If you have a small kitchen that could benefit from having an extra work surface in it or a place for kitchen storage, then you may like the portable kitchen island I found and how I painted and styled it to fit the decorating style of my kitchen.
Last week I shared a post with you about the new kitchen island I bought to replace a metal one I previously had.
I told you as soon as I finished customizing it in my own style I would show you what I did to it. I finished it and I couldn’t be happier with how it came out.
This is what the very solid and sturdy wood island looked like before I added my style.
There are many ways to customize this wood work table/island from simply rubbing wood conditioner on it, sealing it with a clear poly to staining it a wood tone or painting it a color.
After looking at all these options, I decided to paint the base using Sherwin Williams Dress Blues paint.
How I Painted the Table/Island Wood Base
Normally I would have chosen to use Sherwin Williams ProClassic formula of paint, since I used it to paint the kitchen cabinets, but the guy at the paint counter told me the color couldn’t be made using ProClassic in a quart and recommended I try their Emerald formula.
I decided to get it made up in a semi-gloss finish so the base would be easy to wipe clean.
Here is what the back of the island looks like. This side is parallel to the sink.
How I Sealed the Wood Top
To seal the wood top, I went back and forth on how I wanted to finish it. Two readers mentioned they liked Waterlox for sealing Butcher Block and wood. A few others liked using food safe mineral spirits that is used mostly for wood cutting boards. Both are great options.
Since I am not going to use the surface as a cutting board as I have a Boos Board Cutting Block to cut on, I decided to try a new product from Minwax called Polycrylic Max in an Ultra Flat finish.
I love Polycrylic and have shared all the projects I have used it on over the years with you on the blog so I went for it.
I LOVE how well it went on and best of all how it sealed the wood with no sheen so it looks like bare wood. I followed the directions on the label. I wanted to make sure it was properly sealed and used two coats – sanding in between the coats to make sure the second coat adhered well.
How I Styled The Wood Island
The wood worktable/island has a drawer and two shelves under the drawer. The shelves can be screwed in at a few different heights depending on what you want to store on them.
The drawer had a plain wood drawer knob. I didn’t care for that so I replaced it with a brushed chrome bin-style pull that I bought at Home Depot.
How I Organized the Drawer
If you have followed my blog for a long time then you know I like to line drawers with pretty paper. I have used everything from fabric, wallpaper, book pages and even gift wrap to add a surprise pop of color where you normally don’t expect it.
For the my new kitchen island drawer I used gift wrap and then sealed it with Mod Podge in a matte sheen that I had in my decor supply stash.
I took my time to get this new island project done. First it took me quite a few months to find a ready-made one that would fit in the small space. Next I didn’t rush into choosing the color and styling.
I made it a point to look over the images and clippings I have taken from Pinterest and magazines to make sure what I ended up doing, would be just right for my kitchen as well as my own decorating style.
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