Nightstands Turned Kitchen Island...Really!

Here it is, the latest project that's eaten my time between life's usual craziness and necessary business...a "new" kitchen island made from our old (circa 1971) nightstands.

Yup, we made this from two nightstands!

Inside I covered a wooden box and the inside of the island in red checked craft paper. The Welding Man installed the old drawer pulls for towel hangers on both sides. I love recycling the hardware from vintage furniture and these work great!We had a BBQ for over 2 dozen people this last weekend (plus a couple of big family dinners for 14 the week before) and this island has turned to be a most excellent addition to our busy kitchen.

Here's our messy kitchen with that big empty space between the sink and the stove. Additional work space is always good, and I wanted a serving bar for our buffet style family dinners.

I saw this photo of a dresser restyled into an island and the wheels in my head started turning....

So last Thanksgiving we put our two nightstands back to back, threw a tablecloth over them and called it good.  The two of them together gave me a lower work surface for hand mixing and bread kneading so I knew they would work with a bit of tweaking. We also figured if I wanted it higher we could put chunky wood bun legs at each corner, but we did not have to. The cost to build a brand new country style island chalked up to about $130 so we decided the nightstands it had to be!

The rainy, cold Oregon spring  made outdoor work uncomfortable/impossible, so we set up in the dining room. I used an old oilcloth tablecloth under the nightstands and painted them blue with a grey wash, after cleaning and sanding them thoroughly.

The Welding man cut MDF (medium density fiberboard)  to fit the top. It passed inspection by our chocolate lab, Molly Brown. She's actually checking for food, lol! The Welding Man also cut shelving for the inside.

For the top surface I wanted something close to the color of the still serviceable linoleum floor. I had already added book pages to the side of a kitchen shelf and since I am all about book page recycling, you know what's coming next. What better way to use a way out of date Betty Crocker paper back cook book?

Here The Welding Man is spreading the Envirotex resin, a two part mix which was really affordable with a 40% off coupon at Michael's.  It takes 72 hours to cure. We poured it on a Tuesday and by Saturday it was totally serviceable. The Envirotex is commonly used for bar tops and wood crafts. We used it way back when on walnut and myrtle wood burl clocks. Hello, 80s! It is water and alcohol proof and cleans up nice and shiny.

Here's another angle taken before we added the drawer pull/towel holders. I like it. I like it alot!

Here you can see how the book pages and the linoleum are totally compatible color wise. Serendipity!

 I LOVE how this came out! The actual cost on this project was less than $40, with the money going to Envirotex and paint. We already had the nightstands, MDF, sand paper and brushes.

Making do with what we've got never looked so good. Now I've just got to get to my other "blue" project, the bargain priced buffet I got for $20. Just as soon as the weather gets nicer so I can work outside, because it's too big to put up on the dining table.

This was an easy project with minimal skills required. You would be surprised how easy projects can be once you break them down to component parts and a step by step "battle plan." Got a project you're holding off on? You can do it!

I'll be linking up to the parties in my sidebar. Come visit and check out the creativity!

Wish List...A Blue Buffet, Part 1.

I've been pining after a blue buffet for my dining room for awhile now. My "Blue" board on Pinterest is full of photos of awesome retro buffets redone in wonderful blue paint finishes. I Googled and sighed and pinned and kept planning what I would do with the perfect vintage CHEAP buffet when I found it.

http://europaintfinishes.blogspot.com/2011/01/rustic-blue-buffet.html

Love this color. Cuz it's blue and it looks old. I'm a serious blue freak, let me tell you. But then, look at my blog header. Blue! Ahem.

 http://floferrell.blogspot.com/p/furniture-for-sale.html

The color, it makes me happy. I used turquoise blue in my craft room and with a bit of tweaking I could totally make this color work in my dining room. Le sigh.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/80040680/boy-blue-buffet

 The Welding Man took a look at this photo and said, in his best husbandly manner, "That looks kind of cruddy." Yes, but it's blue and its vintage looking and is loaded with character! Like me! LOL!

And look what I found! A vintage 70s Mediterranean buffet for $20!!! 

The guys brought it home and I immediately started loading it up with all manner of decor items, cuz I am loving it. Yeah, that eclectic mix includes a genuine Poortvliet gnome (looks like The Welding Man), cobalt blue glassware, an Oriental teak chest,  retro wire fruit basket, galvanized tin lantern and an apothecary jar full of  orbs with family names. And a samurai sword. And a painted butterfly rock. And an earthenware vase. Ok, I'll stop now.

Hey, Pottery Barn I'm not.

It is beat up and exactly what I was looking for. Look at that retro detail! The shelves inside are solid and the doors are straight and tight. And soon, it will be BLUE. A nice denim blue with a touch of turquoise. And a bit of crackle (using Elmer's glue, of course), and some glazing, and sanding, and distressed edges. Maybe with a dark walnut top. Or not. And oil rubbed bronze fixtures (thanks to Krylon spray paint) and maybe a bit of  Mod Podged book pages on the inside because I'm just that excited about this project.

Does it need legs or not?  Still deciding.

Don't you love it when a plan comes together?

And one last comment by The Welding Man. "I like the way it looks right now!" Funny man, he knows I never leave anything well enough alone.

I'll post progress right here, so check back for part 2.