Kitchen Island Makeover

We’re starting to furnish the apartment – on a very tight budget. An old inexpensive portable kitchen bar/island with bar stools is something we’ve had sitting around and the perfect size for creating a dining area in a tiny apartment.

But the old top was in bad condition. Pictures don’t show the pink stains (Kool-Aid, maybe or magic marker) and scratches…

kitchen island before

I removed the top.

removing table top

The frame was spraypainted white to freshen up an old scratched finish.

New top was made using alternating sizes of 1×3 and 1×5 pine planks cut to 40″ in length…a little bigger than the previous table top.

cutting wood planks

Boards were sanded.

sanding plank table top

I used wood glue to assemble the planks together…

Gorilla wood glue

Then clamped until the glue dried, wiping away excess wet glue.

clamping wood planks

I didn’t take pictures but I stained and used my Silhouette Cameo to make some ‘postage’ themed stencils at Ali’s request. Then sealed the top with about four coats of polyurethane and let dry.

stained stenciled table top

The bar stool tops were sanded and taped off using FrogTape while frames were spray painted a fresh new coat of white.

FrogTape

spray painting bar stools

I applied a coat of stain to the top of the barstools…

staining barstools

When that was dry, I used my Silhouette Cameo to create number stencils with a circle border. Using transfer paper, I applied the stencils to the top of the stools. (They didn’t stick to the shiny finish of the stain very well and took a little work to remove the transfer paper, but I managed to do it! I’d recommend staining after the numbers have been painted…although it will change the color of your paint unless you’re using a clear coat. Removing the vinyl also pulled off some of the finish…but that just added to the distressed character of the top of the stools.)

applying Silhouette vinyl

I painted in my stencils using acrylic craft paint and immediately removed the vinyl stencil.

painting stenciled barstools

I let the numbers dry over night and then applied several protective coats of Polycrylic, allowing it to dry between each coat (also lightly sand using a fine grit between coats).

So cute, aren’t they? Better pictures coming up in the apartment reveal. That’s where this kitchen bar set will be living. VERY SOON! Hurray!

kitchen island after

kitchen island finished

kitchen island makeover

stenciled stained plank table top

Sharing over at Beth’s this week:

Home Stories A2Z

I LOVE my Silhouette Cameo – it’s my #1 way to create vinyl stencils. There’s also a special going on right now with the new Silhouette paper label kit! So cool – print and cut your own labels! There are so many fun ways to use this machine. LOVE that!

Silhouette sticker labels

Enter the unique promo code SHOWOFF to get 1 CAMEO, 1 package of printable gold foil, 1 package of printable silver foil, and 1 package of printable white sticker paper for $269.99. (Savings of almost $57!) These are brand new Silhouette products that just got back in stock after they sold out after release, so don’t wait too long!

Use the promo code “SHOWOFF” and click this link to get this sweet deal: http://www.silhouetteameria.com/blog-special-media-1.aspx. The discount will run through the 30th of September

~*~*~*~

The Silhouette America link is an affiliate link. I make a small percentage of sales. I share about my experience with my Silhouette Cameo in my own words. 

This is a sponsored post brought to you by FrogTape. The opinions are completely my own based on my own experience. 

FrogTape Blog Squad

A fashion photo shoot and a diva

The other day, I was helping out Bri’s friend, Amber, who is opening an Etsy shop soon by taking some photos for her shop, Electric Bright…

vintage dress

1980s dress

Love this one of Bri…

electric bright

and a certain someone couldn’t stand not being the center of attention on the ‘catwalk’…

ragdoll cat

during wardrobe changes, she had to show off her foofy coat…

ragdoll cat

and photo-bomb a few shots, get crazy, pop out from under the sheet, even knock over the backdrop! From 399 pictures, some where not fashion related. Model, prop and dust mop {look closely to that tail}…

ragdoll cat

“show off”

ragdoll cat

{Lalka}

I’ll share a link to Electric Bright Etsy shop and tell you more about it when it’s open. Congratulations to Amber! And Bri has some plans in the works as well and can’t wait to tell you all about that.  

Hope you’re having a great weekend! 

Show Your Colors

With so many before and after projects going on around here…and you know how I’m always so excited to share…well, sort of like DIY Show Off, MyColortopia.com has a new feature for readers to celebrate their completed projects. It’s called Show Your Colors and not only can you show off your before and after photos, but you’ll inspire others with your DIY talents. Sounds fun, right?

choosing paint colors, paint color inspiration tool, how to choose a paint color

This is how it works:

Remember the apartment kitchen area before?

apartment kitchen before

Blah. But after a lot of painting, the cabinets, countertops, walls and trim have a fresh new look:

Rustoleum Cabinet Transformations pure white

and a sneak peek of something you haven’t seen yet involving more paint {details coming soon}…

painted accent wall

It’s super easy. Create and log in to MyColortopia.com, click the “Befores &Afters” tab and upload up to 4 pictures of your before and after room makeover.

All done. You’re all set to browse the entire gallery of before/after photos. The MyInspiration tool will match your favorite colors. And you can share via social media your project or your selected favorites. Super cool!

There’s so much more information at My Colortopia.com to kick start inspiration for your next room makeover including a blog post full of ideas written by some of our favorite talented DIY bloggers. Check it out!

I have been sponsored by Glidden brand paint to write this post but the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.