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If you’ve been around for a while you’ll remember the 1st expandable kitchen island I built. It was pretty cool! But I’ve been dreaming of a more vintage style island I wanted to build to give a different look to my kitchen. Tyler, my husband, thought I was crazy for wanting to replace it cause he loved the old one so much! He told me if I build a new one it has to expand like the last one to be just as useful as the last one was! So I got to work planning!
Once I got the general idea of how I was going to build out this island, I found some wooden legs on Amazon and ordered them. They came in and the next step was cutting down 3/4in plywood for the bottom of the island. I had to cut out slots in the bottom for the legs to sit inside. I marked the measurement of the legs and allowed for a little bit of overhang from the legs instead of them being flush with the sides, about 1/4in.
Also, I had to account for the slide out part and how it would work so one side is shorter than the other where the legs will go. This probably doesn’t make much sense, which is why I will also create building plans for this island.
I’m using plywood for underneath since it won’t show and red oak for the sides because I love the look of it, its nice to work with because it’s strong and dense and it doesn’t warp easily like other woods.
Once the bottom, back and sides were cut down to size and pocket holes were added, I brought them inside to attach everything together. I used wood glue and 1 1/4 pocket holes screws to connect the bottom to the sides.
Then I attached the legs using wood glue and 2in pocket hole screws.
Then once I got both sides together I realized I did one of the sides wrong! I put the whole piece of oak on when I should have put a half piece of plywood on instead to make room for the expanding countertop. Lot’s of figuring things out on these kinds of projects! So I removed one side and fixed it with Tylers help holding it together as I screwed it in. Then we put it back on the floor so I could attach the rest of the legs. This will make more sense in a minute.
Once I got the main part all screwed together Tyler helped me set it up.
Then I realized I had a problem. The expandable part of the countertop was only going to be 8in wide as is! The old expandable countertop was 22in! Tyler and I talked through the issue and then the internet lost its mind! Tyler is a Taurus. If you know anything about Tauruses you know they are blunt, bull headed and honest (and also loyal). I was being sarcastic and asked if an 8in wide countertop would be a problem (obviously it was going to be a problem!). He responded with “Hell ya it’s going to be a problem!” also being sarcastic, and then the internet thought I was in an abusive relationship and that Tyler was being so rude! All from seeing a small 5-10 seconds of a longer conversation. It was pretty funny actually! He LOVED the old island I made and he uses it more than I do, so he jokingly said “I’m going to give you sh*t about it if the new one isn’t as useful as the old one”.
Here’s the video for reference.
And for anyone who is actually concerned after watching that, that’s how we talk to each other all the time. We speak in sarcasm, so does our 15 year old daughter! We’ve been married for over 16 years now and we’ve always been like this and I wouldn’t change it for the world. Just remember, all relationship dynamics are different. I don’t want him to walk on egg shells around me and I don’t ask his opinion unless I actually want the honest truth.
Anyways, back to the island. I posted that video on all my socials and I had a lot of suggestions that were really helpful! I ended up cutting the tops of the legs on the expandable side to accommodate a wider countertop, not quite 22in wide like the old one, but wider and Tyler approved! I used my circular saw with the blade expanded all the way out and cut some chunks off. I didn’t use a guide, I just marked the lines with a pen and went very slow so it cut straight.
And this is what it looked like after. Is this making any sense?
Also, before I got to the last step I realized I installed the full piece of oak on the wrong side! I was planning on adding the drawers on the side of the stove but ended up placing it where the drawers would be facing the front of the kitchen instead. But instead of risk damaging the expensive red oak I just decided to leave it. The only thing that was in the last island drawers that I needed for cooking was the oven mitts and I ended up moving them to the drawer to the left of the stove instead. Plus I like the idea of the drawers facing the side you will view more often because they are pretty! I couldn’t just turn it around because the expandable part needs to expand towards the laundry room, not the sink, it would be in the way the opposite direction.
The next step was to install the face frame. I built this out of 1×2 red oak and attached it all together with pocket holes, then I attached it to the island with pocket holes I had already added to the plywood bottom and then screwed the top of the face frame into the legs from the inside of the drawer area. I know I’m using my leg to hold this in place while I’m screwing towards my leg, which probably isn’t the best idea, but they are pocket holes and I know how long they are so they won’t go through the wood into my leg.
