We didn’t expect to find $1 cabinets again like we did for our previous office built-ins, but we couldn’t resist checking the Habitat for Humanity ReStore for the four cabinets we need to build a peninsula and enclose the microwave and refrigerator. We’re able to reuse the 36″ base cabinet that used to sit where the stove is now, which saved us a significant amount. To our surprise, we found three of the four cabinets we needed and spent just $90 total.
Specifically, we picked up a corner base cabinet for the peninsula for $50 and two upper cabinets—one to go above the fridge and a slightly taller one to go above the microwave—at $19 each. For comparison, those same stock, off-the-shelf cabinets from big box stores would have cost roughly $219, $96, and $89, respectively, totaling about $404. Buying used saved us approximately $314. Given that we planned to replace or remove the doors anyway, the savings made perfect sense.
The only real drawback was that the cabinet doors didn’t match our existing ones—no surprise, since our doors are about 30 years old and matching stock or secondhand doors proved impossible to find. Still, the solid oak cabinet frames themselves were a steal. Once painted white and fitted with new doors or retrofitted doors taken from other cabinets we’re no longer using, no one would suspect these pieces came from the ReStore.
We couldn’t fit all three cabinets in our trunk at once, but the ReStore holds purchased items for seven days. That gave us time to borrow a larger car from a family member and return for the large corner cabinet a few days later.
Now all of the cabinets are at home, although not yet installed. For the moment they’re stored in the carport and our sunroom, which have become the temporary holding areas for old doors and cabinets we’ve removed, plus the new pieces we’ll be installing. The sunroom, in particular, looks a bit chaotic and has taken on a distinct woodsy scent—surprisingly pleasant, really. We’re aiming to complete the built-in fridge area in the next few days and will share photos when it’s finished.
And since this all happened on Halloween weekend, we couldn’t resist sharing pictures of the kids in costume. Meet Mrs. Monkey and Mr. Banana. Clara threw herself into her role, doing her best monkey impressions—“ooh ooh ah ah”—and waving her arms with gusto. Burger, wearing the banana costume, was considerably less enthusiastic. The moment we placed the hat portion on him he went into full surrender mode, slumping down and half-closing his eyes as if to say, “this is not okay.” We only left him in that yellow suit for a few minutes and then liberated him immediately.
Clara’s cousin Emanuel, who just turned two, joined the fun as a ferocious lion and spent the photoshoot asking for candy corn. It was adorable and hilarious to see him roar while furtively hoping for sweets.
We’ll keep working on matching the cabinet fronts and finishing the built-ins so everything looks seamless. In the meantime, we’re enjoying the progress and the chance to save money and landfill waste by reusing quality materials found at the ReStore. It’s a reminder that secondhand cabinetry can be an economical and sustainable option for renovating kitchens and creating custom spaces like peninsulas and appliance enclosures.
Hope you all had a happy Halloween! What did you get up to this weekend—any thrifted cabinet finds or candy bingeing to report?
Psst—check out our pumpkin patch adventures and family activities in earlier posts for more seasonal fun.