Installing IKEA cabinets in all three of our beach house kitchens prompted the obvious question: why didn’t we use them in our Richmond kitchen? This week we explain what made us hesitate back then, how choosing IKEA might have changed the final result, and what we would pick today if we were selecting kitchen cabinets for our home. We also cover a small exterior project that turned into a major plumbing hassle at the duplex (yes—more water drama), plus an unrelated evening emergency call to an electrician for a little balance.
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What’s New
- While working at the duplex I discovered that one of the water shutoff valves had been buried. The exposed cover is visible in the foreground of the photo; the other valve should have been about four feet in front of it. After digging around for a while I couldn’t find it.
- When the pathway was installed the valve box ended up almost completely buried—roughly 4 inches below finished grade where the path met the bed. The plastic edging was so close that it actually blocked someone from removing the cover.
- I didn’t take photos while digging because I didn’t expect anything dramatic… and then the water line broke. The next photo shows some of the aftermath: the box (the plastic “margarine tub”) removed from the hole, with the lid off to the side.
- Here’s a close-up of the break. It’s a small fracture, but it released a lot of water quickly. The pipe didn’t become visible until the water drained away, which left a fairly muddy scene.
- It’s all repaired now. The plumber reconnected the line and set the valve box a bit higher so it sits level with the ground, and he positioned it farther from the path to avoid being buried again.
- If you missed previous water issues at Cape Charles, we’ve shared several true renovation headaches over the years—frozen pipes, broken meters, leaking lines, and surprise floods—so this incident was unfortunately not the first time water made things interesting.
That’s Embarrassing
- We’re making big progress on the beach house backyard and can’t wait to photograph the finished space and share a full post. For now, here’s a peek at the lights we installed on the sheds that caused more trouble than they should have.
- We used the smaller 11″ fixtures on the shed sides and back of the house, and the larger 15″ fixture near the peak. The dusk-to-dawn sensor is subtle; it sits on the back of the shade and isn’t obvious in these photos.
Ikea Kitchens
- If you want to read more about our Richmond kitchen renovation, we’ve published detailed posts covering the before-and-after, the full gut remodel, our new layout, and five mistakes we made during the process. Those posts include cabinet details, room schematics, and renovation photos.
- We’ve used IKEA cabinetry in several projects and have gathered practical tips for anyone considering their cabinets. Below is a summary of where we’ve used IKEA cabinetry and which door styles we chose.
- Our Richmond laundry room was an early IKEA installation. We relied on filler pieces to create a built-in, wall-to-wall appearance and added a bottom piece to hide under-cabinet lighting. The door style used there is BODBYN.
- We later built custom built-ins in the Richmond bonus room using the same BODBYN fronts. That project came together faster than the kitchen and was shared on the blog earlier.
- Our first full IKEA kitchen was at the Cape Charles beach house where we used the VEDDINGE door style. We documented the planning tools and installation process in separate posts to help anyone tackling an IKEA kitchen.
- This past winter we installed IKEA cabinets in both duplex kitchens. One kitchen features ASKERSUND doors and the other uses the blue KALLARP fronts. We also posted a guide with tips, tricks, and tools for installing an IKEA kitchen yourself.
- One custom detail worth noting is our “appliance garage.” Using stock doors and filler pieces, the installers created an open-front niche with no back that stores breakfast items and commonly used appliances like the toaster and crock pot. We leave it open while in use and close it when we want a tidier look.
We’re Digging
- For the unofficial Creepy Murder Book Club, I read two mysteries over Spring Break: Watch Me Disappear by Janelle Brown and The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware. Both are suspenseful and good for fans of twisty thrillers.
- If you enjoyed Sherry’s “sexy fairy” recommendation of the Court of Thorns and Roses series, she’s now deep into Sarah J. Maas’ Throne of Glass series and started with book one rather than the prequel. She’s been working through the series and recently reached book five.
- We keep a master list of books and topics we’ve discussed on the podcast, plus a dedicated Book Club page with all our recommendations for listeners who want to explore further.
A big thank you to Annie Selke for sponsoring this episode. Check out their latest collaboration with artist Laura Park and enjoy 15% off with code YHL15.
Thanks for listening, everyone!
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