Sometimes a kitchen island is the working hub of the cook’s room, including stove and sink, but sometimes it’s just a bit of extra counter space. Islands are a great option for kitchens that aren’t quite big enough to be eat-in. Stick some stools under that counter and call it a day!

I pulled some pretty pictures for y’all. Ok, for me. I’m thinking of putting in an island. To dish out my restaurant deliveries.

Build it from scratch with some reclaimed lumber.

Looks as if the wood counter legs can be tucked away and perhaps counter can swivel on top of other?

Awesome and way too easy. Of course, it need not be an island.

Yes, those are antique iceboxes being used as the base. Yes, that kitchen is massive.

Lookit. ANYBODY can do this. You don’t need skills. M’kay? And it’s a friggin’ fantastic idea.

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Oh Krups, why must you tease me so? I haven’t been on 18th Street in awhile but yesterday when I passed Krups, they had a lovely display of colorful appliances out on the sidewalk. I just wanted to share the picture of these kick ass kitchen options. Drooling? I know I am.

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The Mexican kitchen in apartment #2 is coming together! Backsplash by eBay. $60 including shipping.

I decided to go Mexican when I found fake terracotta (ceramic) floor tiles at a Habitat for Humanity. FYI, 25 bucks. But then I ran out of them. Oops. Anyway, that set the theme for the entire kitchen.

The eBay tiles are mismatched, as you can see. Included in the box of 100, there were about 3-4 design repeats. Some are meant to be patterns that make up a single design but that design can’t be completed. Because they are handmade, none of them are the same size, which makes for uneven grout lines.

If consistency and perfection is your thang, these tiles ain’t for you. If you likey, just punch in a “Mexican tile” search on eBay and you’ll have a nice selection to choose from.

There are also these Mexican tile resources from an earlier post.

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Back in December I did a post about DIY concrete countertops. The method doesn’t involve any complicated pouring of concrete so I decided to give it a shot. Whaddya think? Not bad.

The photo above was taken before the sealer was dry so any dark areas you’re seeing are actually still wet. Also, pay no attention to the dirty sink that had been sitting in the backyard since the hurricane.

Would I recommend the Ardex Feather Finish that my husband said was basically thin set? Yes. For 30 bucks including shipping, I got myself a new counter and backsplash. The 10 pound bag wasn’t quite enough to smooth it out completely so I’d suggest getting more. I left the backsplash decidedly rough (I decided that I couldn’t be bothered) and the counter wasn’t completely flawless. This material can be sanded but again, because I didn’t have extra on hand, I didn’t want to go crazy sanding it.

I applied three coats of Ardex and three coats of Aqua Mix sealer, letting them dry thoroughly each time. Does this take any less time than pouring? No, but if you don’t feel like building the form, this is easier.

Started with plywood and hardibacker.

First coat. Thought this would never disappear but it was gone once dry.

Pre-sanded second coat. The counter is much smoother now but I left the lines and patches in the backsplash. Even thought it would be a cool idea to add fossils! But I didn’t have any on hand. Next time.

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