A Self Built Kitchen Island: Your Perfect Holiday Gift
(part four of a kitchen renovation series)

by: Liz Roberts

What would be the perfect end to your kitchen renovation?

A kitchen island!

It will be the perfect getaway from overcrowded counters and cramped work spaces. A kitchen island allows you more area to roll out dough or chop vegetables. It’s what every modern cook needs. The biggest plus is that it’s relatively easy to install.

A kitchen island, like any kitchen renovation project can be contracted out or done yourself. If you want one that’s exactly suited to your needs, then build it. You and your family can go over what’s the number one priority and incorporate it into your island. They may just want more eating and snacking space which is fine. You may want to add shelving and extra burners. Or you may just want an area where you can prepare foods without getting in the way of studying or knoshing. Some kitchen islands even have shelves for cookbooks and racks for small wine collections. You can build multiple islands if you have a large kitchen. (One for eating , while the others are to be strictly used for tasks). Remember to plan your island(s) around family traffic. Allow a minimum of 36” to 42” as a walkway between the proposed area and your existing cabinets and walls. A wider walkway (48” ) should be for islands placed in front of stoves, fridges or dishwashers. This makes for easy maneuvering especially around mealtime. The island’s height usually matches that of your cabinets however you can make one section lower for comfortable eating.

You can go to any do it yourself mega store if you’re just looking to build a simple kitchen island. You’ll need two 24” cabinets, 3 pieces 5/16th “ pine beaded board base paneling, 16 feet of both shoe and base molding ,countertop, (whether tile or laminate), hardware, caulking clamps along with a miter and circular saw. You may want to get hardware that matches your cabinets for a more uniform look. A towel rack is optional.

You can do this project alone however it does pay to have an assistant. Always remember to wear safety goggles.

When you have your cabinets, the first thing to do is remove all doors and drawers. To make both doors swing out from the center, you’re going to have to reverse the swing of the right hand door. Measure and mark where the screw and hinge locations will go on the opposite side. Drill pilots holes in these locations and fill original holes with wood putty. Sand smooth. Now using your circular saw, carefully cut off the inside flanges off of both cabinets. This will make them be flush when positioned side by side. Do not cut into the side panels. Keep one flange cut to cover the cabinet’s seam. Apply a generous amount of construction adhesive (which can be bought at any hardware store) to the side of the cabinets where they’ll be joined. Push them together. After the adhesive has thoroughly dried attach nine 1” wood screws into the inside panel of one cabinets. Repeat for the other.

Cut two pieces of the beaded board paneling equal in length to the distance from the top of the cabinets to the top of the toe space. Now cut the remaining piece of beaded board equal in length to the distance from the top of the cabinets to the floor. Beginning on one side of the joined cabinets butt the groove edge of the shorter piece of beaded board up against the flange of the cabinet. Glue this into place. Repeat with the other side. Use your circular saw to trim away any excess beaded board so that it is flush. Apply beaded board to the back of the cabinets by aligning the center of a beaded board piece with the seams of the cabinets. Glue in place. Continue adhering the bead board to the back, working outwards. Use a level to ensure squareness. Again trim away any excess, using the circular saw. Make sure it’s set to the level of the board. Work carefully so not to mar it.

After the beaded board is put on it’s now time to apply the base moulding for the sides and front. Measure and cut it accordingly, mitering the corners for a tight fit. Drill small pilot holes before nailing to prevent the wood from splitting. Attach it using the construction adhesive and finishing nails. Now measure and cut the shoe moulding, again mitering the corners. Attach the shoe moulding with construction adhesive and finishing nails. Glue the flange strip to the front of the cabinets along the seam. Hold it in place with clamps until it dries.

Now is the time to paint or stain your island. Fill any seams with calking and let thoroughly dry. Paint both inside and outside of the cabinets as wells as the doors. Paint the corner moulding. Put drawers back into place and reinstall doors. Install hardware on all drawers and doors. If you want you can install a towel bar at this time too.

You can go a variety of ways with your kitchen countertop. You can use any large leftover pieces of laminate from your countertop installation. This gives a more uniform look to your kitchen. If not you may want to try a mosaic to match your floor or backsplash.

If you’re working with laminate, then place it on top of the island to get a general idea of how it will look and what you may have to trim away. Also, depending on the edging style you may need to trim the lip of the countertop to make it sit flush. Adjust the depth of your circular saw to prevent cutting onto the top of the countertop. Turn the laminate upside down to cut. Now use a chisel to remove the ends of the lip. Use construction adhesive or a strong epoxy to adhere the countertop to your island. After it dries, attach one inch screws through the corner braces of the cabinets in to the underside of the countertop.

If you prefer tiling instead, you should have your pattern already laid out and waiting. Sand the top of the island , cleaning off any dust or debris with tack cloths. Put an edging strip around the perimeters. Spread a thin set mortar and then set the tiles upon it. Firmly press them in. Use plastic spacers to ensure an even grout between the tiles. Remove these once the tiles are set. Also remove the edging strip guide, and add smaller tiles on the edges. “Butter” these pieces’ backs with mortar and place them next to the already laid tiles Allow tiles and mortar to set overnight. Grout the next day, using a grout float, evenly filling in the gaps. Use the float to scrape excess grout away.

The last part is installing the corner moulding. Measure the two back corners of the island, cutting the prepainted moulding to fit. Drill pilot holes in it to prevent any splitting. Now apply the corner moulding by using construction adhesive and small brads. If you want you can attach four casters to the bottom for easy moving.

Your kitchen is picture perfect right down to it’s own“island” paradise. This new addition give more space for holiday cooking and baking. It is a perfect gift for the harried cook in your household and it is a gift that will last well beyond the season.