DIY Recycle Center - IKEA Hack

I adore shopping in the Scratch and Dent area of IKEA. Every IKEA location has one. This section of the store contains items that are slightly damaged, floor models, returns (often with not  a thing wrong but the item is already assembled), and items that are missing parts. It is also my favorite place to sit and people watch since it is by the front registers. During my last trip I found these fantastic trash cans that I had admired in the catalog.

Knodd bins are quality epoxy/powder coated steel. They come in three colors: black, galvanized, and white and have nice lids. I chose the white, although they are more of a cream color than white, which I really like. The finish is a satin finish, not a gloss. Each measures 20" high and have a diameter of 16.25", so they are not too large for most spaces. They hold 11 gallons and are ok around areas of moisture or humidity since the coating helps prevent rust. The ones they had in the Scratch and Dent section this trip were not really a scratch and dent, in fact they were not damaged at all. The bins I scored were simply missing their handles. Typically the Knodd bins retail for $24.99 each, but these ones were marked just $9 each!!

Welcome to a New Year Rancho No Dinero Episode #8

I released podcast #8 yesterday (yay! It is about time, eh?) and in it I touched on how I am planning to build my kitchen. If you are interested in listening to the latest podcast, just click on the link below. 

Check out this episode!

Anyway, in this episode I touched on how rather than installing stock cabinets from my local home improvement store and laying out thousands of dollars, I am going to be creating my kitchen by re-purposing items I already have and some items I found at my local IKEA. Total cost? I am estimating, with a stove, under $1000. 

Here is the table I am going to make into a work space after painting with a satin black, adding a butcher-block counter top, and some decorative curtain: 

These are the new knobs and the fabric for the curtain. The current dangling pulls will be removed, the holes filled, and the new larger porcelain knobs installed. The drawers will be lined with cork and have a knife block in one of them. The other will hold other supplies as needed: 

Below are the kitchen components I talked about during the podcast that I plan on purchasing from IKEA. You can click on the link to go to the IKEA site if you like:

Numerar Counter Top 

Sundvik Changing Table (need 3) 

Fintorp Collection

Liatorp Wall Bridge/Shelf

Steinstorp Wall Shelf w/Storage 

More of the Fintorp Collection

As you can see, these combined with the re-purposed table should make a very Country/French Country style kitchen. The table, because it will be on rollers, will be able to be moved to be cleaned behind. The curtains can be washed as needed and the knobs are porcelain so they can be wiped with disinfectant too. They are also large enough to hang towels on. I am really quite excited to see how this turns out, so check back next week. I plan to sew the curtains and paint the table this weekend. I cannot yet get the butcher block counter, but that will be purchased as soon as a) I can afford it and, b) when I have a transport vehicle at my disposal. 

Again, the chest freezer will have a portion of the butcher block top installed on its lid, which will be level with the table and its butcher block top. The stove unit will sit between the table and the chest freezer.

What do you think? Is 14' of counter space (I subtracted some for the sink) enough counter space in a kitchen? 

Re-purposing and Reusing - Reducing Your Footprint

This week while I was in Seattle, Ralph and I went to some tag sales. I adore a tag sales. They are such a great way to reduce our footprint by reusing or re-purposing as opposed to just being consumers at the retail level. There are many, many people who discover they just have collected way too much "stuff" and having a yard sale, tag sale, garage sale, etc. is a great way for them to make a little cash while making a little space. Hitting these sales is a win-win for both seller and buyer. Most times I go "treasure hunting" (as I like to call these great sales) I find some gem and it rarely costs me more than a dollar or two.