# 2 and # 30 - DONE!

#2 - Install a kitchen island
#30 - New lighting in the kitchen
DONE and DONE!

I can't believe I haven't posted about this yet. I'm such a slacker! When we moved into our current house in Feb 07, I wasn't pleased with the layout of the kitchen. There was a lot of wasted space because it was supposed to be an eat-in kitchen. So I said "I'd love to have a kitchen island in here!" and so began my long long journey...

I saved and saved money for it. I researched and tried to just buy one. Didn't see what I was looking for. I tried to get someone to build it for me - timing just wasn't right. So finally Chris and I decided to tackle this sucker on our own. We started building it in Feb 08 (one year after I originally wanted this baby) and didn't have it installed in the kitchen until July 08!

We had some set backs (which I shall not list here because I wouldn't want my husband to have to admit that he actually needed help and that sometimes he should listen to your wife! And then I'd have to admit that I hit the top with my tire and caused a wee bit of damage...oops!) and we had to make some adjustments to the original plan - but in the end it turned out great and was cheaper than I would have paid for a manufactured piece.

The cabinet part is a pre-made cabinet from Lowe's. But then Chris added wood all the way around the sides since the pre-made cabinets just have a plywood sides/back. The top was the interesting part. A butcher block (my original idea) was too expensive. Then I saw an antique table that had wood planks as the top and decided that would be a good idea for my top. So we spent a lot of hard work making a top from scratch! On my end, getting all of this to match the cabinets and counter tops that already existed in the kitchen was stressful - but seems to match pretty darn close!

And all the hard work and waiting was well worth it. I love my kitchen island. Sometimes I just sit there and stare at it, knowing that even though it isn't the most perfectly crafted kitchen island - it is perfect for us and was a combined effort.

Side view with stools and on the other side is a place to hide my trash can under the top. This side will one day have a bookshelf for all my cookbooks.

You can see the window seat Chris recently build for me too. I need to stain it/paint it and put a cushion on the top and then I'll blog about it.

A big fat thanks goes to my fabulous husband for all his hard work and patience (most of the time...), to my dad who saved the day a couple times and to my cousin Alan who helped in the beginning and was an excellent beer drinker during the process!

And if the kitchen island wasn't enough...I also got a new light fixture to go over the kitchen island. I knew I would one day get the light fixture - but I had no idea it would be so soon. My parents came in town to help install the kitchen island (it's pretty heavy!) and my dad decided right then and there that he'd also install the light fixture for me. I love it!

Original light fixture meant for eat-in kitchen.


New light fixture over the island.