The Tardis...Blue Kitchen Island

Have I ever told you how small my kitchen is? We have little to no kitchen counter space and for about a year I have been on the hunt for a kitchen island. So why has it taken me so long if I'm desperate for counter space? I didn't want to pay an arm and a leg, and I wasn't sure how long we would be renting this house. But it has come down to need. We really, really need more counter space!
So, enter this little gem given to me for free from my friend, Lee! Thanks, Lee!

 She's a DIYer like me, and she replaced this island for a gem of her own from Craigslist. When I got it home, it looked like this. Before-



 This little kitchen island is going to help a TON! A TON! I thought about keeping it as is, but my kitchen is so plain and has very little color in it. I decided to give the island a paint job for a pop of color in my plain, old, boring, dull kitchen.

 First, I primer the island with my all time fave primer- Zinsser


I found a small test jar of paint called Hotel St. Francis Spirit Blue by Valspar for just $3. I love, love this paint from Lowes. It was so easy to work with and the color is just gorgeous. Plus, $3 for a test jar is always so much better than a $15 quart of paint that might freeze in your garage. Oh wait, that just happens to me.

When I put on the first coat of paint, I wasn't sure about the color. I asked one of my kids and her response was this, " I like it, Mom. It's like the Tardis color."  No, it's nothing like the Tardis. I refuse to believe I picked a Tardis blue color.
                                 
Because we live in a tiny house, I wanted to have the option of moving my island out of the way and  around the kitchen from time to time. I purchased these swivel casters from Lowes, screwed them into a 1x4 cut to size, and attached them to the bottom of the island with longer wood screws.
 I sound pretty handy don't I, but it was actually Mr. Lewisville who did most of the work with the castors.
Once the castors were on, I applied a second coat of paint, then a third where needed. The paint is really thin, but again, very easy to work with.

Child number two came around as I was finishing the second coat. I asked her thoughts on the color. Not kidding, her reply, "Wow, Tardis blue. I like." Aargh. My family is a fan of the show. Me? Not so much, but I was really liking this color, even if it has been dubbed Tardis Blue.

 I also cleaned up the butcher block...
but I decided to write a post on that alone because the results are amazing. So that post on how to clean and restore an old butcher block will come on Thursday- fyi.

 I also decided to splurge a little and get all new hardware. Love the new hardware! (From Lowes by the way)


And here it is, all done and looking GOOD! We all love it. It has been a huge help to us. Pulling it in close when we're cooking and moving it out of the way when we're not is really the best part- awesome.
 Love. Love. Love it!


Blessings,
Lisa

Comments