A few of the greatest bills in a kitchen transform are counter tops and cupboards. So what’s a budget-savvy Remodelaholic to do? Paint the cabinets and DIY the countertops, in fact! At present’s visitor has a wonderful tutorial to point out you how one can create lovely *fake* reclaimed wooden counter tops, utilizing new wooden. Don’t they appear nice in her farmhouse type kitchen?
If farmhouse or reclaimed wooden aren’t your type, there are many different DIY kitchen counter choices, too:
And now, buckle up and take a journey with Alyson (bear in mind her camping tent bed tutorial?) to discover ways to create your personal fake reclaimed wooden counter tops:
The right way to Create Fake Reclaimed Wooden Counter tops
by Alyson of The Ragged Wren
Hello all, I’m Alyson. I’m so excited to be a visitor on Remodelaholic! Once I initially discovered this weblog, I knew I had discovered my place. I’m undoubtedly a remodel-aholic, decor-aholic, and paint-aholic…which you’ll learn all about, over at my weblog The Ragged Wren. I’ve been a fake painter for nearly 14 years now (gosh that makes me really feel outdated). I love my job….as type, and design modifications, I preserve altering proper alongside together with it. Not a lot conforming, however creating new, and higher concepts. It’s an habit actually, which may get costly…actually costly (simply ask my husband). So to maintain issues price range pleasant, we do the work ourselves. Fortunately my husband is kind of useful, so we make a very good staff!
We purchased our present dwelling virtually 2 years in the past (it’s nonetheless not completed in fact…my work is by no means executed). The kitchen was the house I used to be most enthusiastic about. I paint so many individuals kitchens, and cupboards on a day-to-day foundation, that I knew precisely what I needed in my kitchen. I knew I might flip this ugly, builder-grade kitchen into my dream kitchen.
With urgent schedules at work for each of us, it wasn’t even addressed for 8 months after we moved in. It’s a horrible feeling strolling right into a ugly kitchen, realizing you have got the power to repair it, and no time.
So we lastly made time to start out our transform simply after Christmas in 2012, once we each had off.
I had this massive plan, for black leathered granite counter tops for the island, and a good looking white and gray granite for the opposite counters. After getting my first quote, we realized it was method out of our price range…and I wan’t going to provide in on high quality for price!
So I determine we must make them ourselves. First we checked out utilizing actual reclaimed wooden. I discovered some beautiful planks, that had been torn off of an outdated barn. They have been extensive and had such nice character. Then, I came upon you needed to “aircraft” them 1-2 instances to get them to a usable state…which might take all of the character away. So we determined it wasn’t definitely worth the cash.
We realized our solely possibility was to start out with “new” wooden, and make it look “outdated”.
I didn’t need it to appear like butcher block, so we performed round with a number of sizes, and forms of woods. We lastly selected Poplar.
To do a trial run, we targeted on the island counter, and vent hood. They appeared like issues that will nonetheless go, if we determined to scrap the opposite counters, and go together with granite.
Right here is the place the kitchen began….
I do know…blahh! For the report…not my fake portray job on the partitions 🙂
Right here is the kitchen after the transform…..
The counters right here, actually make the kitchen. They play such a giant half within the farmhouse really feel of the kitchen, that we couldn’t have gotten from granite.
Right here’s how we did it…
You may see the whole kitchen remodel over at my weblog.
To start out, we took off the laminate counters. Solely a few screws maintain it on from the beneath, so no biggie there.
Subsequent we put in a plywood base. That is the spot to make modifications to your current structure/footprint, in case you have the room. We prolonged the island out a further 4″ from it’s start line. We additionally added ornamental molding, and legs, to provide it extra of a furnishings really feel, and add to the soundness.
The plywood was screwed straight into the cupboard base, and 4 “L” brackets have been used beneath the overhang. Including a number of nails, helped maintain it in place, for set up.
