apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

i just did this, albeit through craigslist and not green demolitions. like most recycling efforts, it's a little more intense and requires a little more creativity than off-the-shelf, but i'm *hoping* i can make it work. i scored 20 cabinets (base & wall), side-by-side refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave, kitchen sink, garbage disposal, & granite countertops. pics here and here if you're interested.
i bought them from a women who's completely re-doing her place (as am i). she had her contractors remove the cabinets with extreme care, and they've got sliding shelfs (in the blind corner) and hardware, and they even kept some of the screws.
it'll be a few more weeks before they actually get installed as i need to get the hardwood floors refinished & a closet re-configured before i can really worry about the kitchen. the granite countertops will require some care--i'm configuring the cabinets differently than they were in the original kitchen--but however it ends up, for the $3,000 i spent, i got better quality stuff than i could have had i gotten it new.

This is fantastic! I often watch hgtv shows and wonder why they completely demolish a outdated but perfectly good kitchen, when they could 'recycle' it. yay!

at first I thought that was the before picture, sorry.

My sister did this. A colleague was selling, and the buyer didn't want the modern white kitchen.

My sister just bought, and her kitchen was near useless (broken oven, door hinges broken, panels delaminating).

It was a good deal, and she came out with a huge kitchen. Making it work takes some elbow grease, and the materials used damage easily. It also helps if the donor kitchen is somewhat larger so you have some spares.

Recycle and Reuse whenever and wherever possible--a little creativity can often go a long way and add loads of personality. Think of the karma.

There is also "Build it Green" in Queens. The guys there are very nice and they have a selection like no one else! Try them! I mean where else can you find 1920's stained glass panels next to a pink 50's dining table... for dirt cheap. Also check out their "paint room" for some killer vintage wallpapers.