Young House Love

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Prepping For A Corian Counter Installation

We were feeling a little less than pumped about how unfinished our “new,” tile-ready walls were looking…

CementBoard 11 Panelling Af

… mostly because we found ourselves staring at that mismatched unpainted paneling (shudder) and those ugly unpainted/stained/gross parts of the ceiling that were exposed when we removed the upper cabinets.

Paint Touchs Up 1 Before

So what’d we do? Why we got a-paintin’ of course!

Paint Touchs Up 2 Sherry

The paneling took two coats of primer and two coats of paint (just to be safe). And the ceiling took… well, more coats of primer and paint than I care to share (I lost count, actually – maybe five or six?). Since some of it was totally unpainted and other areas were stained, we just wanted to be extra sure it looked seamless with the rest of the ceiling when we were done. Thankfully, after lots o’ coats of Kilz CleanStart primer (it’s no-VOC) and the ceiling paint that the previous owners left us in the basement… it all matched in the end. Can I get a whew?

Paint Touchs Up 3 After

The effect was much improved kinda-sorta improved. I mean it’s still a very raw space. But once we get the new counters installed (we hope to share photos of that shebang tomorrow!), get molding back around the window, add some backsplash tile, redo the lighting, paint those cabinets, and lay our cork floors, things should look a lot more polished. So we’re happy to be inching ever so slowly towards the finish line.

The last thing we had to do before the whole counter installation was add those darn support brackets that we mentioned back in this pre-Thanksgiving post. Basically we learned from the counter template guy that any overhang over 10″ needed some support (our peninsula will have a 12″ overhang on two sides). We could’ve paid $300 to have the Corian reinforced, but the guy also mentioned a cheaper DIY option. It’s like he knew us.

So we bought six 10″ steel brackets in the hardware aisle at Lowe’s and Sherry did her favorite thing (enter spray paint, stage right). At $6 a piece it came to $36, which isn’t free, but sure beats 300 big ones.

Brackets 1 Spraying Outside

Once they were dry I brought them in, along with some scrap pieces of wood that I cut into 12″ sections. The template guy said we shouldn’t just screw the (heavy) brackets into the cabinets alone, but instead should put some wood inside the cabinet to help them hold nice and strong by drilling into that thicker wood surface hidden behind the cabinet.

Brackets 2 White With Wood

So after measuring and marking my cabinets to make sure the brackets would be evenly spaced, I loosely hammered my scrap wood in place on the other side of the cabinet (if this isn’t making sense now, it will by the end of the post… hopefully).

Brackets 4 Wood At Back

To screw them in, I used another scrap piece of wood to act as my temporary counter so I was sure to place them at the right height (to be sure they would carry the load of the overhang without being too high or too low). Then I secured the bracket with three screws.

Brackets 5 Screwing One In

Here’s how it was looking after I secured the first three brackets in place. Of course, once the counters arrive we’ll also screw them into the Corian from below (Corian has wood reinforcement stuff to screw into underneath it whenever it’s manufactured for an overhang).

Brackets 6 Three In

And although once the counters are installed and the cabinets are all painted white the brackets will barely be visible, we’re still thinking that we’ll add some shaker-style panels to dress up the back (and side?) of the peninsula. That way those will add some detailing and also allow us to completely hide the brackets behind some panel trim (by routing out the back of it and laying it over the brackets to conceal them). Hopefully it’ll be a fun challenge. I’ll keep you posted on that when we get to that step.

Brackets 7 All In

So here’s the kitchen in its counter-ready state. Oh, perhaps you’ll notice that we also primed a stripe of the refrigerator surround right where it meets the counter:

Brackets 8 Angled After

We didn’t want to prime and paint the cabinets before our impending counter installation (when our granite counters got installed in our first house, the white cabinets required lots of touch ups due to tons of scraping and shoving to get the heavy, tight fitting counters in place). So we’d rather just cover the counters and paint stuff afterward. But we thought that little stripe of primer applied beforehand would make it easier to paint right up to the edge of the counters without leaving a sliver of wood peeking through (now if there’s a tiny gap between the paint and the counters, it’ll be white and not brown, so it should blend right in).

It’s looking somewhat like a kitchen, right? Oh but of course ignore the wood chairs (they’re not counter height or the right color so they’re just place-holders for now).

Brackets 9 Straight After

In keeping-it-real news, the kitchen is actually looking more like this:

Brackets 10 Straight With J

Of course, as parents when we saw those exposed brackets our “Toddler Impalement Device!” alarms went off, but thanks to some leftover cabinet shelves, we fashioned a dummy counter to make the edges more visible to Clara (and her sometimes clumsy parents). Having the chairs there certainly helps too.

Maybe we should just cancel our Corian order and learn to love these?

Brackets 11 Junk Close

Yeah, or not. So excited that our next update for you guys should be INSTALLED COUNTERS. Hopefully tomorrow morning. Woot!

Oh how joyfully we’ll use the sink (my have we missed it!). Merry Countermas to us! We actually have a working fridge, stove, and dishwasher so we’re still able to cook at home (thank goodness) but washing the not-dishwasher-safe-stuff in the bathroom sink/tub is annoying. Is there anything you guys are anxiously awaiting? Have you done any ceiling priming & painting lately? Did you lose count of the coats. Oh man, it feels good to be done, doesn’t it?

Psst- We’ve listed our old granite counters on craigslist for anyone who is interested. You can find more info on them here.

Comments

  1. Kristen @ Popcorn on the Stove says

    Oo finally counters! I’m so excited to see how they look!! I love using Kilz primer (I feel like it really covers anything gross). I had no idea they had a no-VOC version – I’ll definitely have to check that out when we paint the next room!

