Here are three that we have done recently.

The first is a reclaimed top that was on its way to the dump. We refinished it and added it to an antique dresser base to make an island in our kitchen.

The second option is high gloss Laminate... by using a squared off edge instead of the rounded edge we were able to get an appearance more like granite. The example I am showing is also from our kitchen.

Option three is porcelain floor tile.

I recently redid my parents kitchen and used 12"x24" floor tiles for countertop. The surface must be prepped properly and be level. It turned out beautifully. Using large tiles minimizes grout lines. I used a grout very close to the tile colour. We only needed 16 tiles for the whole project.

Link to our kitchen: http://cynthiaweber.com/hoop-top-house/

Link to parents kitchen project: http://cynthiaweber.com/the-big-reveal-my-pa...

#repurpose, #countertop, #renovate,#kitchenisland, #Wood, #Recycle

staying true to the traditional farmhouse style of the house. To achieve this goal, Pine Street Carpenters designed a new kitchen incorporating custom bead-board cabinetry and solid maple countertops. To open up the kitchen and create more space, a custom hutch with period hardware was built-in along one wall of the kitchen and the exterior wall was pushed back. Centered in the kitchen is a custom bead-board multi-function island. The hand-selected cherry wood top works for prep cooking and dining, and the bead board base is loaded with storage. Environmentally-friendly cork flooring was used throughout the kitchen, and custom mahogany doors connect the kitchen to the outdoors, leading to a hardscaped patio.

We don’t live on ‘The Farm’ just yet. We actually live in a typical residential neighborhood with neighbors within a throwing distance from us. We have frequent walkers that pass by the house and always give a friendly wave hello. So when we decided to build what we now call “The Coop” - we did so in our driveway where we had the modern convenience of electricity. We wanted to reuse some materials that we had obtained in years past, so we decided to build the chicken coop primarily out of old shipping crates. After week one, we not only had a frame to our structure, but a pretty significant start to the future home of the chickens. Spring was in full force at this time, and after the harsh winter we had, several individuals had decided to take up walking as a form of exercise. Each day we would hear general comments from the neighborhood such as, ”looking good”, and “keep up the good work”. It wasn’t until the actual outside structure was built that we started getting more curious looks and the occasional question, “Ok, you have to settle a bet, are you building a playhouse or a dog house?”. To much of their surprise, we would laugh and tell them that it was actually a chicken coop….always followed by a quick clarification of “Don’t worry, it’s not staying in the driveway, we are moving it out to the farm”. Now, we live in a small community, where the head football coach of our small high school lives just up the street. Without hesitation, one day at school he approached one of our boys and commented, “Son, you are going to have the most elaborate dog house on the block”. To the horror of our son, he shyly admitted to Coach that it wasn’t a doghouse at all, but a chicken coop in progress. Life has never been the same at school.....

You can find more about our coop and meet our nine hens here : http://oldworldgardenfarms.com/news-from-th...

block counter tops to achieve that vintage country farmhouse style at http://bucketsofburlap.blogspot.com/

inexpensive can make such a huge impact! You can read all the details here - http://www.ourfifthhouse.com/2012/04/bookcas...

are lots of fun details in this room - you can read more about it here on my blog: http://celebratingeverydaylife.com/invincibl...