Then because I couldn’t wait to see what this was going to look like stained, I got to work staining it! The color is Spice Brown by DureSeal and it’s such a beautiful color! It’s the same color I used in my bathroom on my vanity and my built-in linen cabinet.
To make the expandable part of this island work, I needed runners for the inside countertop to sit on. I had some scrap plywood so that’s what I used for the runners. I cut them down to the length I needed (they were already cut down to about 3in. wide) and then added pocket holes to attached them to each end. I used spacers under the boards as I was screwing them in so that they would be at the same height on each end and I screwed them in from the bottom so I wouldn’t risk the screw heads scratching the expandable part.
As you can see in the photo below, the leg is attached with hinges that lock into place when open and the leg sits further down than the countertop, which is why I needed 2 runners on each side with room in the middle for the leg to slide in.
Because the leg sits further down than the countertop, I added a 3rd runner to the middle at a lower height. I had to add a little more height to the end that expands to have somewhere to connect the middle runner to, I used a piece of leftover red oak for that.
Then of course I had to test it out to make sure it moved correctly! And it did!!! I did end up adding some felt strips to the runners so the countertop and leg slides more smoothely.
This is what it looks like from the front inside where the drawers will go when closed. This will take up some height from the drawers, but that’s okay with us! We will still be able to put things like foil and dish cloths in here.
I added stoppers on each side of the ends of the countertop so that way when it is pulled out for use it doesn’t get pulled out all the way and fall on the ground. I just used scrap pieces of plywood for this and nailed and glued them into place since they wouldn’t be seen. Also, this inside countertop came from the old island, it’s a butcher blog countertop I picked up from Home Depot, I did have to trim it down to size with my circular saw.
Then I used some scrap plywood to add to the inside under the middle runner to have something to attach the drawer slides to. I installed these with pocket holes to the back, front and bottom. I used spacers (scrap wood) to make sure these were flush with the face frame.
Then the spacer was stuck in the island forever because it wouldn’t come out! This isn’t a big deal, just makes me laugh! We all ended up writing something funny on the popsicle sticks I was also using as spacers and dropping them in the unused space just incase someone takes this apart one day.
Then I did the same thing with the middle and opposite side of the island. I used scrap wood as spacers for this to make sure the sides were exactly equal distance apart so the drawers functioned properly.
Once those were installed, I installed the drawer slides using scrap wood as spacers for them to sit on as I screwed them in. This ensures they are both equally distances from the bottom of the island. I obviously love using spacers, it makes installation so much easier! I installed the drawer slides to be flush with the front of the face frame since these are not inset drawers and the drawer front will sit in front of the face frame.
Next, I built the drawers out of 1/2in plywood. 1/2in is great for small to medium drawers so they aren’t too bulky. When I first started making drawers I used 3/4in and it just seemed too thick and bulky. I inset the bottom of the drawer to the sides. I cut everything down to size and use wood glue and brad nails to attach them together. Wood glue holds really well with the brad nails and I haven’t had any issues with the drawers I’ve built like this, but there are obviously more professional ways to build drawers, you can search YouTube for those other ways. (Yes, I’m using my kitchen counters as a workbench, don’t judge me! lol!)
Then I attached the inside of the drawer slides to the sides of the drawers. I measured where I wanted them place and marked on the front and back with a pen and then drew a line on the marks with a straight edge. The line would be where I put my screws into. I made sure the front of the slide was flush with the front of the drawer.
I got them installed and the left one was a little tight so I did end up removing it, taking it apart, trimming it down a hair, putting it back together and reinstalling it and it now fits perfectly! Side note: these are soft close drawer slides are the best one’s I have used so far, and I have used SEVERAL! I’ll never buy drawer slides from Home Depot or Lowes again unless they start carrying this brand.
Once the drawers were installed the next step is to make and install the drawer fronts. I had to buy more 1×12 red oak for this, which isn’t super cheap, but totally worth it! I cut it down to size and then routed the edges to give it a fancier look. And MAN I LOVE my router but it is sooo messy!
Then I sanded them a bit to smooth it out and got them stained and installed. The way I install drawer fronts is I hold it in place making sure it’s level and covering the same distance on all parts of the face frame, then I shoot a few brad nails in from the front to hold them in place while I screw them in from the back more permanently. Then fill the nail holes and stain before sealing.
