Kitchen Island Salvage Project

Before

After

One of the real reasons I haven't updated my food blog in so long is not that I haven't had time to do it (I still cook), but that there is was no place to take lovely and beautiful food photos in my new kitchen. I absolutely love this house, which I moved into last June. It was built in 1929, and still has many of the original features. The tiny kitchen, however, was destroyed by the last renters (college students). The landlords redid it before we moved in, but there was only so much counter space they could squeeze in.

The lovely kitchen with the horrid "student" makeshift counter space addition.

The table above looked just perfect for that space when we moved in. It was an old student desk, poor quality but "worked" for that corner in a kitchen with almost no cabinet space. Over time, the surface didn't last, getting not just scratched but covered in stains that couldn't be cleaned. I yearned for such beautiful kitchen carts that lurked among the items at sites like Wayfair.com...one that would not only look lovely in the kitchen but would provide the much needed storage space below.

I have always had a love for renovation and home design; while other kids watched CatDog and Ren and Stimpy, I (who had no cable tv), watched This Old House on PBS. I loved watching furniture being built and homes being made over. Now that I finally have cable, I watch embarrassing amounts of HGTV. One of my new favorite shows is Rehab Addict, with Nicole Curtis. Watching her work with salvaged wood and furniture is incredibly inspiring.

I was taking my dog for a walk the other day and found that a neighbor had redone the kitchen, leaving all of the cabinets on the side of the road. I took one that was the perfect size, realizing that the antique breadboard I've had for a few years would make a perfect top. 

Paint, primer, brushes, sandpaper and wood glue set me back only about $40 at Lowe's. The whole project was done over two days, and maybe, just maybe, 6 hours total time spent on it.

To quote Nicole, "Is it gonna be perfect? No! It's old, it's not supposed to be!" 

But, (quoting my great-grandmother now), if I must say so myself, it's pretty darn good.

Doors off, handles off, sanded down and finished with a coat of primer and paint

Top glued to the base, second coat of paint

Finally, the handles go back on!

At home in the kitchen, baking supplies below