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Cabinet Transformed Into A Kitchen Island

June 14, 2015

cabinet into island sawdust2stitches.com 

   Does this cabinet look familiar !?   You may  recall me making a nearly  identical cabinet into a  MEDIA CABINET. 

Apothecary with shelves sawdust2stitches

Well, I  picked up both of these cabinets at a garage sale for $5.00!  They weren’t in perfect shape, but they were made of decent wood, and I  knew  I would have definitely spent more to make them  from scratch.  It really was a no brainer for me.

Cabinet Makeover Sawdust2stitches.com 1

This was definitely a  play it by ear sort of project.  I dove in with reckless abandon.  I just started  ripping  that sucker apart.

Cabinet makeover Sawdust2stitches.com ss  

Using the shelving I removed  from the unit, I  built this little cubby system. Why?

  • A.) To give it a little character.
  • B.) To take up and dead space in between the two garbage cans.  Cabinet makeover Sawdust2stitches.com 2 ss  Fit like a glove. (Phew)Cabinet makeover Sawdust2stitches.com 12 ss   Once, I  had all the internal components mapped out, I started on the exterior.  The frame of the  cabinet  was very  sturdy, but it had more dings and blemishes than I cared to try and buff/sand out.  Instead,  I used  leftover paneling to cover the exterior. (Notice I used all  my scraps, made evident by the fact that they are all different. I knew I was painting it, so it didn’t matter) ! $0 spent Cabinet makeover Sawdust2stitches.com 10 ss

Once the paneling was all in place, I began adding some bulky trim pieces.  I used primed 1×3″ and 1×2″ finger board.   I then made some custom  trim to trim out my cubbies.  Cabinet makeover Sawdust2stitches.com 14ss

Next I needed to build my cabinet doors.   This is in NO WAY, SHAPE, or FORM, a complete tutorial, but rather  brief synopsis of my door making.

cabinet doors for island This is when it really  started coming together!

cabinet doors Sawdust2stitches

I primed and painted the back of the doors  before I proceeded to install them. (Using hinges)    hinges sawdust2stitches.com

  Next,  I added castors and legs to the island. I wanted to be able to easily  move it, but did not want it to serve as an amusement park ride for my sons. ( Keep reading to see why I wanted it mobile.)Cabinet makeover

  I was then ready for the finish work. I filled holes, sanded, primed, sanded, and then painted it.  I used Behr “Ultra Pure White” Glossy,  it is the same color as my cabinets and cleans up nicely.  I then installed my pulls.  I actually  purchased a TON of these from Lowes when they were discontinuing them for cheap!

Cabinet transformation sawdust2stitches.com

 I was of course making this whole contraption to fit the garbage cans I had,  and this cleat system is what worked best for me.  I only used one side of the cleat, and attached it to the inside of the cabinet door.

kitchen island cleat ss

  The lip of the garbage can rests on the cleat, making it easy to remove and the weight of the can holds the door shut when not in use.  I then connected a chain that ran from the interior of the cabinet and connected to the door.  Ensuring that  I did not have  landfill on my  kitchen  floor.  kitchen island opening 

It took me a while to decide on a finish for the top. Ultimately I opted for Jacobean by Minwax, with a Satin finish. ( I was not planning on using it as a cutting board.)  As an afterthought I added this towel bar.  It was the perfect finishing touch. towelbar ss

 That pretty  much sums it up! It hides the garbage can, and I no longer need to take 312 daily  trips to the garage to access the recycling. SO NICE!

 cabinet into island makeover sawdust2stitches.com  cabinet into island sawdust2stitches.com

One last feature,  as you recall I put casters on it because I wanted it to be moveable… and this is why. I don’t have a huge kitchen and was always afraid a island would be too bulky and get in the way.  Well,  I made this island to the dimensions that it would fit in the small hallway between the kitchen and the front room!  So if I want  it out for mopping, or entertaining guests, its no big deal!  Just wheel her away!   It’s love people.

sawdyst2stitches island

So, that is the basic premise of how I turned a $5.00  garage sale cabinet,  into a kitchen island!

Thanks for reading and take luck,

Corey

cabinet to island makeover sawdust2stitches.com

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in Furniture Makeover, Kitchen, Makovers, Tutorials, Uncategorized # Re-purpose

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Comments

  1. Howard McLean says

    June 14, 2015 at 3:49 pm

    Thanks for posting and giving me an idea for this. We just moved into our new home, but there is no place for garbage and recyclables in the kitchen. I did not want an unsightly waste can in the middle of the kitchen so I will build as soon as I unpack and setup my shop.

  2. Cassie says

    June 14, 2015 at 6:59 pm

    Awesome! I love the idea of hiding your trash cans like that. Have you gotten your Kreg Jig System yet? I can’t wait to see what you’ll do with that beast!