Then I installed these handles that I have on the rest of the kitchen to tie everything together. I drilled through the front with the appropriate sized drill bit and then attached the handles. This is pretty straight forward. I put the handles directly in the middle of the drawer. I LOVE these handles by the way! They also make jigs to help you install drawer handles and knobs.
I also got the inside countertop and the leg stained. I’ll be adding a sealer to the whole island so the pull out countertop will be food safe. I put the pull out countertop in place and attached the end piece that would be here to make it look closer to the opposite side, I didn’t want this to LOOK like a pull out or different. I routed out parts on the inside of this piece to be used as a finger hold so you won’t have to pull at the bottom and I wouldn’t need a handle to be added to the end. I installed this with wood glue and brad nails to hold it in place while I added some brackets to make it stronger.
I removed it and set it on the floor so I could screw in the 90 degree brackets and then put it back in place.
The bottom part of the island was done! (except the sealer!) And I was super excited about that!
Now for the countertop! Eventually I want to get all of my kitchen countertops replaced with something nice like quartz, right now they are epoxied and the epoxy has yellowed and is stained. You can read more about that in this post. So I didn’t want to spend the money on a nice countertop for the island just yet because I wanted everything to match exactly! So for now I’m going to epoxy the island countertop with what I’ve read is a better epoxy brand that shouldn’t yellow as bad.
I decided to try StoneCoatCountertops epoxy, I reached out to them and told them I’d like to try their brand and share it with my audience so they sent me exactly what I needed in exchange for some photos of it done. I was excited to try this because I haven’t had a great experience with epoxy in the past. They recommend to use MDF for the base so that’s what I used. I had Tyler pick some up from Home Depot because this stuff is HEAVY! Way heavier than the same sized plywood! Then I cut it down to size with my circular saw, a straight edge and some clamps to use as a guide and then put two layers together. I didn’t have a big enough piece to put two whole pieces together so I made sure the top piece was solid and then pieced together the 2nd layer and glued it all together holding it together with clamps while it dried.
Of course I had to route the edges of the MDF. Have I mentioned how messy the router is??
I wiped the MDF down and then added the epoxy undercoat with a roller.
Once the Epoxy Undercoat dried for the appropriate amount of time I mixed the epoxy and then separated a little bit out into 2 other cups. I added white to most of it and in one cup I added the brown coloring. I was attempting a Taj Mahal Countertop look but that didn’t exactly happen.
I poured the white epoxy onto the surface and spread it around with my gloved hands.
Then I took some of the white and added it into a cup and added a little bit of the brown into the white since I used too much of the brown coloring and it was super dark and then I poured it onto the white in random lines to try and mimic the movement of stone. I did this twice with 2 different shades of brown. I know it’s looking really scary here!
Then, using this method I found in this YouTube video below, I took a roller and spread around the color.
It was still a little dark for what I wanted so I poured the rest of the white over it, heavier on one side than the other and then spread it around some more. Not pictured, I also had a little bit of clear epoxy with some diamond dust in it that I poured along some of the lines, not too much though, like in the YouTube video I referenced earlier.
Once that dried for 24 hours I sanded it down with 220 grit sandpaper and my orbital sander, wiped off any dust with a tack cloth and then added this recommended matte top coat (it also comes in glossy).
And she’s done!!! Here’s a quick YouTube video of the whole process!
What do you think? Some people say it doesn’t match my kitchen, but I have a bit of a transitional style where I like to mix vintage and a more modern vibe so I think it fits perfectly! One day I’ll replace all the countertops, including this one, but for now I love it! Mia says the countertop looks like a roasted marshmallow and Tyler says it looks like a cappuccino was spilt all over it, haha!
Here’s how the expandable part pulls out now that it’s finished.
And this is what the end looks like that pulls out.
So which look do you like better? For me the old island was great! But I really wanted a different style. Tyler says the kitchen feels bigger now since the new one isn’t as bulky, but obviously we lost a little storage space. I was okay with this because if you go back a little through my blog posts you’ll see I just redid my pantry, so we moved all the spices out of the island and into the pantry in the inset shelves I added between the studs, I had diabetic supplies in the bottom drawer and those got moved to my night stand and the top drawer had oven mitts that got moved to the drawer to the left of the stove. I also bought a prettier trash can to sit by the laundry room since I no longer have a pull out trash can drawer anymore. Here’s what we have in the new island drawers. Honestly, I’m not sure why we have the coffee filters in there, we only have that kind of coffee maker in our camper, lol!
Next up, we expanded our patio!
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