• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Blog
  • Reno Projects: House by House
    • Colonial Revival Cottage Reno (our current home)
    • Old House Reno (our last home)
    • Coastal Cottage in Maine
    • Aaron and Melissa’s 1970 Redo
    • Condo Renovation (a client’s home)
  • Details
    • Before & After
    • Holiday & Seasonal Decorating
    • Gardens
    • Details about House Parts
      • Interior Windows
      • Mantels
      • Details on Creating Tablescapes, Vignettes and Hanging Pictures
      • Lighting and Lamps
      • Closets and Storage
      • Furniture, Antiques & Accessories
    • Chalkboard Art and Hand Lettering Projects
    • Travel to Inspiring Places
  • DIY, Tutorials & Tips
  • My Favorite Shopping Links
  • e-Decorating Consultation
  • Blog
  • Reno Projects: House by House
    • Colonial Revival Cottage Reno (our current home)
    • Old House Reno (our last home)
    • Coastal Cottage in Maine
    • Aaron and Melissa’s 1970 Redo
    • Condo Renovation (a client’s home)
  • Details
    • Before & After
    • Holiday & Seasonal Decorating
    • Gardens
    • Details about House Parts
      • Interior Windows
      • Mantels
      • Details on Creating Tablescapes, Vignettes and Hanging Pictures
      • Lighting and Lamps
      • Closets and Storage
      • Furniture, Antiques & Accessories
    • Chalkboard Art and Hand Lettering Projects
    • Travel to Inspiring Places
  • DIY, Tutorials & Tips
  • My Favorite Shopping Links
  • e-Decorating Consultation

Antique Inspired Kitchen Island

February 10, 2020

Antique Inspired Kitchen Island SimpleDecoratingTips.com

We have an antique inspired kitchen island in our newly renovated kitchen.

I saw an antique general store counter advertised for sale around the time I was planning our kitchen and considered buying it, but it was so far away and I was so busy, that it really wasn’t feasible to spend an entire day to go pick it up. Plus, to be honest, even though I loved the look of it, this island would be a workhorse for the function of the kitchen so I was a little concerned with it only offering all open shelving for storage. What we really needed were drawers for frequently used storage. Every time I would look it up on my phone, though, I felt an emotional pull toward it.

Do you ever do that? Buy something based solely on how it makes you feel, without really thinking it through?

Though I did love the way that antique store counter looked, it was clear that new cabinetry would be the most user friendly and offer the best function for our kitchen. Could I instead get a similar look and feel by using that vintage piece to give me an antique inspired kitchen island yet use only new cabinets?

Here is the antique inspiration:

antique inspired

The old general store counter looks to only have a few inches of overhang, this was yet another reason it wouldn’t have been the best choice. For stools to comfortably sit at the counter the overhang should be a minimum of 12″, but can go up to 18″. I usually try to design for a 14″ overhang. It was the color, the beadboard, the wide base trim and wood corbel details that really caught my eye on the vintage inspiration piece.

(if you want to see a ‘before’, you can see that in last week’s post when I showed you the wall mounted pot rack I designed for the kitchen HERE)

For our kitchen redo, I designed the island, as well as the entire kitchen, with function being the priority. In this hard working room the important creed of ‘form follows function’ is so necessary and if not observed, sorely missed!. Once I figured out what I thought would be the best use of allotted space for the island, I could then spend my effort on the ‘form’ (style) of the island.

Below you can see the cabinets starting to go in. After months and months of demolition and mess, this was a very exciting day!

new cabinets going in

All the perimeter base cabinets were put in first, so that proper placement of the island was assured, (plus that also left the center of the room open for unpacking all those cabinets).

By the way, the cabinets in my kitchen are a favorite of mine, I’ve used them in several different kitchen renovations, both for myself and for clients. HERE is the shopping link for the cabinets. They are great quality and reasonably priced for this quality cabinet. It does take a little time and detail thoughtfulness to be sure all the right pieces are ordered for a whole kitchen renovation like this. I love to do it, (and am for hire! I’m in the process of setting up my e-design website, so if you need some help planning your kitchen I’d love to help you. I’ll be sharing that e-design website in a few weeks).

