How I Transformed a Rustic Craftsman Work Table into Our Kitchen Island
Let it be known: this project is going to be categorized as one of my favorite DIY’s of all time. It was fast, fun, inexpensive, and best of all: exactly what I envisioned.
Seriously though, I still smile big every time I walk into my kitchen and see it!
This Project Was Necessary
We moved into our home almost 3 years ago now and part of what sold us on it was how open the kitchen floor plan was. Max and I love to cook and often cook together. To minimize kitchen prep time we would set up two work stations in separate areas. We quickly realized we needed more workspace. Like, really really needed more workspace. Of course I took to Pinterest to get ideas of what I would like for a kitchen island and in turn spent hours of scrolling Amazon for what was available. I knew I wanted something rustic or traditional, however it needed to have some storage, but not be too visually bulky at the same time. I was limited on options due to the size and orientation of the kitchen.
Too soon, my Pinterest board was full of gorgeous French bakers tables that were unfortunately too large and too pricey for reality.
Amazon’s offerings had the dimensions I wanted, but I wasn’t willing to pay their prices for what would work when the materials were not as sturdy as I wanted. Honestly, they looked too mainstream.
(Long sigh for the next 2 years)
And There It Was
About a month ago I get a call from my boss, Jim, on a Saturday. He’d been out antiquing in rural Indiana with his wife, Heather, and they found a table that I may be interested in. He called as a follow-up to the pictures he had already sent along with dimensions. People who travel with tape measures in their car at all times are my people.
From the photos, the table looked like it had major promise. After a quick confirmation of the dimensions, I purchased it over the phone, and they kindly loaded up their truck and brought it back for me.
Once Max and I brought the table into the kitchen, I quickly cleaned it up. Upon closer inspection, I realized this was an old Craftsman Tools work table, most likely from someone’s garage or workshop. It was certainly used, rustic, but sturdy af.
It was perfect.
The “Hey look what I found” image sent to me by Jim
Transformation Time
The following weekend I ran out to our local hardware store and picked up a can of matte black spray paint. As an aside, what happened to the prices of spray paint?! I paid nearly $10 for ONE can. A few years ago it was a mere $3!!!! I begrudgingly purchased the paint and went home.
October is a finicky time of year in Chicagoland. It could be sunny and 80*+ one weekend and 40* and rainy the next. I knew my time to paint outside would be limited and sure enough the weather was going to change in just a couple of days, rendering my plans useless until spring. It was TODAY or never.
Max helped me carry out the table to a far side of our backyard and I immediately got to work. Instead of taping off the wood worktop, or even disassembling the piece, I decided to use a flat piece of cardboard to block the spray paint as I moved along. I’ve never used that method before. It worked seamlessly. I was finished with the second coat of paint by 2pm, and by 8am the next morning, it was dry and ready to be brought in.
Finishing Touches
Metal legs do not fare well on a bare floor of any material, unless it’s concrete. I raided my “junk drawer” for my stash of felt furniture scratch pads. I placed one 2” in diameter felt circle sticker on the bottom foot of each leg. A perfect fit.
Padded protection for our floors
Finally, I had a place for my cookbooks to reside year-round and a basket for storage made possible by the bottom shelf.
For the work top, I thrifted a fantastic brass champagne chiller and repurposed it as a bowl for seasonal fruit. Of course, I added some fresh flowers from the garden. I’m glad I made the decision to leave the wooden work top alone-I love the patina!
That same evening we utilized our “new” island on its maiden voyage, prepping ingredients for another weekend meal. I can’t tell you how awesome it was to have the additional workspace.
We may have waited nearly three years to find the perfect piece for our kitchen, but I can confirm it was 100% worth the wait.
Total Cost: $60
Until next time,
Cassandra
