Recently, I decided it was time to start making updates to our kitchen. My least favorite part of our builder grade kitchen was the island. It had a very basic design with cheap looking trim to hide certain gaps. There were also a couple “supports”, that I determined provided no legitimate support to our quartz countertops.

I spent a good amount of time browsing photos on Instagram and Pinterest for inspiration. If there was no budget for the project, I would have easily gone with replacing the countertop all together and doing a marble waterfall…but I guess I’ll save that for our next home! Instead, I decided on doing a simple, yet elegant design that added a couple side panels with some subtle trim. The entire process took about a week, with a majority the word work being complete within the first few days. Feel free to leave a comment below with any questions!

I first began with the side panels. For these, I used 2″x2″ strips of pine. I anchored them into the island with wood screws, and added a 2×2 board across the panels to provide support for the countertop.

Once the framing for the panels was complete, I covered each side of the island with a 1/4″ piece of plywood. I then started added trim using various sized of poplar.

I wanted the island to look completely custom, so I wrapped the plywood completely around the backside of the island. I added the same trim as well.

Occasionally, I like to with at the island with my computer and get work done. I added a new outlet that allows me to plug in various USB devices to charge.

I had intended to add 1-1/2″ strips of poplar to the inside of what I had already boxed out. However, I realized it was going to be a pretty difficult job to get proper spacing between the framed trim, so I decided to rip half inch pieces of plywood on the table saw and add those from trim instead. I ended up preferring the look much more as it seemed to look more consistent in design to our cabinets. Had I decide this beforehand, I would not have primed everything first.

I primed the island twice, then added two coats of Sherwin Williams Satin Extra White paint.

I’m extremely happy with how it turned out! Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below! 🙂

Andrew