Once the island cabinets were installed, this is what it was looking like. I knew we’d be building our own custom backing on the island, so I ordered the cabinets without finished backs or sides, that’s a slight discount from finished sides.

Island cabinets in

Along with the custom back, the carpenter would add a custom built piece on the end of the island with open shelves in it.

Below shows our carpenter, (who installed all the cabinets) adding the corbels once the beadboard was installed.

Beadboard and corbels

The island top would be granite, so it needed proper support for the 14″ overhang.

As soon as the carpenter was finished building the details of the island, I filled all the nail heads, primed and started painting the first coat of paint.

primed and painting

First coat of paint was black. Then, referring back to the original antique inspiration, I noticed the bright yellowish paint peeking through in spots.

antique highlights

I didn’t want yellow peeking through, but instead thought bright green would be good, so I randomly painted splotches of green on the dried coat of black.

my highlights

It was at this point one of our friends stopped by for a tour of the remodeling. I’m not sure what they thought of the island finish. I’ve gotten to the point in my life where I’m kind of naughty and I don’t always take the time to explain everything… just keep ’em guessing is my motto. LOL

Once the kinda crazy green splotches were dry, I could paint on the final coat of medium/dark grey.

grey finish

The base trim for the island would be installed after the pine plank flooring was installed, so as I was painting the island, I made sure I painted the base trim too.

I had to do one very careful, not over brushed, but well brushed coat of grey for this final layer. If I didn’t do it good enough, it’d need another coat of grey paint and that would risk covering the tiny amounts of black and green purposely exposed.

Below is the island after that single coat of grey paint was dry. It turned out with hardly any bright green paint showing through, only a tiny amount here and there and a fair amount of black in the cracks. In  hindsight, I wished I would have put wax or vaseline or something on some spots of the green to be able to rub off more of the grey, maybe some day when I’m finally caught up with everything else I’ll redo that.

painting finished

From the sink side of the island, I wanted to keep the original white finish the cabinets came with. It is a very durable finish plus light and bright for in the work area.

side toward sink is still white

The new cabinets of the island included a sink cabinet then a pull out garbage/recycling drawer, then a final stack of drawers… see how much more user friendly this set up is than just all open shelving the antique piece offered?

In the picture above, I was starting to paint white on the inside of the custom shelving we added on the end.

Back to the side where the stools would sit, the island has a very different look from the rest of the kitchen cabinets. Depending on the kitchen layout, I have preferred that idea of style for many kitchens I’ve worked on. I think to have a ‘furniture piece’ look to the island instead of just matching the cabinets is more interesting and offers a more ‘layered’ look to the room.

base will go on after floor

It is for sure that layered look I strive for in my design. My goal is for the space to look like it took decades, or even generations, for all the layers of the room to come together. In a full remodel like this kitchen was, it’s so easy to just do everything the same and not have a thoughtful design plan to create character that comes from layering. I feel it’s worth the extra effort.

antique inspired kitchen island

This is the antique inspired kitchen island all finished in our newly remodeled kitchen. It does have a vintage feel to it. Some of the pieces in the kitchen are vintage, like the diamond window in the background, and the creme cupboard in the foreground, which juxtapose the obviously new pieces.

When I would look at the antique store counter I emotionally wanted to buy it, but when I thought it out without the emotional  pull, it would make sense to not buy it. The moral of the story is: Don’t buy things with an emotional decision, especially big semi-permanent things. It’s important to clearly think it out and make a decision based on what will truly work best. I’m super happy with the functionality of the kitchen island, and though it’s not an actual vintage piece it does give a feeling of that vintage look.

Did you know I now offer e-decorating? I can help you with your decorating needs via email, without having to step foot in your home. If you’re interested in more information, visit my e-decorating site: Frame and Frills. I’d love to help you with your project!

