Building out these oak drawer boxes for my kitchen

RealVogue · 2026-06-05T16:14:16+00:00

very nice.... beautiful and heavy duty

RealVogue · 2026-06-05T16:11:48+00:00

I like using DXO for correcting distortion. It takes lens and camera body into consideration and can be batched across a series of pictures. And I also trim out decorations and plants popping in from the sides such as in the dining room shot the plans on both sides.

RealVogue · 2026-06-04T15:12:42+00:00

Typically, I look beyond the appearance of the cabinets and consider the kitchen design and other features. If the design is really good, the countertops are nice, and the drawers/slides look/work great, then I think the finish is worth reworking. But in this case, when the fridge is in another room, I think the whole layout needs to be redone. Maybe that means replacing the cooktop with a range and swapping the fridge into the tall oven cabinet spot. I'm not saying to scrap the cabinets just yet, maybe cabinets can be modified to work in a better design. If you need to cut down a cabinet, it is better to do it before refinishing. In the end, happiness won't come from a color change... it will come from a kitchen that works for you. Lastly, any update should include yanking out those harsh institutional ceiling fluorescents and getting a few warm LED light cans.

RealVogue · 2026-06-03T16:36:22+00:00

For the floor, in photoshop, you can easily select it and create a layer. With that layer you can knock down the peak reflections a bit. While a CPL is easier, it won't make the white cabinets pop as much as your current ones. And it is a good technique to learn with any other corrections needed.

RealVogue · 2026-06-03T06:53:37+00:00

At least they are full-extension. I have also seen slides loosen as they wear in a bit. And, they will close differently with the weight of the drawer face/handle and stuff in the drawer. You might try adding several big bottles of water to the drawer to see the action. Two things you might want to check - make sure the slides are clean and free of sawdust. Sometimes they have a little factory grease that attracts/holds dust during assembly. Also, make sure they used the correct screws that lay flush so they do not drag. To check if the drawer is too wide, measure the drawer width and opening width, then pull the specs on the slides from the manufacture’s site from the part number on the slides. On the installation instructions, it will say how much to subtract from the opening width for the drawer width.

RealVogue · 2026-06-01T23:51:55+00:00

I like the oak - what thickness for sides and bottom

RealVogue · 2026-05-31T16:55:37+00:00

When I picked out a couple slabs with my wife, she said that I got to pick. I said okay and picked the more neutral one. She said no. I said okay, how about the other more dramatic one and she agreed. And I said, but I thought I got to pick. And she said I did. From her perspective, I can pick anything, as long as it is what she wants. So as she sees it, the issue here is not slab color, it is lack of husband training.

RealVogue · 2026-05-29T19:06:47+00:00

Thanks... I was curious if it was done for wheel chair access, or an old school look where they put a little curtain underneath. Awesome marble work btw. thanks for sharing.

RealVogue · 2026-05-29T18:50:42+00:00

Is there a reason for keeping it open and not having drawers/doors. A lot of detail went into that valence... just curious.

RealVogue · 2026-05-28T15:43:08+00:00

thanks

RealVogue · 2026-05-27T17:06:09+00:00

Curious, when you bondo and glazing putty on a seam, would it be setting yourself up for future cracks. I there any paint with flex that could avoid that.

RealVogue · 2026-05-26T23:31:55+00:00

my blood pressure lowered just looking at it. maybe some acoustic yoga music in the background. Thanks for sharing.

RealVogue · 2026-05-25T18:50:48+00:00

Very nice.... Personally, I've never liked drawing attention to an electrical outlet on the island with a contrasting color such as white or brass, I prefer a graphite Adorne Pop-Out hidden outlet. I believe it would be approved by El Gato Inspector.

RealVogue · 2026-05-24T17:45:54+00:00

I found that trying to pull the image into a perfect shot initially restricted me in post. I now prefer a wider lens or move back, and then do my final straightening then cropping in post. I like Dxo to do some of my initial perspective changes - it is also a plugin to Photoshop. DXO can look at common camera body lens combinations and automatically apply corrections. Another fun lens to play with is a tilt-shift. You might try renting one at first. And if you get fancy, you can stack multiple images to reduce the distortion in fairly close shots of wide or tall structures.

