Awhile back I tiled the kitchen and during that process made the decision to tear down the existing kitchen island (it was not worth keeping). It actually made the tiling job easier. However that did leave me with the problem of what to do about the island. I decided to build one. I use the word "build" with a bit of liberty as I actually did not build the island; I bought two unfinished floor cabinets and built the structure around them.
The only part that I had trouble figuring out was how to secure the island to the floor. Once that was figured out, the rest of the the project wasn't so bad.
Step 1 - Decide where to locate the island and mark it with painter's tape.
Step 2 - Drill the holes for the lead anchors to be able to secure 2x2s (to be able to secure the cabinets to).
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| much easier doing these in the grout lines |
Step 4 - Cut out areas on the base of the cabinets so they can fit over the 2x2s and electrical wires.
Step 5 - Secure the cabinets to the 2x2s, cut out holes for the electrical outlet, and run the wiring for the outlet.
Step 6 - Another trip to Home Depot for the bead board, measure, measure again, and make the cuts.
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| Measure twice, cut once! |
Step 8 - Start the priming and securing of the 1x3s.
Step 9 - Paint the island, multiple coats after the primer.
Step 10 - Find (found at Ikea), buy, and cut butcher block top.
Step 11 - Sand & secure butcher block top to island and seal (many coats) it.
As usual, this project took longer than anticipated (but they always do : )
Still have much more to do on the kitchen makeover, but at least this step is done.
Another DIY project: Building a fence with branches, step by step instructions.