For the the highest layer of wooden, we used Poplar. Pine is already a yellow coloured wooden, so stain takes even yellower. Poplar tends to have a inexperienced tint to it, however a stain with a pink tint to it, can counteract this. That is additionally thought-about a delicate wooden, however one of many tougher ones. Pine would have proven to many dents. The poplar will present a little bit over time, however that simply provides to the character.
We selected 2 widths of planks (so it didn’t tackle an ideal, butcher block look), 6″ and eight″. We took the straightforward method out, by having the fellows at Lowes reduce our wooden for us…dishonest I do know, however a significant time savor. Mapping out the sizes, and placements was key right here.
The very first thing we connected was a 1 1/4″ thick piece of Pine trim. This, when completed, will give the looks of the wooden being ticker than it truly is. We mitered the sides, leveled it with the highest of the plywood, and screwed it straight into the perimeters of the plywood. The holes have been stuffed with wooden putty. Its alot tougher to get a great seam right here if the highest items are already on. So doing this primary is vital.
Subsequent every bit of poplar was screwed on, ranging from one facet working to the opposite. This can be a two individual job. My husband screwed from beneath the plywood, into the poplar, whereas I held strain on the highest of the board (generally having to put on it to provide it strain, like within the middle). Make certain the screws your utilizing aren’t to lengthy, you don’t need them poking by means of. They only should be lengthy sufficient to catch a little bit of the poplar, and don’t counter sink them. Don’t fear if the boards aren’t completely stage, it’s meant to appear like reclaimed wooden, so it shouldn’t be good!
Right here it’s after all of the piece are placed on.
The corners ended up being fairly sharp, and with little ones that run laps round our kitchen, we needed to take these down a bit. I simply used a palm sander, and wore down something that had a tough edge.
For the reason that counters are alleged to look outdated, I ran the sander down the middle of the seams as effectively, between every board. Making a deeper grove in some areas, by alternating strain.
To tough up the tops of the counters, and provides them an aged look….I used some high secret instruments and objects from round the home.
A rooster wire basket….maintain it over the world, and bang in a single fast laborious movement…tremendous excessive tech, I do know (no baskets have been harmed within the making of this counter).
A big storage hook…This will get broken, so don’t plan on utilizing it once more. A big screw, with a heavy thread, would work right here too. I held it down, and whacked the threaded finish, generally dragging the marks shut collectively like scratches. Different instances, making rows.
I additionally used the pointed finish of the hook to make grouping of holes. Use a hammer to get a deeper gap.
Staining was subsequent.
I’d love to provide you some secret formulation, however as with many of the stuff in my home, there was a number of make it up as you go. I made lot of samples, utilizing the scrap woods…that is about half of them 🙂 My husband may be very choosy visible, and wanted to see the ultimate product, to commit.
Make samples for your self…I might strive small cans of stains, writing down what you do, as you do it. I had all of those marked with codes. Make certain your taking a look at them in your rooms lighting. We ended up altering out our fixtures bulbs, to a vivid white variety. This gave us a extra pure gentle within the space, and never so yellow, as with a regular bulb.
I lastly selected a mixture of a number of stains. To get a variation of shade you want a couple of shade of stain.
I used three stains…”Summer season Oak” by Rust-oleum, “Darkish Walnut” by Minwax, and “Solar Bleached” by Rust-oleum.
I blended a tiny little bit of the colours collectively, and added a great quantity of paint thinner. About 1 cup of thinner, to half a cup of stain. This actually thins out the stain, making it a build-able shade. I used a foam brush and began off with a light-weight coat. Uncooked poplar takes stain in a short time. The paint thinner will permit the darkish stain the penetrate down to every pore of the grain…which supplies it that aged look, in contrast to straight stain.
The stain will get lighter because it dries (you may preserve constructing the base darker, with extra layers of stain).