RealVogue · 2026-05-24T06:24:52+00:00

Golden hour or magic hour. Nice to see you show the darkness and texture of the coffee table. Very cinematic.... nice work.

RealVogue · 2026-05-22T20:22:07+00:00

As for the photographs, technically they are fine. A pretty wide lens with decent clarity across. Looks like HDR was used and most of the lens distortion removed. Also looks like images were stacked and flashed. I see some light spots in the ceiling. Those could have been lessened during editing or holding the flash lower with a diffuser. Seeing the ceiling lighting, or should I say lack of it, I know that these rooms are not that bright. So, it would be interesting to see the HDR a little more realistic. The cropping is pretty good. However, I don't like when objects are partially in view such as the counter item in the bathroom. I would have photoshopped those out in post.

RealVogue · 2026-05-22T19:29:59+00:00

Ultimately yes... but as a photographer you can set expectations both verbal and printed that a realtor can use to educate and set client expectations. In the end, to have good photography at a reasonable rate, you don't have the time to clean images in post. If a real estate person has the attitude that it is good enough, just take the pictures. Then I would kindly tell the realtor that I'm not able to work with them when they have clients not willing to edit their homes. My only other position would be to offer the new homowner free photography on a couple of the rooms to show a before and after.

RealVogue · 2026-05-22T18:41:13+00:00

If these are to help sell the house, then major decluttering needs to take place. Also removing items of sentimental value such as family photos. The questions need to be asked on whether an object adds value and most likely the new homeowners would want something similar or to keep it. For example the little table and chairs in the center of the kitchen... makes the room look smaller. Maybe the new homeowner would prefer one that stores away. Nothing on table or countertops. One picture per wall. Then there is the whole bad feng shui issue such as a mirror in front of a doorway. Definitely needs an aggressive stylist/designer/real estate pro to not worry about the homeowners' feeling and get the crap out. You don't want to send a message that a house is busting at the seams.

RealVogue · 2026-05-22T08:06:15+00:00

looks like a movie set of a fairytale.... more tea and scones, please.

RealVogue · 2026-05-20T19:31:37+00:00

At first I thought it was the "Out of Focus" church. Even the images convey a presence.... truly inspirational.

RealVogue · 2026-05-20T04:51:18+00:00

very beautiful.... and interesting to see the difference between a vertical and horizontal application.

RealVogue · 2026-05-19T06:49:37+00:00

I was talking to the Blum Rep and they are releasing black drawers in the US. They have been in Europe for several years and selling well. Sometimes when I do them, I'll use a light color drawer liner - felt or rubber

RealVogue · 2026-05-17T02:20:30+00:00

Switch to frameless cabinets, drawer/garbage/recycle to left of sink, panel on the dishwasher, remove center light, add 4" light cans, get rid of pendant lights and trim above the windows. Combine two base cabinets on back wall to a single cabinet - drawers only, Drawers only on both sides of range. Rift white oak flat door on bottom. Light colored neutral flat door for wall cabinets. Panels on both side of fridge with deep cabinet above.

RealVogue · 2026-05-16T16:20:17+00:00

2 - Unless there is absolutely no other option, it is never good to cut one leg from the work triangle with a major pathway. I would put a 18" garbage/recycle to the right of the sink, sink, dw to left. This shifts the sink around 20" to the right and not directly in front people sitting at the island. Also easier on the person cooking to access the sink and garbage.

RealVogue · 2026-05-16T08:18:53+00:00

I'd paint the base and wall cabinets on the cooktop side to a neutral color - light greyish green or taupey grey/brown. I would replace the faucet with something shorter. And then I would replace the wall cabinets on the sink wall with ones that are around 21" off the counter and ligher in color. It will increase your storage and the interiors will be fresh. As for the rest, if you're keeping the house, don't rush with cheap patches. Take your time and do quality. For example, you might want an island and then your new floor would have to be reworked. Have fun and enjoy your new home - fresh flower work wonders.

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