Kitchen Island Table Top and More

I shared a couple of weeks ago about how I painted the old kitchen island. Today I’m going to show you how I made the island table top. I’ll also be showing how I replaced the small curtain with a window as a door.

This kitchen island was made out of a repurposed desk.

The kitchen island has served me well, but I felt it was time for a little makeover.

How to make an island table top

I bought three 2×8 (8 ft) boards to make a new island table top. When I made the original top I was using a lot of cull bin lumber and used what I had on hand. For the new top I wanted to get rid of the “crumb catchers”. To do this I needed to rip the edge off of each of the boards on the table saw to remove rounded edge.

After ripping the edges, I cut the boards to size using the compound miter saw.

Drill Pocket Holes

To connect the four boards together I drilled pocket holes with my Kreg Jig. Not shown: I always mark my pocket hole lines before I drill them. I have messed up and drilled wrong when I don’t mark them first.

Assemble island table top using pocket hole screws

It’s best to use scrap pieces when clamping a table top so you don’t create divots in your wood when tightening the clamp. I secured the first board to the second board using pocket hole screws.  I continued on with each board until all four boards were attached.

Using a face clamp to hold the boards flush helps while securing the boards.

I love it! I made this top wider and longer than the original kitchen island table top.

Sand table top

I sanded both sides of the table top with 150 grit  and 220 grit sandpaper using my orbital sander.  A dust brush is really handy to remove all the sawdust.

Stain table top

Wanting a darker finish on the new table top, I chose Minwax Ebony stain.  I applied a light coat late in the day and let it dry overnight.

I tested a second coat of the Ebony stain on the back of the table top to see if it was to my liking. It was!

I love that the black stain lets the wood grain show through. Black paint wouldn’t have the same look.

Seal island table top

Using Minwax wipe-on-poly is not only easy, but it gives a fabulous look to the wood.

Repurposed Window as Cabinet Door

Now that the table top is finished, it’s time to move onto making a door to cover the knee hole now that the curtain is no longer in use. I searched all the windows I have in storage  to find one that was nearly the perfect size. It just needed a few minor adjustments. I removed all the metal parts including hardware. I ripped each of the sides (where the ropes were) off using the table saw.  I also had to take a little off the bottom to make the window fit the opening.

The white window needed a quick coat of black paint, then a red wash, and finally glazing.

These corbels needed the same three steps in order to get them to match.

While installing the hinges on the window/door I had to take it back to the table saw a couple of times to tweak it a little to make it fit.  When I got it just right I attached the hinges, and replaced the screws that hold on the table top. I LOVE the new “door” on my kitchen island. This repurposed window is so much better than that old curtain!

Here’s a quick look at how the island looked before I got started.

Here is the old kitchen island table top. You can see that crack between the boards is a place waiting for crumbs.  The little dings are from accidental drilling while I make Etsy signs.

And here’s the beautiful after! You can see how I painted the updated kitchen island here.  I love the new top. The color of the island? Not so much! I really wanted the kitchen island to match the repurposed desk t.v. stand. The kitchen island looks more of a maroon color.

Additionally, I will be changing out the knobs to match the handle for the new door. I haven’t chosen them yet. Oh, and some kind of towel bar or hooks for my tea towels. I had command hooks there before. With the longer overhang on each end I think that a small towel bar would be perfect.

Remember, this kitchen island is more like a craft station for me. It was made extra tall so it’s comfortable to stand at while doing crafts or wrapping presents!  I’m really enjoying the new size of the island table top.

Pin it for later!

Still to do on the kitchen island:

• Knobs
• Handle
• Towel Bar
• Repaint (to match t.v. stand)

I hope to get to the finishing touches very soon!

Still to do in the kitchen:

• Build a new table and bench
• Replace counter tops
• Install a new sink
• New back splash
• Patch and paint over microwave