kitchen reno phase 28

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I finally got my island!  This was the plan since we moved into this house more than five years ago.  It was a daunting task for me because the wiring to the old double oven would have to be moved and I’d need help to move it.     So I got everything done around the wire so the only task remaining for the electrician would be to pull the wire through the ceiling, down the wall, and through the conduit.

Cutting the concrete slab proved to be somewhat simple.  The circular saw with the masonry blade was quite effective.  It took two blades to do the four foot section.

We tarped off the area after a warning from my brother-in-law that we’d have a cloud of dust that would engulf the neighborhood.  While Beast cut the concrete  I stood outside the tent and fanned the dust out the window with a pizza box.

We were advised by my very wise contractor friend to cut the concrete on a 45 degree angle to avoid making the concrete weak by cutting straight down.  It also made it very easy to chip out the concrete after cutting the two parallel lines.

Turned out we didn’t need to cut all the way to the electrical box.  I just wanted to make it as easy as possible for the electrician.

 

Once the electricity was installed I plugged in the oven and built out the rest of the island.  It’s two 30″ drawer banks on each side of the 30″ range.   I used 6″ slats of 1/8 inch plywood ship-lap style just like my walls above the counter to finish the island.  I used 4 x 4’s to support the over hang of the counter, which is plywood skim coated with concrete to look like a slab.  Everything still needs another coat of paint and some 1/4 round trim here and there, but it made it through Easter like a pro.  I love it!!!

Totally changes the house. Here it is before:

after:

What do you think?   I need barstools now.  Have any suggestions?