG! We didn’t know what the heck to do since we’re so not used to them!
xo,
s
Barb says
Someone may have already asked this…
What are your plans when you refinish the hardwood floors? Will you remove the built-ins and or refinish around them?
YoungHouseLove says
Nah, we’ll leave them in (when we refinished our floors in the old house we refinished around the built-in cabinets that we added to either side of the bed). We have heard from our floor guy that it’s a pretty easy match job down the line if you need to refinish under them later.
xo,
s
Meriel says
Wow! That’s a big one!!! I live out in SoCal and we had a huge earthquake last year on Easter. I’ve been through more than I can count having lived in CA most of my life, so they don’t really phase me anymore. Glad you guys are safe and sound. Hopefully you guys don’t get any huge aftershocks!
AND. I’m sooooooooo jealous over the cabinets you guys scored!!! I would love a desk station like you guys are planning to build, but like you said, nice, **inexpensive cabinets are so hard to come by. Can’t wait to see what magic you guys do on those bad boys!
ALi says
I’m up in Frederick, Maryland, and after finding out that it was outside of Richmond, my first thought was, “OH NO! THE PETERSIKS!!”
That was fun :)
Sarah says
Glad everyone is OK! We felt the quake up in Rochester, NY so, it must’ve have been pretty intense.
Still can’t believe the deal you got on the cabinets…it’s going to look awesome!
Michele Daggar says
We live in Rush, NY, just south of Rochester. I was sitting on the couch and saw my entertainment center start moving. Such a powerful one!
As soon as I heard it was in Virginia, I wondered where and immediately thought of you guys! Glad you’re all okay!
Noel says
So glad you’re ok! We felt it here in NJ. I totally just checked your site hoping to see a post that you were okay.
Amy says
Wait, Home Depot lets you bring dogs into the store?! Awesome! :)
In all serious-ness though, glad everyone in the YHL household is ok.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Amy! And yes, we saw a bunch of dogs in Home Depot and Lowe’s and finally just asked and they both said they were ok with them as long as they were in a cart or on a leash!
xo,
s
heather says
My excitement just exploded. I need to call our regular home depot and figure this out. We almost *always* have our two pooches with us when we go and they have to stay in the pickup truck cab. Oh man, oh man. *crosses fingers*.
Carol S. says
We felt it here in Columbia, SC as well. It was crazy!
Suzanne says
pretty sure I felt it in Milwaukee, WI! The giant rubberband ball on my desk was moving!
joyjoy says
Just a PSA from a California native–most door frames are no longer made from steel and are no longer considered safe spots during earthquakes. It’s safer to find a table to dive under, especially if you’re unsure of the age of your building/whether your door frames are safe.
I’m glad everyone checking in is okay!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip JoyJoy! We were under what used to be an exterior brick wall (so we know there’s a steel beam above it) but we just heard that tables might be more recommended if you’re not sure? Good to know!
xo,
s
Julie - On the Dot Creations says
I’m in Goldsboro, NC, and we felt a little rumbling around here too. I didn’t know what it was until I just learned that it was an earthquake near you guys. Glad to hear that you’re okay.
Sarah @ w30 says
CRAZY! I’m glad you guys are okay! Did Burger act funny before the quake (as in, sense it coming)?
We had an earthquake here last fall(a 5.1 I think) … and “here” is Norman, Oklahoma – SO WEIRD! I think mother nature is confused.
P.S. Thumbs up on the cabinets! Can’t wait to see how it turns out. And thanks for these “crazy hunting” posts – it’s nice to see the legwork piece of things, since that’s usually the most frustrating part for me. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Burger did freak out, but I’m not sure it was before it- just mainly during it! Poor guy. So glad everyone of our friends and family members are ok.
xo,
s
Julie says
Like others, I thought of you guys as soon as I heard it was near Richmond. We felt it all the way up here in western NY. Glad you’re safe! You’ve got a lot of people thinking of you.
Sara says
Thought about you guys first when I heard about the earthquake. So glad to hear that everyone is okay. Ignored all the cabinet stuff. lol.
Paulina J! says
Glad you guys are OK, but please get out of my head!! I did the exact same things since I’m trying to DIY some built ins for my office. I tried Lowe’s, HD, Craig’s List and Goodwill. Ran into the same problem and then Ikea. I’m going to my nearest ReStore tomorrow. You guys are an inspiration :)
Kim says
Glad to hear that you are all ok!! And, looking foward to the cabinet updates already!! :)
Sarah says
Felt it in DC too. Glad it doesn’t sound like anyone was hurt from this widespread quake.
Jennifer C. says
So glad you all are ok! I hope the aftershocks are few and weak. Keep us posted!
Emily says
We felt it in Grand Rapids, MI. Yikes!
Emily says
How weird! We felt the earthquake here too {Harrisonburg, VA}! It was only for about 15 seconds, but my legs are still shaking a little! Haha!
WOW – that zebra lounge chair looks exactly like something I would get! I’m a huge zebra fan :)
Emily
Amy says
We felt it up here in Niagara Falls, Ontario, too. Crazy!
Just found out that the epicentre was in Richmond and came straight here, glad to hear you’re all okay! Poor Burger. :)
Julane says
We live near Grand Rapids, MI, and felt some of it here! Glad you’re okay! :-)
Bob says
Nice – you scooped CNN.com! I read your first paragraph, went to cnn to read more and they had nothing. 30 seconds later their “breaking news” banner flashed the news.
