This project was the definition of long-term planning and patience. I really struggle with both of these things. I want things done yesterday!
So, my wife told me about the idea to make our little girl her very own first kitchen sometime in September 2017. She sent me a bunch of Pins from Pinterest, and I just started pulling the things I liked from each of them and making a little list.
We were at a community garage sale, and we happened upon this armoire that the owner used to display some of her items. We asked if the armoire was for sale, and she was so desperate to clear the space in her garage, she told us to make her an offer. We went with $40, and she took it! We finally had the base for the kitchen, so I could get started!
I went to Goodwill and got some secondhand items; the soap/sponge rack, the sink, the shelf and the apron hanger. I had to keep going to different stores and coming back to the same store every few days. PATIENCE. Overall, everything from Goodwill was less than $15. I got the cheap faucet, mirror, recessed lighting, cabinet knobs, paint and all the wood from Home Depot.
I cut a hole out of the TV stand with a jigsaw for the sink. I painted the surface grey to make it look like a concrete counter-top. After drying, I installed the counter-top items ("burners", knobs, sink and faucet). I stuck with a 4-color scheme for all the accessories, so I painted those and put them in as well.
I got a large piece of plywood for the backing of the kitchen. It came with a flimsy piece of 1/16" cardboard, but that didn't cut it. After installing that, I mounted the mirror and the underneath lighting.
The under-sink cabinet and the oven doors were made from 3/4" board cut to size. I used a router to make them more ornate. I used some old drawer pulls I had and some simple hinges. Inside the "oven," there is a wire rack I secured in there to look like an oven rack.
Now, this thing was heavy to start with (+200 lbs easily). But, with all the stuff I added, including the thick plywood backing, this thing was a BEAST to move around. So, once I had it in the place my wife wanted, I told her that it was there for good and I anchored it to the wall!
My daughter loved opening it on Christmas morning. She was 11 months at the time, so she wasn't quite sure what she was so excited about. However, now that she's almost 2, it's definitely one of her favorite things in her playroom. As she grows, the kitchen will grow with her! She can play with it for years to come!
Some recommendations; the hinges below the "oven" allowed it to open to 90 degrees. However, over the past year, my daughter has been "hanging" and "leaning" on the oven door in the open position. As you can imagine, the screws are coming out because of the strain. I should have put a string or support to take some of the pressure off the joints. When I fix it, I'll definitely come up with a solution!
-Kevin
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