Kitchen Island Progress

I think a kitchen island is a great way to add some color into a space.  It can be a departure from the rest of the cabinetry and give the kitchen some life.  My inspiration came from the pics in yesterday’s post and from these.  I still have one more coat of paint to put on, but here is what it looks like now (please ignore/forgive the pile of dishes in the sink).

Unfortunately I totally forgot to take a before picture.  I’m still mad at myself for that.  But I did take pics of the process so you can see what I did along the way.

The island was just flat and plain.  Nothing special at all.  I decided to add some molding to give it a bit more interest and make it look more substantial.  I got this molding at Home Depot.  The total cost was $15.00 for everything.  I determined how big I wanted my squares and then cut the molding on a 45 degree angle.  I used a nail gun to secure each piece in place.

Make sure you use a level before securing all pieces.

Here is what it looked like before I started painting.

I sanded the whole thing with a 150 grit sanding block.  Then I applied 2 coats of Zinsser primer (oil based) and sanded lightly with a fine 320 grit sanding block between each coat.

I used a really good quality “Purdy” brush for this whole project.   Don’t underestimate the quality of a good brush.  It’s more expensive, but if you take care of it, it will last you for years.  It really does make a big difference.  I added a paint conditioner to my blue paint as well.  This just helps to eliminate brush strokes and gives a smoother finish.  My paint was oil-based, which also gives a smoother finish.  The paint takes longer to dry and, therefore, has more time to even out.  I like it better than latex paint for cabinets because it’s a bit more durable and gives a hard enamel finish.

Here is what it looks like now.

I still have one more light sanding and one more coat of paint to apply.

Like I said yesterday, all my family is in town and we are living it up next week.  We have 19 people packed into my mom’s small house.  It is crazy, but the kids couldn’t be happier.  They love playing with their cousins and there is never a dull moment.

But don’t worry–I’ll still be blogging.  Next week I’m going to do a “best of” week for the tips.  I’ll be re-posting some of the favorite tips from this past year.  I’ll see you back here on Monday.  Hope you’re having a fun summer!