When we moved in, this is what our kitchen looked like. The previous owners took the island that the house showed with, which was fine by us as it didn’t fit our aesthetic.
Knowing we would need an island right away, I ordered one from Wayfair to arrive in Seattle when we did. It was tricky finding an island because the space is narrow and long and everything pre-fab is wider than what we needed. This $2,500, amazon-quality island arrived with a warped marble top and poorly finished wood. We refused delivery.
So Josh fashioned a temporary island out of a piece of plywood and some of my seed starting shelves. It wasn’t glamorous but gosh, it was so nice to have a work surface. (And yes, I certainly did make a pie or two here. It worked just fine!)
I spent the next several months getting quotes from custom cabinet companies ($12k+ without the countertop). I scoured consignment shops and junk stores hoping to find something that I could transform into an island. I got a quote from Semihandmade ($7k) for the boxes and fronts that Josh would have to cut down to fit the space. Honestly, nothing felt worth the cost considering we are planning to keep the Ikea cabinets that came with the house for a while.
Here were our requirements for an island:
-counter height+ I’m 5’9″ so a slightly taller workspace is ideal for me.
-place for trash and recycling
-something to hold the microwave
-butcher block countertop so we can beat it up without worry
I found a photo for a custom work table on Pinterest and we used that as a starting point to design something custom. I was able to order this custom sized steel Parsons table frame from Room and Board. ($1000)
I found a divided trash can that would fit under the counter. It has a larger section for recycling and a smaller one for trash. (We generate SO much less trash now that we can compost and recycle everything. Gotta love Seattle!)
Josh cut down the butcher block to fit on top of the table frame. (In the rain, of course.)
And attached the top to the base.
Next he flipped the table over and attached steel rails to the bottom of the table with L brackets to hold shelves.
Then he cut another piece of butcher block for the bottom shelf, cutting a U shape out to accommodate the trash can and secured the shelf to the rails.
He built a couple of boxes from plywood to sit on the bottom butcher block piece. These fit the microwave and all of my pots and pans. (I carefully curated my collection when we moved, keeping only what I was sure we’d use since I knew we’d have limited space.)
I gave everything a good coat or two of oil followed by Boos Blocks wax. And then started putting everything together.
Josh installed a steel bar under the counter to hold hanging skillets. He still needs to install an electrical outlet in the floor to power the microwave. For now we’re just dealing with an extension cord. It’s so nice to have the microwave off the counter and free up some space! I also now have a narrow, one-slice toaster sitting next to the microwave.
The black metal perforated baskets have a divider down the middle of them. One basket holds onions and potatoes and the other basket holds apples and citrus.
All together it cost about $2000. Now that we’ve been living with it for a few months, I can say that there’s nothing I would change! It is functionally perfect for our needs and I am so grateful to have something so useful that is also modern and beautiful.
