Almost Committed

I framed the island today but stopped short of bolting the whole thing to the floor. I’ve positioned it in the place I think it will go but I’ll spend a few hours with it in that location today and tomorrow before I commit to the spot. It actually takes up less room than the kitchen table that was there. The table was 48-inches in diameter and the island is 64X36 inches. The 64-inch length is fine because there is still more than 4-feet in front of and behind the island. However, I did pick up 12 crucial inches on the sides where all the traffic will flow.

It is coming out pretty good but I did discover a major design flaw today. The salvaged cabinet doors I bought a few months back will not fit. The doors are 31-inches high and the island is 38-inches high, but once you account for counter top, feet, and trim there is only about a 25-inch high opening. Because the doors have 2 raised panels I can’t cut them down. I haven’t decided exactly what to do about it yet but there is still plenty of work so I’m sure some solution will reveal itself soon.

Aside from that it’s looking pretty good. There are a few minor things I would do differently if I had to do it over but they are very minor. The big problem today was putting the whole thing together by myself. Last night I flipped the base over and painted the feet and the center box. The box is off-set 7-inches under the island and painted dark green. The idea is that even if you see it it won’t be noticeable. It should look like the island is supported only by the Queen Anne legs.



Don’t tell anybody but the box is made out of plywood. This is my first use of plywood in the house. A friend had dumped off a piece of cabinet grade plywood that I had thought about using as a temporary counter top but it was not large enough. Instead it ended up underneath and out of site. The box serves three purposes. First, it acts as a secondary support so all the weight is not on the little Queen Anne legs. Second, it will hide plumbing and electrical which will come up from under the house. And third, it will secure the whole thing to the floor.

Here is where it will sit in the kitchen. The cantilevered counter is at the far end and the sink will be at the closest end. The painted boards are temporary and were used to hold things square while I put it together. Tomorrow I will bolt it to the floor and begin to sheath it with the previously stripped bevel board.



I also wanted to point out that I showed a little restraint with today’s blog entry. I had planned on writing about how I had erected something in the kitchen and despite the difficulties I had beaten the odds and mastered new skills. I was going to add that the whole experience was orgasmic, but in the end I decided that wasn’t appropriate.