An Island: Before & After with Bungalow

Please welcome one of my old bloggy friends (we go WAY back to an online decorating board that started in 2000), Debra from Bungalow.  Debra is very resourceful and comes up with some great projects. We’re both traditional girls and I love what she recently did with her kitchen island to spruce it up and give it a major update.  All by herself! Yep, that’s my kind of girl, one who gets out the tools and goes for it:

What an honor to be invited over to Rhoda’s Southern Hospitality for a chat! I’m thrilled to be here to share the transformation of my plain white kitchen island.

It wasn’t so bad the way it was, but after living with it for about 12 years, I wanted a little change. It would have been so much easier if I hadn’t kept changing my mind. But, sometimes it’s just so darn hard to decide.

I wish I could say that this project went perfectly and smoothly, but does a project ever go that way? NO, especially when you’re learning as you go.

The beadboard was not in the original plan. I was going to use trim to create boxes on the side and back….you know like wainscoting…..but just kept thinking ..no….not sure if I like that, so beadboard it was! This was after I had already primed the whole island. Lowe’s cut a sheet of beadboard for me so it was easy to install…..Liquid Nails = a good thing. Next I primed and painted the beadboard.  Rhoda did beadboard wallpaper! That would have been so much easier!


I added legs and corbels and trimmed it out to make it look like a piece of furniture.

This was truly a DIY project with only a little help from hubby. So far I’ve done carpentry and electrical work, just try, you’ll be amazed at what YOU can do! DIY is so much cheaper too and that’s very good!
I’m extremely happy with the end result.  It’s so different and makes a bold statement now after the plain white.

For more details and pictures about this project, including the step by step process and a cost breakdown, stop on over for a visit and read all about it here at Bungalow. Thank you, Rhoda, for inviting me over and I hope you’re enjoying your much deserved vacation.

Wasn’t that a great project from Debra?!  It’s one of the best DIY projects I’ve seen.   I know you’re going to enjoy all these guest posts and I so appreciate them sharing while I’m trying to make it through the week on the beach.  🙂  Pass the sunscreen!