Cob: pre-fab cabinets?

[Wilde Family]

>From: "lucynda norton" <dragonfly_183 at hotmail.com>

>  Ok, I thought I posted this earlier, but I will try it again.  Has anyone 
>ever used pre fab cabinets in there cob home.  In most of the pictures I 
>have seen they look like wooden shelves just built into the wall with fabric 
>covering them, but I would like to have pre-fabricated ones.  I would also 
>love to see pictures of other peoples finished or unfinished projects for 
>ideas and encouragement.
>
>

We can relate to your curiosity about how to incorporate factory-made
cabinets. Using them alleviates a lot of the time, cost, and decision
making relative to custom cabinets. Like you, we had never seen a
completed, functional kitchen in a cob home, but made the decision to go
with pre-fab cabinets in our kitchen. Our home is rather conventional in
many ways (central air, modern kitchen, flushing toilets, even) so pre-fab
cabinets don't seem completely out of place.

We reserved ten feet of relative straight wall for the back side of
L-shaped cabinets. Opposite that is a seven foot partition wall (we have
high ceilings) that separates the kitchen from the living area. We set
pantry cabinets in the kitchen side of that wall. An island stove is
between the L and the pantry.

This plan only requires ten feet of exterior wall. The cabinets were set
straight and the three or four inches of curve were taken up by the counter
top (ceramic tile) There are two upper cabinets anchored to wooden deadmen
planted in the wall. The slight curve necessitated some shimming and
insetting to make them line up with the lowers. 

The cabinets were set with the help of friends, and posed no particular
problems other than the time spent getting the walls ready to accept square
plumb cabinets. We have been extremely pleased with the results. I wouldn't
imply that hand-made cabinets wouldn't work better, it's just the route we
took.

David Wilde