Here are more carpentry tips and renovation projects:

Cabinet-Door-Gallery
Cabinet-Door-Gallery
how to install a floating shelf
how to install a floating shelf
install door knocker in a hollow steel door
install door knocker in a hollow steel door
Wallpaper Mural
Wallpaper Mural
Repurposing-Vintage-Screen-Door
Repurposing-Vintage-Screen-Door
transform-hall-closet-into-library
transform-hall-closet-into-library
Creating a Built-In Faux Fireplace
Creating a Built-In Faux Fireplace
wall mounted potrack
wall mounted potrack
antique inspiried kitchen island
antique inspiried kitchen island
shutters do's and don'ts
shutters do's and don'ts
DIY Faux Exposed Brick Chimney
DIY Faux Exposed Brick Chimney
DIY Frosted Glass  Privacy Window
DIY Frosted Glass Privacy Window
DIY Cedar Closet Lining
DIY Cedar Closet Lining
How to Change a Door Lock
How to Change a Door Lock
tips to refresh basement steps
tips to refresh basement steps
Old Time Carpenter Taught me this Trick
Old Time Carpenter Taught me this Trick
Wallies
Wallies
How to Make a Chandelier Longer
How to Make a Chandelier Longer
DIY Wide Plank Laminate Flooring
DIY Wide Plank Laminate Flooring
How to add a fireplace to any room
How to add a fireplace to any room
Composite Decking
Composite Decking
Tips on Creating a Kitchen Island Feature
Tips on Creating a Kitchen Island Feature
Changing Popcorn Ceiling to Knockdown
Changing Popcorn Ceiling to Knockdown
Closet-Transformation
Closet-Transformation
how to mount a shelf when there's no stud
how to mount a shelf when there's no stud
Easiest DIY Beadboard ever
Easiest DIY Beadboard ever
Nautical Cottage Bathroom
Nautical Cottage Bathroom
DIY wall mounted potrack
DIY wall mounted potrack
How to install a farmhouse sink
How to install a farmhouse sink

Thanks so much for stopping by! Please feel free to follow and share this blog with your friends, as well as on Facebook, Pinterest, Flipboard, Bloglovin, YouTube and Instagram! I appreciate you reading along.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

Reader Interactions

Share Your Thoughts Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Our Whole House Renovation: Mid-Century into Colonial Revival Cottage Style

Creating a Built-In Faux Fireplace
Creating a Built-In Faux Fireplace
Tiling the 2nd bath floor
Tiling the 2nd bath floor
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Repurposing Cabinets
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Repurposing Cabinets
Dining Room Progress SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Dining Room Progress SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com From a Tub to a Shower
SimpleDecoratingTips.com From a Tub to a Shower
SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Progress Report on our Whole House Renovation
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Progress Report on our Whole House Renovation
Fireplace Renovation SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Fireplace Renovation SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Before and After Living Room Renovation
Before and After Living Room Renovation
How to Install an Interior Storm Window SimpleDecoratingTips.com
How to Install an Interior Storm Window SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com How to Change a Door Lock
SimpleDecoratingTips.com How to Change a Door Lock
Hang a Group of Pictures with even spacing SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Hang a Group of Pictures with even spacing SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com How to tips Window Well Installation
SimpleDecoratingTips.com How to tips Window Well Installation
Incorporating Vintage & New Light Fixtures SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Incorporating Vintage & New Light Fixtures SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Basement Apartment Bathroom Renovation Done
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Basement Apartment Bathroom Renovation Done
Repurposing Vintage Screen Door
Repurposing Vintage Screen Door
Antique Inspired Kitchen Island
Antique Inspired Kitchen Island
SimpleDecoratingTips.com How I Made Curtains without a Sewing Machine
SimpleDecoratingTips.com How I Made Curtains without a Sewing Machine
hall closet into library simpledecoratingtips.com
hall closet into library simpledecoratingtips.com
front porch addition mostly done SimpleDecoratingTips.com
front porch addition mostly done SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Renovating the Basement Apartment
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Renovating the Basement Apartment
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Luxury Vinyl Planks
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Luxury Vinyl Planks
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Renovating Update Post
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Renovating Update Post
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Door & Window Decisions
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Door & Window Decisions
Front Entry Portiere
Front Entry Portiere
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Surface Mounted Suspended Ceiling
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Surface Mounted Suspended Ceiling
Re-Thinking the Living Room Furniture Plan
Re-Thinking the Living Room Furniture Plan
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Renovating a Whole House is a Lot
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Renovating a Whole House is a Lot
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Basement Apartment Progress
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Basement Apartment Progress
Wall Mounted Pot Rack
Wall Mounted Pot Rack
Vintage Window Awning Redo SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Vintage Window Awning Redo SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Simple DIY Curtain
Simple DIY Curtain
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Cedar Closet Lining
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Cedar Closet Lining
SimpleDecoratingTips.com we had to cut down 13 trees
SimpleDecoratingTips.com we had to cut down 13 trees
Before and After Front Entry Renovation SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Before and After Front Entry Renovation SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Main Floor Completion Celebration Giveaway SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Main Floor Completion Celebration Giveaway SimpleDecoratingTips.com
how to install a vintage ceiling light fixture simpledecoratingtips.com
how to install a vintage ceiling light fixture simpledecoratingtips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Adding a Front Porch
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Adding a Front Porch