    • coreydecker@gmail.com says

      June 16, 2015 at 8:15 pm

      I did Cassie! I busted that sucker out and am LOVING it! Some projects are in the works! 🙂

  3. Chelle D. says

    June 14, 2015 at 7:19 pm

    This is so amazing!! With our future in the Marine Corps coming to a close and getting ready to build a home, this is giving some fantastic ideas on how to keep things under budget and still be amazing! As always, you inspire me!!

  4. LZ Cathcart@ The Summery Umbrella says

    June 16, 2015 at 7:44 pm

    What an amazing transformation! You always make the ugliest cabinets look like a million bucks. I cannot get over how awesome this turned out 🙂

    • coreydecker@gmail.com says

      June 16, 2015 at 8:12 pm

      Well THANK YOU so much! I am not-so-secretly pleased with this one! It’s now one of my favorites!

  5. coreydecker@gmail.com says

    June 16, 2015 at 8:14 pm

    EXACTLY! I was thinking about glides too, but I will let you in on a secret, I LOATHE installing those suckers. Hahah.

  6. Rebekah @ Charming Imperfections says

    June 16, 2015 at 9:58 pm

    You are so stinking clever! When we redo our kitxhen I want to reconfigure the awkward peninsula we have now to aore open layout that allows for an island and this one would be perfect!

    • coreydecker@gmail.com says

      June 18, 2015 at 11:52 pm

      Well color me flattered, thanks Rebekah! I have seen your site/work, I am sure it will be simply lovely!

  7. Kimm at Reinvented says

    June 17, 2015 at 8:17 am

    Wow, I think you should approach every project with “reckless abandon”, this is AWESOME! I will definitely be on the hunt for some similar cabinets, a project like this would be a great option for a craft room too. 🙂 So glad I found you on the Haven FB group post, looking forward to meeting you in person!

    • coreydecker@gmail.com says

      June 18, 2015 at 11:49 pm

      Hahah reckless abandon is my preferred method. Haha. Glad you found me, and I look forward to meeting you too! It will be my very first!

  8. Kammy's Korner says

    June 17, 2015 at 10:48 pm

    Holy Smokes this is amazing!!

  9. Mallory says

    July 11, 2015 at 9:48 am

    Hi there! Could you tell me where you got the top from and what type of wood it is? I’m a newbie to anything with wood haha. Trying to do this project as cheap as possible without sacrificing beauty. Yours looks amazing!

    • coreydecker@gmail.com says

      July 21, 2015 at 9:38 pm

      I was feeling particularly lazy that day, and I was a little pressed for time. I actually purchased a slab of wood from Lowes. I would typically piece the top together with wood glue and pocket holes, but… like I said I was pressed for time that day. Thanks for reading and good luck!

  10. Karen says

    July 17, 2015 at 1:22 pm

    This is ingenious (only to be surpassed by the gun cabinet/mirror!!!). Can I ask what did you use for the top? Is that butcher block? It looks so thick and I love the stain. Very cool!

    • coreydecker@gmail.com says

      July 21, 2015 at 9:32 pm

      I was feeling lazy that day and a little pressed for time. They sell these slabs at Lowes, and they look similar to butcher block. It was about $25 for the top? Thanks so much for taking the time to comment.

  11. T says

    July 20, 2015 at 11:48 pm

    Lady, you are an inspiration!!! Love your style!! It’s clean and classy, ad if you were to open some kind of bohemian boutique, with limited edition pieces, I could see them selling out fast!! (Well, the trash cans would need to be some other material than plastic, I think, but people would pay good money for that work!!)

  12. susan Jones says

    August 25, 2015 at 9:33 am

    Are you an expert in capentry or something?

    • coreydecker@gmail.com says

      August 30, 2015 at 9:58 am

      Haha. Can you keep a secret?… I just pretend to know what I am doing 😉

  13. Kim says

    September 3, 2015 at 12:21 pm

    Love it! I sent it to hubby as my wishlist.

  14. coreydecker@gmail.com says

    September 14, 2015 at 10:20 pm

    Haha, Tina, THANK YOU. I am actually a stay-at-home-Mom, that likes to learn new things. I worked along side my Dad who was a contractor. He taught me the basics of tools. It just snowballed from there. Thanks for taking the time to comment and for reading along! (P.S. I have another good repurpose coming up on Wednesday 🙂

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Meet Corey

Hi everyone, my name is Corey, and I have a problem. I can’t leave well enough alone… The best therapy usually involves a variety of power tools. So, in the few “spare” moments I am not entertaining my two beautiful, rambunctious, boys, I can typically be found hunched over a sewing machine and/or covered in sawdust. All in the efforts to create a perfect balance of aesthetics and practicality in our home.
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