Want to add some natural beauty to your home? One of the top kitchen design trends is a butcher block countertop — it brings the outdoors in and helps create serene surroundings.
For the last 20 years, this house has been home to the Estes family. Now, Chris and Michelle’s daughter, Kaitlyn, is off at college and they have the place to themselves.
And they have some time to focus on a long-awaited kitchen renovation — and we’re here to guide that project along!
The Projects
Replace countertops
The couple installed laminate countertops about 15 years ago and they want to replace them with butcher block that they’ve already purchased.
First, we need to size the wood. Ordinarily, we’d freehand crosscuts, but not on a countertop. Its edges have to be perfect so we’re using a saw edge guide from Woodcraft to cut them as straight as an arrow.
After we complete cuts for the countertop sections, we also cut a piece of the butcher block for the bar section. Then we’re ready to dry fit them.
Before we install the countertops, we take them outside to sand them with 320-grit sandpaper, stain them with Beltex pads and wear our respirators to finish them with Waterlox Original Sealer / Finish.
Then we install corner braces in the cabinets with Titebond II Wood Glue and nails and adhere the finished countertops to the corner braces with Titebond Construction Adhesive.
Install apron sink
We’re adding a stainless steel apron sink that will require removal of the front of the counter in order to fit.
So we put the countertop’s seam right in the middle because the sink will be cut out from the front, and just a tiny seam in the back of the sink will be visible.
Once the sink is cut out, we mark the cabinets to accommodate the sink’s depth.
Extend countertop under window
Michelle wants to extend the countertop past the kitchen window so it becomes a bar — perfect for looking out at the couple’s pool.
The new bar top we’re putting under this window goes right underneath the window sill, so we need to remove the apron before we can install it.
Meanwhile, our electrician, Jeremy, installs two light fixtures (from Linea di Liara) that Michelle has purchased.
Install shelving
Michelle wants a place to hang pots and pans so they’re easy to grab, so we’re adding a shelf with hooks.
We drill into the mortar joints to install the pot and pan rack (it’s much easier to drill into those than old-school oven-made bricks!)
Michelle also wants to display family pictures and maybe a small plant on open shelving by the bar, so we use scrap wood from the countertops to add staggered floating shelving.
We use dowels — spaced apart 16 inches so they hit the wall’s studs — to attach the shelves.
Post-Production Thoughts
Chris and Michelle’s kitchen renovation has been ongoing for decades, so even their past improvements had become dated, and they didn’t fit their new lifestyle as empty nesters.
But with a few simple changes, we’ve given the room an entirely new feel.
The new wood countertops add warmth and style that was missing before our work began.
The new kitchen sink is not only enormous, but its clean lines and contemporary style also give the kitchen new life and vitality.
And the bar and pendant lights we added in front of the window extend that feeling throughout the whole space while making the kitchen better suit Chris and Michelle’s lifestyle.
Plus, the floating shelves, and the pot rack, give the room even more style.
And we did it all in just three days, with less than $1,500 in materials.
Other Tips from this Episode
 | Simple Solutions How to Upcycle a Plastic Jug for Watering Plants |
 | Best New Products This Chalky Paint Will Transform Your Worn-Out Furniture |
 | Watch & Learn How to Finish & Install Wood Countertops |
