Saturday, January 10, 2009

Is an island the solution to your kitchen issues???

Well I can't answer that for you , however it was the solution for my kitchen . I opted to build a large eat at island in place of the four seater table that we had lived with for 2 years since we have an ajoining dining room with a generous table I didn't feel I was loosing anything . It offers first of all visual appeal , as well as a large work surface , loads of storage and a comfortable spot to eat meals.



The work top is solid pine boards that I simply edged with pine chair rail to give it a great detail edge , we all distressed the top by beating it up with saws , chains , forks , which was a lot of fun for my oldest daughter to lend a hand to. I then stained it dark with a few coats of walnut stain , three coats of varathane , it has been a great addition . In hind sight I would have made it an inch small which would have allowed for a solid butcher block top from Ikea . My dream counter top would be soapstone though .

I used these glass doors from Ikea , they were clear so I frosted them to hide the contents inside .




It was a family affair .



Here are some during the build shots .

12 comments:

Karla said...

It looks so good! Love the top, but most of all the frosted glass doors! You did a great job! Thanks for sharing!

~ Karla

Gypsy aka Tam said...

Oh how I wish I was able to build an island like that in my kitchen but with a galley kitchen it will remain a dream. Yours looks beautiful!!!
Have a wonderful weekend,
Tam

Lynne (lynnesgiftsfromtheheart) said...

Wow.. this looks great. I love the top.. and that was a family affair makes it even more special..
hugs ~lynne~

DomesticDivasFancy said...

Great job. I wish my kitchen had room for an island. I looks great. Thanks for sharing!

Ashley

Holly said...

Dont you DARE think of ever changing the top!!!! I LOVE that idea!!! so much so, that it's going in my 'laundry room' file... Makes me want to paint my island...

Holly said...

Oh and I forgot to mention.... LOOOOVE your rooster!

Bargain Decorating with Laurie said...

Beautiful island. What a smart idea to frost the doors. I have considered using Varathane on my mahogany island top, but I'm concerned that the Varathane finish might start chipping and leave me with a mess. I'd love to know how long it has been since you applied it and whether you are seeing any chipping in the finish. laurie

Anonymous said...

I don't know if it's a solution in some cases, but they sure are nice.

Bobbi Jo Nichols said...

That is beautiful. Great work! Hugs, Bobbi jo

Anonymous said...

That is one fantastic island. I would so love that for us. The storage and prep/serving area must be so useful. We have a long and very narrow kitchen and unfortunately the counter and breakfast bar take up too much space in the middle. The harvest table in the 'eating' end are fine but not fabulous like your island. Maybe if I play with the floor plan it will be possible to make changes affordably. Hmmm:) It is fun to see all the little changes you have made from the older photos. One reason I stop by daily is for inspiration and I am again encouraged by the number of small projects you do that add up to some fabulous rooms. Keep up the great work and thanks.

Kari said...

Found you via your comment on Spring Chick. Oh my goodness, I can see I'm going to have some fun scrolling back thru your posts. Love the idea of the table legs on the bath vanity!

Zane Wooder said...

The statue of the chicken is super cool. It makes me want to eat chicken.

-Zane of ontario honey

"your home should be your haven, a place of refuge that speaks to who you are "