Sunday, September 5, 2010

from boys dresser to kitchen island

in between adding to this pile of stuff i am working hard on getting furniture projects done for our move. somehow, they keep adding up. a dresser here, a bookshelf there. i thought my dresser turned kitchen island was going to be my last project until we get settled but i now have our china cabinet in the garage with a coat or primer on her. pastor j almost refused to help me move it because he thought maybe paint fumes had finally gotten to my head. i assured him that it will get done. i'm movtivaed, by golly! and if i have learned anything it is to strike while the motivation is high!



alrighty, on to my dresser transformation. here is the before.


it's a simple dresser. it's pretty rustic and basic.


and now. . .
i added some bun feet, some paint, and a butcher block top. and voila, a kitchen island.

because the wood was soooo dry it would have been cruel to sand or prime her.
so, i did neither, which was fine by me!


the frame is painted with my new favorite mistint that i'm calling carolina moss for it's earthy greenish grayness. the drawers i dry brushed with white followed by carolina moss. then i sanded the heck out of them until i got the look i wanted. then i ran some stain over them. that's pretty much it.


the butcher block is ikea's numerar. my dad came over with his saw and trimmed it up for us and attached it to the dresser.


pastor j was his sidekick. we decided to use liquid nails to attach it, although many advise butcher block be screwed on due to it's tendency to expand and contract with humidity.


this is after about 3 coats of butcher block conditioner. we decided to use this over other oils because we are going to use this as a prep surface. the conditioner is safe for food while also protecting the wood. if it gets too marked up for our taste we can just sand her down a little and seal it up again.


in case i haven't said it enough, our new house has the tiniest kitchen. one of the reason's i did this is to add some workspace for us, as well as some drawer space. i think it will be perfect.




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 I'm linking up to some of my usual spots this week:


and here is our china cabinet (which we use for books) mid makeover. . .


more on this later!

21 comments:

  1. that looks fantastic! i love the paint finish you gave it. hopped over from cottage instincts. :)

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  2. Oh, I love it. The distressed technique is wonderful. I'm sure you will enjoy the use of it as well. Great job! Can't wait to see the hutch in all its glory!

    I'm having a fun giveaway on my blog. I'd love it if you checked it out! alittleknickknack.blogspot.com

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  3. Really cute idea!! Great idea !! Stopping by from cottage instincts :)

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  4. This is a wonderful island! What a great job- looks so unique! Checking in from Make It for Monday :)
    Blessings,
    Becky C
    Buckets of Burlap

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  5. I love the look! Certainly one of a kind.

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  6. Looks terrific! Frugal AND practical! Great paint job too !

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  7. thank, y'all. lisa, "frugal and practical," you couldn't have paid me any higher compliment. :)

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  8. I love your "new" island. It's adorable. I'm your newest follower!

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  9. Looks SO great!! I love these kinds of repurposing! Makes things so much more interesting.

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  10. Great idea. Never seen this done!

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  11. Quite a transformation. I love the finish and the little bun feet. Your new island looks wonderful!

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  12. Clever! How can you not love this. . .

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  13. I love it!! I was looking for some inspiration for my current project and you just provided it! Thanks so much.

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  14. Gorgeous. Just gorgeous. I love the Liquid Nail idea. Otherwise, how would you have fastened it? This is a great solution.

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  15. I love the island! It looks great. The distressing is perfect, now I'm thinking I'll have to go over to my Chiropractor's office and fix mine up (that's where it lives right now!).

    Huh. Always want what the other has! Be happy with yours, it looks fantastic!

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  16. I am in the midst of an island redo! Loving your changes!! It looks great and a perfect height!

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  17. I love it. I sympathize with you on the small kitchen. I'd love to be able to have an island!! Great job with all the sanding, it came out perfectly!!

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