What’s the cost of happiness?  After realizing I wasn’t happy with my kitchen design I’ve been reworking it yet again even though changes are sure to add cost.  I liked the simplicity and efficiency of the design I previously came up with so much that I had decided to give up the idea of hiding the plumbing stack that projects into the kitchen.  The simplicity and efficiency of the cabinets of that design had the added benefit of translating into a relatively low cost.  But then I realized having the plumbing stack boxed out in the kitchen really bothered me.  Maybe it was too close to the front of the range cabinets.  But the reason really doesn’t matter.  I knew that I needed to at least explore what it would take to disguise the plumbing stack to see what was involved.  Once I knew what else was possible I could balance the additional cost with my happiness related to the modifications.

Using shallow cabinets on the exterior wall effectively moves out the face of the wall and hides the plumbing stack;

After exploring the possibilities for hiding the plumbing stack,  I came up with a design where both the cabinets at the sink and at the range will turn the corner toward the window.  The cabinets that extend from the range disguise the plumbing stack.  The cabinets that extend from the sink balance out the design.  The faces of these cabinets effectively move the kitchen wall in about 7″ so where previously the plumbing stack projected into the kitchen about 7″ it is now hidden behind this new face.

Since the shallowest cabinets IKEA makes are 12 7/8″ I will need to use these and cut them down so they are only about 7″ deep.  I’ll do this for both the base cabinets and the wall cabinets and there will be an 8″ deep counter top between these upper and lower cabinets.  I think I can probably use these shallow cabinets for items like spices, cooking oils, and pot lids.  I may even install a rack in one of the cabinets so I can hang frying pans.

Although I’m happier with this new approach it does add to my cost.  I’ll not only need to buy more cabinets and have more counter top, but I’ll have the expense of 12 7/8″ deep cabinets but only be getting half the storage space after I cut them down.  I will also need to shorten the cabinets from my original layout by 7″ with this change in design and by doing this I create a dead space in the corners.  If I was willing to custom build my cabinets I could eliminate this dead space but I’m not sure it is worth the effort.  I’ll probably just modify the IKEA cabinets and live with the dead space.

While spending more money because of this change is a tough decision it’s worth it to me to not have regrets later.  Now that I’m happier with the kitchen design I’m ready to move forward and order my cabinets!