Phil Swindler

Ned Harr wrote:

If possible, I'd prefer to cut in a door to that cabinet from some other side of it where that space can be accessible, even if it's from another room! (Better a random low closet in the hallway than a total waste of space in the kitchen.)

It work well in our house.  People ask about the random cabinet door in the hallway.  When they see all that storage that is easy to get to, they think it's brilliant.

Youtube has loads of good instructions on sharpening tools.  Rex Kruger and James Wright (wood by Wright) both give good instructions on sharpening wood working saws.

When I was younger I bought cheap tools.  As I've aged, and hopefully gotten wiser, I've found it's worth getting better tools.  They hold a sharp edge longer, don't break as easy, and often have better ergonomics.

Jay Angler wrote:
A lazy susan wouldn't have fit in my friend's awkward spot like that. Her reno was two large drawers in the hallway which she stores her recycling and "needs to go elsewhere" things in, before recycle day or elsewhere delivery day, keeping her kitchen much tidier.

This sort of space is the bane of "U" shaped kitchens and looking for alternatives is worth the time and effort!

Sounds like the same idea just with the added convenience of being "Pull out".
I say if it makes life easier and isn't too expensive, it's worth doing.

While I'm talking about doing things my own way, here's one that costs a little more to set up, but, has saved us time, effort, and cost in the long run.
Instead of shelf paper or drawer liners, we use peel and stick floor tiles.  We buy the cheapest ones that match our kitchen.
They are easy to clean.  After all, you mop the floor.
They are durable and stand up to pots and pans, they are made to be walked on.
They are relatively easy to cut to size and put in place.  They are not too difficult to cut with a utility knife.  If you have access to an old fashioned guillotine paper cutter that makes cutting them super easy.  I do recommend test fitting them before you peel the film off the back.
In 25 years I have only had to replace 1 tile.  That was the 3rd one I ever laid and I didn't cut it quite right so it was crooked.  We kept catching it with stuff and peeling it up.  After cutting and test fitting it's replacement to make sure I had it right, no more problem.  It was still there 8 years later when we moved.
When we moved in here, I got lucky.  The local home improvement store (the big blue one) had several boxes of a style that matched our kitchen on a close out sale.  So I have them in the kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry room for about what the kitchen cost in the last house.

A lot of kitchens have a lazy susan in the corner.  I looked into what it would cost to add one to our kitchen.  We didn't want to pay THAT much.
The back side of that space in our house is a hallway.  I went to the hall and cut an opening.  I added a door made to match the hall.  Now we keep stuff we rarely use in a space we couldn't reach anyway.  If you are my age, think fondue pot and punch bowl.

Bonnie Haralson wrote:On my bucket list for the day my kitchen remodel becomes reality is cabinets with pull-out shelving! No more taking out everything in the front to get to the items buried at the back of the cabinet. I have a small island with a silverware drawer and 2 pull-out shelves underneath. I treasure those shelves, and hope to replace my existing shelves in the cabinets soon. Also, a full-height pull-out spice cabinet is high on my list, also!

My wife has really bad knees, and mine are headed that way.  I added pull out shelves to the cabinets below the counter in our kitchen.  They were a game changer.  Open the door and pull out the shelf like a drawer and you can get to everything with ease.
I know there are kits available.  Here in Wichita there is at least one company that will do that for you.  I custom built ours to match the drawers already in the kitchen.  The other thing I did different than the kits, (and I highly recommend if you have the skills) I made the back the same height as the shelf opening.  That eliminates the chance of anything falling off the back and being a pain to get to.

There is a great deal of satisfaction in completing a project or a repair without having to call a professional.  I'm slow, so I don't think I'm saving any time.  But, every time I use one of the doors I custom built for our house I know I did that.  
I don't always save money.  Between buying specialty tools and having to replace "Learning Experiences", it sometimes costs just as much to do it myself.  But, now I have those tools to pass down to my son or grand kids.  
For the past 4 or 5 years I've been getting my grand kids involved in builds and repairs.  They seem to enjoy the process and they really like taking home things they have built.  They are learning to think their way through problems and to not give up when they hit a snag.

I had taken a rare day off from work and, having shed the corporate uniform, was dressed scruffily, with my hair in rollers. Glancing out my window, I saw a van blocking my driveway. Incensed, I flew to the door and told the driver to move it immediately.

About an hour later, all dressed up to go shopping, I was backing my car out of the driveway and noticed the driver standing on the sidewalk. A little embarrassed, I smiled and nodded hello. "Ma'am," he said to me. "I hope your grandmother is only visiting. She is one tough old cookie."

OK, it's not a frog.  But, my sister's washing machine was not draining down the drain and was throwing water onto the floor.
When my brother-in-law ran a drain snake through the drain line, he pulled out a dead squirrel.
That air vent pipe through the roof now has a screen over it.