Island Design: Round 2

The basic shape and size have not changed but there have been some changes. First off, the feet. I went back to the salvage place where the bun feet were and I didn’t like them as much.

I then went to Van Dykes Restorers site to see if they had anything. I had bought 4 Queen Anne, ball & claw feet for the eHutch at Van Dykes last year. They were a discontinued item and I got them for $8. The funny thing is, they still have them on their web site for $14 each. I’m not sure if they really were discontinued and they just haven’t updated the web site, or if they are carrying them again. I’m going to call tomorrow and find out if they are available.

Van Dykes Queen Anne Feet


The Van Dykes feet would put the island 8-inches off the floor just as the salvage bun feet would so I will still need to build a recessed box under it. The box would serve two purposes. One, it would hide plumbing, and two, it would give me a way to anchor the whole thing to the floor. With plumbing and electrical hooked up you don’t want this thing to move if you accidentally bump in to it too hard, like say in a middle of the night in a drunken stupor. Not that ever happens…cough.

I went down and looked at cabinet doors again too. The first design had a single, raised paneled cabinet door (I already found) and three drawers (I would make). I’ve decided I don’t want the drawers. As I said in an earlier blog entry, the kitchen already has 12 drawers. I really don’t need anymore. Either that, or I’m in denial about making drawers. Either way the drawers are out.

While looking, I found two pairs of 1905 cabinet doors that were a good size but had some damage. They came out of a department store that was torn down a few years ago. They could probably be repaired, but, you know, why go to the trouble. They were $30 for the 4 doors w/hardware, and I could probably get them for $20. Still, it seems like a lot of work.

I found 2 other pairs of cabinet doors that have potential. The first pair had two raised panels each. They were in pretty good shape. I forget the price, but they would work fine. The other pair were not as nice but they had glass fronts. The glass was plain, clear glass but a few weeks ago I was give about 20 old window sashes and some of them had some really cool obscure glass.

Obscure Glass


I over heard a woman I work with saying she had just put vinyl windows in here home. I asked her what she did with the old windows and she said they were in her garage and she wanted to get rid of them. The next day her husband brought them in to work and tossed them in the back of my truck while I wasn’t looking. She also mentioned that here sister, who lives in Ferndale, had a “barn full” of old redwood windows she wants to get rid of. I’ve got the sister’s number and need to call here. I’m probably going to give all these windows to the woman who owns the salvage place who got me the pocket doors.

Anyway, back to the island. I love the idea of the obscure glass doors but I’m not so sure about having them at knee level. I’m worried someone might break them and cut themselves, you know, in a drunken stupor…cough.

Which ever way I go – glass or paneled doors – that still leaves half the of the island where the drawers were going to go. Ideally I would have found more matching cabinet doors that were in usable shape, but I didn’t. I’m now thinking about open shelving down there. The whole corner would be open with shelves that face both the front and side.

Current Rendition


First Draft
Kitchen Floor Plan

End Round Two