Whereas the layer was damp, and not dry right through the wooden…I took a darker model of the stain (nonetheless thinned out), and with the sting of the froth brush I began to focus on areas of the grain. You don’t need the wooden to be utterly dry, as a result of the stain can be harsh, and keep proper have been you touched the wooden. When the wooden is moist, and the stain is skinny, they bleed collectively, giving a softer aged look.
Because the stain would dry I might go over, and over sure areas, to construct the colour.
Making it heavier over knots, or any misery areas, and down the seams of the planks.
Right here you may see the variation within the shade…
Sealing this all in, and making it child proof was key!
The perfect (and solely in my view) product for that is Waterlox. Similar to the title says, it “locks” out the water by sealing the pores. The can runs about $40, and lined all my counters, with left overs. I used what they name a “medium sheen” right here. I bought this at a specialty wooden retailer right here on the town, it’s not carried on the native ironmongery store.
These things is REALLY pungent! Be warned.
I utilized this with a foam brush, going within the route of the grain. Coat the floor with one thick coat. After getting a full coat on, don’t contact it once more. The sealer will begin to pool collectively because it dries, so don’t fear about brush strokes. Some areas will dry quicker than others, virtually instantly. These are areas which are actually porous, and that is the sealer happening so far as it may possibly get.
As soon as its utterly dry, (24 hours is sweet), repeat this step. You’ll preserve doing this till all the sealer is sitting on the floor (no extra quick drying spots), this layer will take the longest to dry. I placed on 4 coats…which sure, meant virtually 4 days, however that is such and vital step, you don’t wish to get impatient right here (not straightforward for me). I calmly sanded between every coat, with a really wonderful grit. The wooden begins to pucker, because the moisture is dries out of it, and may really feel barely tough.
When dried utterly, the “medium sheen” appears extra like a gloss, kind-of moist.
To remove the novelty, and the gloss, I took the palm sander, laid flat, and gave the highest a great sanding. Don’t fear about altering the sturdiness of the wooden. The grain is stuffed with the sealer, so taking off a part of the highest layer nonetheless retains that intact.
We did a lot of meals, sauce, and water checks, earlier than shifting onto the remainder of the counters. I even left water in a single day, and it by no means soaked in, not a drop! I don’t have a single stain but both (they usually have had their share of stain-able junk, globbed on them).
We made a vent hood, utilizing the identical therapy.
And completed off the remainder of the counters…. a month later.
Its been a yr now, they usually have held up so effectively. I’m 110% happy with the tip outcome. I wouldn’t even commerce them for granite at a very low cost value!
We don’t actually use them as a reducing board however I suppose you could possibly, we get that query alot.
So how a lot did it price?
The Island
-Poplar boards
-Pine edging
-Plywood base
$187
-Cupboard trim items (pine)
-Wooden posts (pine)
$85
Whole Island Makeover $272!!
Primary Counters
-Poplar boards
-Pine edging
-Plywood base
-Trim molding (for the again splash seam)
$185
Whole Wooden Counter Value $372
I might say that’s a entire heap cheaper than granite, and completely in my price range!!
It could seem to be alot of labor, nevertheless it’s actually quite simple, simply a lot of layers, and a few endurance (which I’m not identified to have). The most important job is getting the undertaking mapped out on paper, figuring out what sizes of wooden, and the way a lot.
From there it’s only a screw driver, a sander, and a paint brush!
Our home type, is farmhouse, meets seashore home…..so these have been the right match!
Take a look at the remainder of the kitchen remodel, and all types of DIY, transforming, how-to’s, and portray initiatives over at my weblog, The Ragged Wren.
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Wonderful work, Alyson! I like the completed kitchen, each final little bit of it!
Lorene has been behind the scenes right here at Remodelaholic for greater than a decade! She believes that planning initiatives and really finishing them are two totally different hobbies, however that does not cease her from planning a minimum of a dozen initiatives at any given time. She spends her free time creating recollections along with her husband and 5 youngsters, touring so far as she will afford, and partaking of books in any type obtainable.
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