First — wow. We just experienced a powerful earthquake a few minutes ago. It was intense and completely unexpected for our area (we’ve never had a strong one before). The epicenter was just outside Richmond, about 35 miles from our home, and it registered around a 5.9. Friends as far away as New York even felt it. Miraculously nothing fell off the walls or broke, but the whole house shook violently and it was incredibly loud. We all gathered under a steel-reinforced doorway and stared at each other. We’re shaken but grateful to be okay, and we hope everyone else who felt it is safe, too.
Now, back to the cabinets. We promised to share every place we searched and every solution we considered while sourcing cabinets for our office built-ins (mentioned here). Our thrift-store score wasn’t our first find, and since most people won’t stumble onto six cabinets for six bucks (we didn’t even think that was real until that lucky discovery), we wanted to outline other viable options for anyone who can’t locate secondhand cabinets that fit their space. Here’s our cabinet-hunting whirlwind.
Our first stop was the Richmond Habitat for Humanity ReStore, but their selection of cabinets was limited. We did discover that Clara loves the breeze from a big industrial fan.
They also had this oversized leather/zebra-print lounger — practical for storytime, right?
Cabinet-wise, the ReStore was frustrating. Most pieces were too tall or too wide, and we couldn’t find six matching cabinets (or three matching double-wide units) that would make a cohesive built-in wall instead of a mismatched secondhand sale. They did add us to a notification list for suitable items, which was a nice perk.
Next we dragged the kids (and yes, Burger came along) to Lowe’s and Home Depot to check stock cabinets. Both stores offer many affordable unfinished options in various sizes. Our rough estimate for three double-wide base cabinets was around $300, which could be painted and topped with a wood counter to create a long two-person desk. Adding a countertop or custom work surface would push the total higher — closer to $400 or more, depending on materials and finish.
The main issue was cabinet dimensions. Standard base cabinets are 24″ deep with a toe kick, but their finished height (around 35″) was too tall for our chairs (27″). We briefly considered adding casters to our chairs, but that felt awkward — small casters might be subtle, but larger ones would be excessive. Upper cabinets at 30″ high were the right height but only 12″ deep, which would result in a narrow desk or cabinets floating away from the wall unless we bought extra lumber to build them out. Possible, but not ideal.
We then dove into Craigslist. Plenty of furniture showed up, but nothing with the right depth and height without major modifications. Cutting or building out cabinets could compromise stability and appearance, so we hesitated. If a near-perfect set had appeared for a low price — like our much-shorter-than-average $6 ReStore cabinets — we would have jumped on it. After several weeks of checking, nothing suitable emerged.
We also explored Ana-White.com for DIY plans. There were solid options, and we love building, as with our giant console table project. However, materials, hardware, hinges, and interior fittings can add up. Many DIY builds averaged more than $30 per cabinet in materials, and since secondhand cabinets sometimes run below that price, building from scratch didn’t always make financial sense.
Then we looked at Ikea. Their modular system can be assembled without a toe kick to achieve a height closer to 28–30″, which would fit our chairs. Ikea offered customization and the clean, doored look we wanted for child-friendly storage. The price estimate hovered around $500 for the cabinets and doors — more expensive than secondhand finds, but still reasonable for a polished built-in look. I even started mapping a plan with their online kitchen planner.
Before our planned Ikea trip, we decided to try the Alexandria Habitat For Humanity ReStore while we were out of town. Their selection was better than Richmond’s…
…although the initial prices didn’t exactly shout “take me home.”
Then we found a stack in the back labeled with $1 stickers that practically begged to be rescued — six cabinets for six dollars. That discovery made the whole trip worth it, and the rest is history.
We still have plenty of work to do on these cabinets — refinishing, painting, and installing hardware — but it’s a project for another day. You know Sherry: she’ll paint anything that doesn’t move.
In summary, finding cabinets that were both deep enough (24″) and not too tall (under ~30″) proved tougher than expected. We visited two ReStores, two big-box home improvement stores, scoured Craigslist, reviewed DIY plans, and considered Ikea. Prices for workable options ranged from around $300 to $500 (not including countertops), which made us pause. Custom built-ins add function and value, but they can also feel like a steep gamble if you’re trying to keep costs low. We’re glad we waited and continued searching until we found a dramatically cheaper solution. Lesson learned: be patient, check many sources, and don’t rush into a purchase you might regret.
What have you hunted for after visiting multiple stores or searching online? Do you usually find a score after a certain number of stops? Have you been chasing a particular item for months or years? It’s funny how the perfect thing often turns up in the very last place you look — mostly because once you find it, you stop looking.
Psst — Sherry did a long interview about how our blog has grown and shared behind-the-scenes details on blogging and book writing if you’re curious, and we also chatted on BabyCenter about a charming little nursery we crashed (that light fixture was one of the best we’ve seen in a long time).