Our son, Buck, was so good to me and sent me some pictures of this house and wrote a blog post for me last week when I was busy helping Kalissa with Gannon. I love that my kids pitch in and help however they can…including writing blog posts. I know many of you have been curious about how his house is coming along so here are a couple of small projects he has to share.
Buck writes:
“It’s been a second since we’ve done a house update. First things first, I am not a trim carpenter. I feel like I need to preface this post with that statement because I am a framer. The difference between the 2 may seem small, but the difference between “okay” trim and “good” trim is often less than half a saw blade width away. Also, being a framer offers many advantages a trim carpenter does not have. When things aren’t perfect in framing a large hammer and a positive attitude goes a long way. When trimming a large hammer and a positive attitude results in scuffed trim, holes in drywall, followed by an existential crisis. I’m sure many of you have similar jobs in which you know someone who has a “like” job but you wouldn’t ever consider doing that job. That’s trim carpentry for me.
There are some things I pulled off that I didn’t think I could. This is probably what I’m most proud of. I was stuck on picking a bathroom mirror. The charcoal-colored trim is hard to match and in an effort to keep a flow to the house, I decided to just case a piece of glass.
I needed barn door hardware for the door going to the upstairs and while in that section of Menards I discovered mini barn door hardware.
On a complete whim, and with an entire pot of coffee, I decided I was going to build a built-in behind this mirror and put it on mini barn door tracks. I knew this was a 2×6 wall because this was an old exterior wall and I had to tear into it earlier.
This is the result…a custom-made bathroom medicine cabinet with a mini barn door sliding mirror.
Don’t mind the dust and touchup paint needed….we’ll get there eventually. Another thing I love is how the butcher block blends in so well with the rest of the kitchen.
He used these drawer pulls in his parade home (which won his price bracket) and I absolutely love them. They’re a very minimalist and more modern design but they are also dirt cheap and save the time of drilling holes into the cabinet face giving you the option to change later. At less than $1.50 each, it’s hard to beat. HERE is an Amazon link to the drawer pulls I used.
He also had soft close AND OPEN barn door hardware. Why I didn’t know about this, I have no idea. If you have small kids and are worried about them slamming the door off the rails, this is for you. Small disclaimer I have not installed these yet (on order) but they work great when tested at his house. You can find the soft closers HERE on Amazon. They have a little video there that shows you how they work. I’m super excited about them.
The house coming together overall is bittersweet. Of course, with any build, there are things I would have done differently, but I am finding it gets better each time. The carpet is expected this week…or next. In the meantime, I’m living here trying to get the final things all done so the kids can be here too.
I’ll do a better house update once it’s all together.
That’s the word from Buck’s house. I’m super impressed. That house is going to be great. When he first showed me those drawer pulls I wasn’t sure but now I think they are perfect for his house. We’ll be sure to show you more about the house in another blog post!
I love the sliding bathroom mirror, what a great idea!
Who knew you could do a ‘barn door” on a medicine cabinet ? I love that idea
Buck is doing a great job on his house. His writing is great also!
Barn door mirror? AWESOME!!! Coming along great, can’t wait to see it all done.
Very clever mirror
I’ll admit seeing the cutting board next to the stove made me green with envy what a great idea. Dice and slice things up and put them in the pan. The barn door mirror is a great idea too. I can’t remember how many times I’d open the cabinet cupboard drop something straighten up and whack my head on the corner of the door. Ouch. Buck you have done beautifully looking forward to more posts.
He says he’s not a trim man but I think he’s doing an excellent job. I love the bathroom mirror. So different and unique. Great job Buck.
Awesome mirror—creative design meets special need! Love that and all that you’re doing to make your home your own. Thanks for the update!
Good job Buck!! My Dad said ” nothing beats a failure but a try” you did it. May the force be with you.
Love the mini barn door medicine cabinet! So unusual and clever! Great job Buck!
The barn door medicine cabinet is a stroke of genius. It looks fantastic. And the butcher block by the stove is awesome. I’ve had that and you will be amazed at how much you will use that. We are also in the throes of a remodel and the things you have finished are very nice. Remodel envy!
I agree. Buck should market the medicine cabinet as a package on Amazon!
Being in the middle of a remodel myself, I really appreciate Buck’s creativity and problem solving. A positive attitude and a pot of coffee can go either way, looks like Buck is making the most of them. Farmers, carpenters and other tradespeople are resourceful people that are creative and willing to learn from others. Things that could benefit us all. Looking forward to seeing more of Buck’s house and that he’ll soon be ready to have the kids there.
Love the barn door medicine cabinet! It looks so good–great job Buck!
He’s done a beautiful job and should be proud of his work and mindset in making it comfortable for the kids.
Bathroom mirror was genius!! Where were you this last summer when we had an extensive reno done?? The bathroom makeover turned out OK but is not a top job. We also would have done some things differently but we have never remodeled before so we didn’t have a clue. I love the butcher block and was thinking about that the other day that we should have added that to the new kitchen. Oh, well. BTW…his oven is exactly like mine. Good job. We’re not done either. So far, we’ve had 3 rooms completely demolished and redone, all new windows downstairs (14!!), new landscaping, new outdoor lights on garage (there were none) and front entry, old dark brick painted and shutters painted….and we’re not done yet! All it takes is money…right?
Little by little it will all come together!!
great job! Love the med cabinet. I tried the Amazon link for the soft close hinges but it takes me to the barn door hardware. pam
never mind! I was confused for a minute. All is right with the world. Thanks.
Looking good Buck! LOVE your ‘Barn Door’ bathroom mirror/cabinet :-) and those door pulls are nicely minimalist. I prefer no hardware so hubster (not a finish carpenter but a hobbiest woodworker), milled a “pull groove” on every cabinet and drawer for me. Love it!
Congrats on nearing the goal of the work so that your children can be with you in their new home.
Wow, I’m really impressed Buck! Not only are you a great carpenter but also a great writer. Thoroughly enjoyed the update and will be looking forward to more. Thanks.
The door pulls are wonderful–keeping finger prints off the cabinets! Great idea Buck. Nice job on making a house into a home.
What a great job Buck is doing! Love that mini barn sliding mirror door! Can’t wait to see more! Thanks Buck!
Buck, love your sense of humor. The bathroom medicine cabinet is awesome!
This is going to be a great home for you and your family. Good job.
This is awesome! Some really great choices there and love the creativity of the bathroom mirror. I really like that the drawer pulls are inexpensive and gives you time to live in the house and then see if you want something drilled or not. A lot of those final touches are hard to choose until you get a better feel for how the whole room is going to look. Smart!
Love the medicine cabinet small barn door!!!! Sounds like a great idea!
Loving it all. I recently gutted and revamped my cabin. I was in dilemma on drawer pulls. You took me down that rabbit hole and I believe this is the best choice for my cabinets. Thank you
Your mom has a son to be proud of and she obviously is! How kind of you to step in for her. Fantastic ideas and wonderful writing! Thanks so much for sharing your hard work with us. Your kids will love their home!
So fun to read about another creative and resourceful Kramer family member’s process and accomplishments. It takes time to take photos, white and post. Thank you Buck for sharing.
I love the barn door medicine cabinet! What a great idea can’t wait to see more of this great project