POSTED: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 - 5:31am
UPDATED: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 - 12:52pm
[1]There are so many clever, earth-friendly upcycling projects to do (and so little time!). Among the more dramatic of these projects is replacing a kitchen counter. The upcycled kitchen counters that I am about to discuss fit best into farmhouse-style or rustic-looking houses. Most of them involve some carpentry work or tile work, so if you are inexperienced, either hone your skills before attempting this project, or hire a highly skilled handyman [2] to execute the project for you.
The upside of these projects is that they are a fantastic way to make use of large, leftover pieces of lumber. The down side (well, it is not exactly a down side; maybe it is a limitation) is that the look is rustic. If chippy, or shabby chic, are your style, then one of these countertops could complete the look of your vintage-inspired, ecological farmhouse haven.
Now let's rumble.
Upcycled fence board countertop [3]: Blogger Shannon from Fox Hollow Cottage built a countertop from old cedar planks. She painted it chippy turquoise. Her counter is built like a floating shelf, but a similar design and a more resilient, water-tight finish could be employed for a kitchen island countertop.
Pine plank countertop [4]: For a more polished look than the upcycled fence board countertop, consider a pine plank countertop like the one built by Lisa Pennington from The Pennington Point. Lisa built her countertops for $61! Just seal it well.
Countertop made from an old door [5]: What can old doors [6] not be used for? Interior designer and design blogger Linda Merrill built her own custom countertop by upcycling an old door. The look is quite polished, though slightly rustic. A handmade skirt ups the sophistication factor. Linda achieved a high shine on her countertop by painting it with glossy exterior trim paint. She prepped and primed the door carefully to ensure the smoothest paint application.
Countertop tiled with pennies [7]: Though she is not a professional tile contractor, San Antonio [8] blogger Ashley from Domestic Imperfection tiled her countertop with pennies. Question: Is this a good use of money? All those pennies add up to less than it would have cost her to install a granite slab countertop. Ashley reports that her epoxy-covered penny countertop is very watertight (she even dries her dishes on it).
Butler pantry counter made from upcycled old dresser [9]: If you need a counter area right away for a small space, consider upcycling an old dresser. Gypsy Barn, a furniture upcycler in Ontario, has built quite a few coffee stations from old dressers. The old dresser becomes a mini-kitchen island or cabinet with counter.
Chaya Kurtz writes for Networx.com. View original post [10].