Can you help us with our kitchen?

Hmm... Very good question. Following this thread for creative Hometalker answers :)

If using ready made cabinets like you can get around Home Depot are not an option due to expense. I might suggest trying to get a dresser at a flee market an redo it. You can sand and paint in any color. Home Depot also has ready made counter tops you can place on top that are fairly inexpensive. You can either leave the dresser drawers as drawers or take out the drawers and simply replace with nice baskets, or keep the front of the drawers and create cabinets. Above the "cabinet dresser" you can place shelving of you can get to your electric panel. If you use baskets below , using baskets on the shelves to match might be nice.

Do you have a Habitat for Humanity resale shops in your area? They often have cabinets that have been removed from remodeled homes and are very low priced. You could find and item or two that could get the job done. It might means going back several times to watch for usable items but worth the saving. I have caught some excellent items there. We have an excellent online auction site here in Texas that I have found items for $1. that would get your job done but you are so far away, shipping would end the savings angle. Good luck with your search.

You might also find some independent people in your area that do remodeling and they may have something that would do the job.

Okay, here are my thoughts on the situation. Assuming the cabinet that you can see there stays, construct a frame the same height and width of the cabinet. Insert shelving and use anchors to attach to the wall for stability. When you move, and have to remove the shelving, there will be two anchor sites to plug, but that should not be too much of a problem. This construction can be configured so that the utility box can be accessed easily be removing whatever you place on the shelf in front. You mentioned cookbooks, so I would recommend having a book or perhaps a picture just leaning on the box to camouflage it. If you want some of the lower shelves for canned goods, or something that you don't want displayed, create doors using a lightweight plywood or even corrugated foam board and small hinges.

This treatment would make everything look more 'put together' than having something sticking out further than the adjoining cabinet.

I like the dresser idea above. You can find all types of cabinets, dressers, chests, etc., at the Habitat, Restore and Goodwill. I got a great cabinet with just two doors for a potting station on my porch for $20 on Craigslist. I have to paint it but it was the perfect size for what I needed. Ikea is fairly inexpensive. Walmart & Target have fairly decent cabinets too (the wood ones look cheap but the painted ones aren't bad). You could sit a shelf on top of yourcabinet/dresser that is not attached to the wall. If you have children you would probably need to attach it to the wall with some type of hook or anchor that could be removed when you move. Good luck!

I had a friend who was replacing all her cabinets in the kitchen and they just so happened to match mine. So, I took two narrow cabinets and placed them beside each other along side of the wall at one end and then placed a wider one facing the other direction at the other end. This left me with a space between them for a trashcan. Next I placed a board ( MDF) across the top of them and fastened everything together and then to the wall. On the board, I layed 2" square tiles and grouted them then put two rows of decorative tile on the wall as a small backsplash. Then I put two two-door cabinets ( given to me ) on the wall above the new counter. Total out of pocket money was $40.00 and it looks and functions great! The wife is happy, so I am happy.

I like the dresser idea too and u can build upwards shelves off from it. A couple 8 in board going as high as u want them then run 8 or even 6 inch boards crosswise and screw them on U can cover a large cardboard or luan board on the back to make it really strong. You can cover it in fabric or wall covering to match your decor. good luck dhall

I too am on the dresser train. For some reason tho I thought homemade garden bench? Many simple plans on this site and others like it. Make it rustic or bakers rack style. You will have your upper shelf (s) for cookbook, plants,pottery etc. No holes in the wall.