Ethan and Natasha have a lot of projects to do in their home before they'll be ready to tackle the kitchen. The long-term plan is to eventually gut the entire kitchen and to have custom cabinets installed. In the interim, however, they wanted to update their kitchen to give it a modern touch without spending a lot of money.
A quick and fairly straightforward carpentry project was to replace their counters with stainless steel countertops. Add to this a fresh coat of paint, new sleeker knobs, coordinating smaller stainless appliances and presto - an instant kitchen makeover. |
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The bar-style peninsula with its stainless steel countertop now looks sensational and is a stunning focal point from the living and dining rooms.
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1) The first step was to remove the old counter top.
2) Next, the existing vertical supports were strengthened by adding new wood braces right along side the old ones.
3) At this point that the support system was aligned and adjusted to ensure that the counter would be level and have a consistent height. |
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4) A box was constructed to house the stainless steel countertop. It was framed with oak and stained in a dark, rich walnut color. The outer oak perimeter was engineered to be slightly higher than the plywood core. This way the custom piece of stainless steel, ordered without a fold over, could be dropped in and would lay flush with the outer frame.
5) This box was lifted onto the supports and screwed down into place. |
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6) Contact cement was rolled on the entire surface of plywood core and on the underside of the stainless piece. The contact cement was then allowed to set for approximately forty-five minutes.
7) The stainless steel was then dropped into the counter and pressed to make sure there were no hollow areas. You only get one shot at positioning the stainless steel, as the contact cement has a strong bond and it will be close to impossible to move it once contact has been made. |
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8) The edge where the stainless steel and the oak met was siliconed with clear silicone.
9) Stainless steel countertops were also installed along with a stainless backsplash on the opposite side of the kitchen.
Ethan and Natasha love the look and durability of the stainless counters. The more scratched they get the more character they have - like an industrial kitchen," Ethan pointed out. |
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"They're great! We can cut on them and put hot dishes and pots on them without worrying!" Natasha remarked. |
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Further Tips: |
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A Bright Closet Idea! |
Natasha and Ethan have a laundry closet at the top of their stairs. It's a great space but they didn't want the landing to feel so closed in by the imposing solid doors. Additionally, they thought it might be nice to have doors that would reflect light. Mirrors would be an obvious choice, but they didn't want to stare themselves in the face every time they came up the stairs. Simple frosted doors could work for a clean look but would only be bright if the light was on behind the doors. The solution? Custom made doors that would combine both options!
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They choose a shaker style door with a depressed face, that would match the other, older doors in their home.
Mirrors were then laid in the panels with frosted glass over the mirrors. For easy cleaning, the frosted side faced in and the smooth glass side faced out. |
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The finished look was just what they wanted! The doors reflect light from the stairwell and landing, giving the impression that there is more behind the doors. Something like the great outdoors or, maybe a large bright room. Instead, there is a small and practical laundry closet that is completely out of sight!. |
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