Footer

Shop Decor Steals

AntiqueFarmHouse

Have you noticed this site is faster?! It’s because I switched to SiteGround!!

Web Hosting

Disclosure Policy: According to FTC guidelines, I want you to be aware that some of the content of this blog may be a source of income and therefore may be used to promote products, services, or other businesses. I will only choose to promote products/services/businesses that I feel will be beneficial to my readers. While I hope to generate a small profit for my time and effort to create this blog, I hold myself to the highest standard of integrity. I appreciate my readers, and make it my goal to deliver quality, honest material on this blog through each post. Thanks for reading along, Liz

Copyright

Sharing is great! Please feel free to share this blog with your friends, as well as on Facebook and Pinterest and Flipboard and Houzz and YouTube the more the merrier! I appreciate you stopping by. But please remember that all photos, images, text and content are owned by SimpleDecoratingTips.com. So anything you share, please be sure it always links back to my original post it came from. Please do not remove watermarks, crop or edit anything without written permission from me first.

Disclosure Policy: According to the FTC guidelines, I want you to be aware that this blog is a source of income and may occasionally incorporate endorsements or testimonials and shopping links. It is important to me to disclose this to you. The content of this blog is a source of income and therefore may be used to promote products, services, or other businesses. I will only choose to promote products/services/businesses that I feel will be beneficial to my readers. Products provided to me by my advertising partners for my review are given to me free of charge with no cost to myself. This does not ensure a positive review of the product in any way. While I hope to generate a small profit for my time and effort to create this blog, I hold myself to the highest standard of integrity. I appreciate my readers, and always make it my goal to deliver quality, honest material on this blog through each post. Thanks for reading along, Liz

Graphics Fairy

Graphics Fairy

Feedspot

Feedspot


My Household Tips and Tutorials for You:

how to install a floating shelf
how to install a floating shelf
how to naturally clean silver
how to naturally clean silver
How to hang a window box SimpleDecoratingTips.com
How to hang a window box SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Hang a Group of Pictures with even spacing
Hang a Group of Pictures with even spacing
How to Remove Pet Urine Stains
How to Remove Pet Urine Stains
DIY Natural Simmering Potpourri simpledecoratingtips
DIY Natural Simmering Potpourri simpledecoratingtips
How to Remove Carpet Depressions
How to Remove Carpet Depressions
How to Hang a Wall Mounted Lamp
How to Hang a Wall Mounted Lamp
How to Clean Spilled Wax
How to Clean Spilled Wax
Plate Hanger
Plate Hanger
7 Simple Hangers and How to Use Them
7 Simple Hangers and How to Use Them
Five Ways Hardware made a Difference
Five Ways Hardware made a Difference
First Aid Remove Sticky Residue
First Aid Remove Sticky Residue
Packing & Moving Tips
Packing & Moving Tips
How to Mount a Door Knocker in a Hollow Steel Door
How to Mount a Door Knocker in a Hollow Steel Door
DIY  natural sachets
DIY natural sachets
Make your own Natural Potpourri
Make your own Natural Potpourri
Housekeeping Naturally
Housekeeping Naturally
how to install a vintage ceiling light fixture simpledecoratingtips.com
how to install a vintage ceiling light fixture simpledecoratingtips.com
How to Avoid a Greasy Mess when Frying on the Stove
How to Avoid a Greasy Mess when Frying on the Stove

