THIS WEEK I WILL BE REVISITING MAKEOVERS FROM MONTHS AND YEARS PAST…
HOW HAVE THEY STOOD THE TEST OF TIME, THE WEAR AND TEAR OF OUR FAMILY OF FIVE.?
THE KITCHEN ISLAND WAS COMPLETED AND POSTED EXACTLY 2 YEARS AGO! This has been one of most popular DIY PROJECTS and has been featured on at least a dozen other blogs and websites including the TODAY SHOW and just this past weekend CENTSATIONAL GIRL as part of her Best of the Blogosphere series!
I Took an old school desk, originally purchased. for $40 at the Greenwood Country Store which still had the
metal ID tag on it that said…” UVA – Department of Neurology”
TATE’S DESK 2005
THE SIZE, STORAGE CAPACITY AND FINISHED BACK WERE PART OF WHAT MOTIVATED ME TO USE MY SONS OLD SCHOOL DESK FOR THIS MAKEOVER.
BUT THE DECIDING FACTOR WAS THAT I JUST COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING THAT CAME CLOSE TO THE QUALITY AND CRAFTSMANSHIP OF THIS GREAT PIECE OF VINTAGE FURNITURE. HECK, IT WAS USED BY HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS…IT COULD CERTAINLY HANDLE US. RIGHT?
THE DRAWERS CAME LINED WITH A NIFTY OLD 1960’S PEEL AND STICK SHELF PAPER…AND WOODEN HANDLES WHICH WERE BOTH REMOVED FOR A MORE STREAMLINED LOOK….
HANDLES TO MATCH THE RESTORATION HARDWARE HANDLES ON THE CABINETS
HARDWARE
The “Aubrey Pull” hardware is from Restoration Hardware and was on sale!
The existing hardware was spaced at 3 1/2″ which is tough to find,
though I could have just puttied the holes and started fresh…
But of ALL the hardware at Restoration Hardware, ..the only one that came in that 3 1/2″ size…
was the ONE I WANTED!
and it matched the cabinet hardware…all in polished nickel.
The hardware is an example of money well spent. The Aubrey handles still looks like NEW….Restoration Hardware is durable and polishes up beautifully with just soap and water or Windex.
PAINT
GOSSAMER BLUE
I painted the kitchen island Benjamin Moore Gossamer Blue. I have never tired of the color and still adore it and in fact, I have contemplated painting the lower cabinets ALL that color.
FAMILY CIRCLE MAGAZINE
The entire kitchen was featured in the November 2013 Issue of FAMILY CIRCLE
I CANNOT GET OVER THE CHANGE IN COOPER, WHAT A DIFFERENCE 2 YEARS MAKES WHEN YOU GO FROM 11-14!for more on our FAMILY CIRCLE shoot go HERE , HERE or HERE
Family Circle Magazine, here was one of the shots from that day!
I don’t use the cutting board I MADE as much as I would have thought, as it is easier to throw the other ones in the dishwasher. What I DO use the “cutting board” for MORE is to place HOT DISHES upon as the Formica is not meant to take extreme heat.
CUTTING BOARDThe drawers have been handy for things that never could find a home, like all the TEAS in their respective boxes for my family of tea drinkers! THIS IS USED ALL THE TIME!!!! LOVE IT!
YOU CAN VISIT THE ORIGINAL POST TO SEE THE TUTORIAL ON INSTALLING THE WHEELS. THEY HAVE HELD UP GREAT, OUR ONLY ISSUE, AND THIS IS REALLY ME JUST BEING PICKY IS THAT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, SOMEONE WILL ACCIDENTALLY LOCK A WHEEL AND IT MAKE SIT DIFFICULT TO MOVE…BUT THAT IS MY ONLY COMPLAINT! Easy ENOUGH to UN-lock.
THE KITCHEN ISLAND OFF TO THE SIDE AND TUCKED INTO ITS OWN LITTLE CUBBY! THE ISLAND IS USUALLY IN THE CENTER OF THE ROOM BUT WE DO OCCASIONALLY MOVE IT OVER TO THE SIDE FOR CLEANING.KITCHEN ISLAND AND PAINTED VINYL FLOOR – THE WHITE WHEELS HAVE BEEN GREAT ON THE PAINTED VINYL FLOOR AND LEAVE NO “SKIDMARKS” THE ISLAND TOP IS THE SAME CALACATTA MARBLE FORMICA WE HAVE ON OUR KITCHEN COUNTERS
WE EAT MOST BREAKFASTS THERE…AND DESPITE OUR COZY KITCHEN SIZE, MANY PARTIES HAVE CENTERED AROUND THE LITTLE BLUE ISLAND!!!
If you have a small/large kitchen, meaning you have a decent amount of storage, but not an abundance of FLOOR space…or like us, we do not have an open floor plan kitchen….constructing a kitchen island from a desk or dresser could be the way to go. The dimensions tend to be perfect…and not too deep for a smallish/largish kitchen.
2 years later…
I still I give our DIY Kitchen Island an A+ for durability and functionality!
See you tomorrow for another makeover revisited!!!!
