Throwback Thursday: A Glow-Up for the Island

 

Back at the beginning of the month, I promised a whole, proper post about our recent kitchen island glow-up. Today is that day!

                I’ve told you about the island before, but it’s been a while, so let me refresh your memory.

                This island was a custom-made gift for Mom from Dad back in the early 2000s. Mom had this butcher block cutting board that she hefted in and out of a kitchen cabinet every time she wanted to bake a pie or make noodles. And as the resident candy maker, she also had to haul a heavy piece of marble in and out of the house every time she made her Christmas candy! Dad took both pieces to a friend of his, who set them in this island made specifically for Mom’s height, and it was a fixture in their kitchen for 20+ years.

                When Mom and Dad moved to the apartment in Swiss Village, she knew she wouldn’t have room for it, but she did not wish to sell it with the house. She asked me if we could take it, and I was quite happy to do so. Our island was a low-budget Amazon special, so having a memory-laden piece was definitely an upgrade.

                I’m sorry you missed the day Ryan and I lugged it up the steps and into the house. Have I mentioned lately my lack of upper body strength? Did I mention the marble and butcher block? It was quite the spectacle. But we got it inside, in one piece, without losing fingers or toes.

                And then we laughed. Because, as I said, this piece was made for Mom, and she and I are not the same height. The island was wayyyyyyyyyyy too short. Ryan came up with the cost-effective solution of purchasing some bed risers. Perhaps not the most aesthetically pleasing, but they worked for a couple of years!

                We are getting ready to make some cosmetic changes in our kitchen, so we decided to start with the island. The first step was to attach permanent feet to the piece. Ryan picked them out, and I love them.

                Then he worked for a couple of weeks to paint the body of the island. (I know that painting furniture is not for everyone, so it’s okay if it’s not what you would have chosen. But this worked for us, and we like it!) We did not paint the top – so it matches our trash cabinet! White body, wood top. Even this change brightened the kitchen immensely!

                We ordered some new hardware to match the rest of the kitchen, and when Ryan finished it, it felt like it was always meant to look just like this.

                I’m excited to see the rest of the kitchen slowly transform, but that will be a winter project, so stay tuned!