Now…I should be working. :)
khrystena says
We felt it here west of Toronto too. I hope everything is ok down your way.
I am uber jealous of the deal you got on those cabinets. Wow
Ashley says
I just wanted to warn you (for future reference), you actually shouldn’t stand in a doorway in the case of an earthquake… You should get under something (like a table) and hold on to a leg. The table helps protect you from falling things (which a doorway does not).
I blame that whole doorway thing on Saved by the Bell. Anyone else remember the earthquake episode?! Ok.. maybe just me.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha I remember that episode too. Thanks for the tip!
xo,
s
Amy says
I just felt the earthquake here in Norfolk. I thought I was crazy! The plumber was under the house, so I thought maybe he was doing something strange under there. I grew up in Southern California and I thought I was silly for thinking that’s what it was. Now we have earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes. Whoo. Jackpot!
So glad you guys found the PERFECT desk solution. Can’t wait to see the finished product!
Andrea says
We felt it in MD! My cubicle was nice and sturdy before I ran screaming down the hall! Glad you guys are ok! And Burger too :)
Sabrina says
Amazeballs on the cabinets. So jealous! As for the earthquake, I live in Ithaca and didn’t feel anything. But 10 mins away in Cortland they did. My mother works in NYC and she said her whole building shook up and down, things went flying everywhere and it was scary. While on the phone with her, there was an announcement saying they were not going to evacuate the building and everything was fine, she said hmm that is what they said on 9/11. I told her to go home lol
Marilyn says
Just heard about the earthquake, glad everyone is okay.
I just went to a really junkie flea market on my noon hour and landed a retro night stand-$3.00 but digging through my purse not to break a $20 bill, I only came up with $2.75 and that was good enough for the guy. Also saw an old 1950’s pull down USA map for $2.00; still thinking about that.
Risa says
glad to you know everyone is safe! We felt a little tremor too, and we’re in Toronto!
Ali says
We’re in BA too and it scared the beejezus outta me! I thought the house was going to come out of the ground. My goodness.
Awesome find on the cabinets. I would have never thought to look at some of those places! Interested to see how it all pans out.
April says
GLAD YOU ARE OK!!!
ChelseaMikal says
I’m glad ya’ll are okay. I experienced my first quake when I lived in Okinawa, Japan about four years ago. Scary!
Cynthia says
Total score on the cabinets!
re: Earthquake – the red cross has stopped recommending doorways awhile ago.
“Doorways are no stronger than any other part of the structure. During an earthquake, get under a sturdy piece of furniture and hold on. This will provide some protection from falling objects that can injure you during an earthquake.”
I’ve survived 1000s of earthquakes (living in Christchurch NZ), and know a lot of people who were seriously injured by flying objects while in their doorway. One woman even had her home spilt in HALF right through the doorway she was standing in, the doorway separated and she lost her grip, falling through the crack (she was ok though!!).
YoungHouseLove says
Yikes! Thanks so much for the info!
xo,
s
Sarah says
Glad you are okay!
Liz @ the cabbage patch says
Next time get under a sturdy table…or better yet, outside away from trees and powerlines! Glad to hear you guys are ok!!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip!
xo,
s
Eli says
Earthquake in Virginia!!!! Are guys ok?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes- it was so crazy! Check out the first paragraph of the post for info!
xo,
s
Lindsay says
I live in Pittsburgh, PA and we felt the tremor here!! Glad to here you guys are OK!
Kari K says
Cutest pictures of Clara! Especially that one of her in the shopping cart. Love the facial expression!
Kayla says
I’m so glad y’all are ok! We felt the aftershocks as far south as Columbia, SC. I work on the sixth floor and there was definite shaking, so much so we evacuated the building. I can only imagine how much shaking you guys had! So glad you’re ok!!
Robin says
The second I read that the epicenter was near Richmond, I came over here to check your blog. And thought, “They’ll be home with Clara and Burger and can run right outside if it gets hairy.”
And then I emailed/tweeted/phoned my own family members and laughed about the shock of having an earthquake on the east coast.
Glad that everybody’s okay!
Oh, and that was an awesome deal you got on six beautiful cabinets. Even at $15 they would have been a steal. Every time you walk into your office, you’ll be reminded of your luck!
Cindy says
Wow! Just felt the tremors in MA, on the NH border.
Megan says
Hey guys!
Such a fun find on the cabinets. We have a Re-Store here in town and were meaning to go and check it out.
As for the earthquake, glad you are all a-ok! We’re up in Ottawa, ON, Canada and we felt it too!
Jeannette says
Just moved to DC from LA…I guess I brought the earthquake with me! Sorry! But you guys should know that it’s recommended to not go under doorways anymore but to get under a table. Hope the aftershocks are small!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip! We didn’t know what we were doing since we’re not used to them!
xo,
s
shannon says
glad y’all are ok. a bunch of my coworkers felt it while i was being completely oblivious. so we were shaking down here in SC.
congrats on the fun cabinet purchase! can’t wait to see your office finished!
KLL says
On a non-earthquake note, this whole searching for cabinets at the Restore thing has me thinking about adding a row of cabinets to my kitchen…I wonder if it would look wonky to add cabinets (obviously not the same style as my existing ones). Intriguing…
YoungHouseLove says
I bet you could do it if they complement the existing ones. Maybe add glass to the doors so they look intentionally different?
xo,
s
KLL says
I hadn’t thought about glass doors…maybe no doors and go with ‘open’ storage…hmmmmmmmm