Gardening Tips

Creative-Planters
Creative-Planters
spring-planter-arrangement
spring-planter-arrangement
How to Prune a Peegee Hydrangea
How to Prune a Peegee Hydrangea
snug-harbor-farm
snug-harbor-farm
Humidity Tray for Orchids
Humidity Tray for Orchids
Before and After Landscape and a DIY Pergola
Before and After Landscape and a DIY Pergola
How I re-did these Concrete Lions
How I re-did these Concrete Lions
Turtles and Window Boxes
Turtles and Window Boxes
rooftop-garden
rooftop-garden
Garden & Landscape Inspiration
Garden & Landscape Inspiration
DIY Compost Bins
DIY Compost Bins
install this arbor and fence in one day
install this arbor and fence in one day
Creating-an-Oasis-with-a-Water-Fountain
Creating-an-Oasis-with-a-Water-Fountain
Backyard Boat Pond
Backyard Boat Pond
Potting Shed
Potting Shed
Ingenious Tips to DIY this Planter
Ingenious Tips to DIY this Planter
1-in the garden with water walls and cloches
1-in the garden with water walls and cloches
DIY Simple Deer Proofing
DIY Simple Deer Proofing
Tips on Forcing Bulbs Indoors
Tips on Forcing Bulbs Indoors
Transplanting Stella D'Oro Daylilies
Transplanting Stella D'Oro Daylilies
raised bed container gardening title
raised bed container gardening title
The-Beauty-of-Fences1
The-Beauty-of-Fences1
DIY Brick Edging
DIY Brick Edging
What-is-this?
What-is-this?
before  after front garden landscaping
before after front garden landscaping
moving-a-screened-gazebo-onto-the-property
moving-a-screened-gazebo-onto-the-property
before and after front terraced garden
before and after front terraced garden
2 pergolas  garden update
2 pergolas garden update
DIY Hanging Terrarium
DIY Hanging Terrarium
Window-Boxes-inside-a-2nd-story-porch
Window-Boxes-inside-a-2nd-story-porch
Growing Grass in a Vintage Scale
Growing Grass in a Vintage Scale
before  after circular garden
before after circular garden
Kid's Craft DIY Miniature Fairy Garden
Kid's Craft DIY Miniature Fairy Garden
DIY Window Well Installation
DIY Window Well Installation
we had to cut down 13 trees
we had to cut down 13 trees
The-Story-of-a-Blue-Jay-Title-Page
The-Story-of-a-Blue-Jay-Title-Page

Copyright © 2021 · Genesis Sample Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

  • Blog
  • Reno Projects: House by House
    • Colonial Revival Cottage Reno (our current home)
    • Old House Reno (our last home)
    • Coastal Cottage in Maine
    • Aaron and Melissa’s 1970 Redo
    • Condo Renovation (a client’s home)
  • Details
    • Before & After
    • Holiday & Seasonal Decorating
    • Gardens
    • Details about House Parts
      • Interior Windows
      • Mantels
      • Details on Creating Tablescapes, Vignettes and Hanging Pictures
      • Lighting and Lamps
      • Closets and Storage
      • Furniture, Antiques & Accessories
    • Chalkboard Art and Hand Lettering Projects
    • Travel to Inspiring Places
  • DIY, Tutorials & Tips
  • My Favorite Shopping Links
  • e-Decorating Consultation
↞
↠
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.