    Reply

  2. Amanda @ Our Humble A{Bowe}d says

    Counters tomorrow, really?!? That’s awesome and exciting news! Hootie hoo!! You’re moving right along.

    As for painting, I’m sorry it took so many coats. I haven’t started painting our 20 drawer fronts: http://ourhumbleabowed.wordpress.com/2011/12/01/on-the-drawer-front/ (which we’ll have to prime and paint on the fronts, edges, and backs) so I’m sure I’ll also lose track of how many coats. But, it has to be done. I’m anxious to see counter news! Merry Countermas to everyone!

    Reply

  6. Nikki says

    I feel like I’m as excited as you about the countertop installation! I hope all goes well tomorrow! I cannot wait for cabinet painting, tiling and the floors. You guys have done so much but I think the visual impact of the things you have left on your list is going to be huge!

    Reply

  7. Leslie says

    dying to hear your tips on not destroying the food budget while all these big kitchen projects are going on! do you have to eat out a lot?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Since we have been able to keep our fridge and stove and dishwasher hooked up we can still eat at home really easily! Not having a sink is an inconvenience for sure, but it’s great to still have machines for cooking and keeping food cold and washing dishes!

      xo,
      s

  8. Janelle D says

    Yay! I can’t wait to see the counters tomorrow (hopefully). I hope Corian is shiny!
    Also, I’m anxiously awaiting a full week of vacation. Bring on the holidays.

    Reply

  10. Barb says

    I thought the same thing when I saw those brackets sticking out (I actually cringed at each picture) – I’d be walking into them all the time. My husband declares me “Number 1!”, as in, the clumsiest person on the planet.

    Reply

  12. nancyo says

    I don’t like to hate or write negative comments but your long & skinny lights aren’t that … um … pretty.

    They remind me of a 1970’s office building. Or, maybe those lights used to grow indoor plants?

    Do you have any plans for changing them out? Are you adding recessed lighting? Is that a plan for post-kitchen?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, those are being replaced! Haha. An entire new lighting plan is in the works for the kitchen- just have to find the right replacements before switching those out!

      xo,
      s

  14. marti driver says

    are those blue pans paula dean from wal-mart on the counter???? i have seen them and loved them but have been wondering about the quality of them…..please share!!!

    Reply

  18. LauraC says

    Looking forward to tomorrow! But I am surprised you still have those chairs, since you Craiglisted the table a few days ago. I’m sure they’ll sell soon!

    Reply

  19. Katy says

    I can’t wait to see how the counters will look! The only thing I’ve done with any kind of counter was make these pretend buffet tables for a party. Though, I wasn’t worried about toddler impalement, I was totally freaked out about adults being clumsy and running into the sides, so I covered them with table cloths so it was very EASY to see where the edges were, although one person still managed to bump into them! (Okay, it might have been me) http://thefirstapartment.blogspot.com/2011/11/50-dollar-fix-buffet-tables.html

    ~Katy

    Reply

  21. Debbie says

    when we installed our granite in the AZ house we needed brackets also for our overhang on the 14′ breakfast bar. the little italian man who cut the stone, made these gorgeous hand carved corbels (those italians are simply amazing craftsman)to cover the brackets (he just notched out the backs to fit snugly over the brackets). the way he carved & painted them, they actually look like they are carved out of stone. they look so lovely w/ the granite. other than sometimes smacking my knee on them when i cross my legs, i couldnt be happier w/ the overall look.

    Reply

  22. Vanessa says

    So is it true that once the kitchen is done you are inviting us all over for a shin-dig / hullabaloo?

    Seriously, I’m excited to see the counters but really can’t wait for the tile to be done. Listen to me…like I live in this house. Actually – can I? I am fairly neat and make a mean bowl of cereal.

    Reply

  26. Meredith says

    This has nothing to do with your counters, but now because of your “We’re Digging” sidebar I really really want a hot pink colander. I in no way NEED a hot pink colander, but seriously, how fun is that?!?

    Reply

  27. sandrine says

    i’m excited for you,i had my kitchen done this year and it was the hardest thing for me, having to cook all meals outside on the grill while the inside of our house was a construction zone but so worth it.

    Reply

  28. LoquaciousLaura says

    I’m curious … are you guys adding crown molding throughout? On the Sherry closeup, it looks like there’s a slight gap between the paneling and ceiling (although maybe that isn’t visible from below).

    Reply

  29. Elizabeth says

    Just having a moment of worry for you guys. Don’t know if your new counters have some sort of fancy edge to them that hangs down a bit over your cabinets. If not, you might want to do a quick coat of white primer at the top edge or ask your installers if they have a white sealer for your counters. We got new countertops and had wood cabinets that had been painted off-white by previous owners. We didn’t spring for the “fancy” edge on our counters which left a bit of wood exposed at the top of the cabiets where the counters sat. When we went to re-paint the cabinets a fresh white, the clear sealer that the countertop installers used couldn’t be painted over and it left the sliver of wood exposed. Yuck! We ended up having to put white caulk over the clear sealer and it looks a little messy. Luckily it’s not super obvious, but it’s still visible. Just a little tip that I hope you don’t have to use.

    Reply

  30. Katie says

    It’s so interesting to follow the progress of your kitchen. What a big undertaking. I am really interested to know how you are making due without a usable kitchen – how do you cook? Would you consider doing a blog post about that?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We still cook! Thankfully we have a working fridge, stove and dishwasher- so all we were missing was the sink (which was annoying but workable for the time being – we just washed things in the bathroom tub/sink or tossed them into the dishwasher).

      xo,
      s

  31. bridget b. says

    what are your tips for making new ceiling paint look seamless with the existing ceiling? does it take a lot of blending or a certain type of brush to avoid having an obvious demarcation line between the areas?

    can’t wait to see your counters!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We just apply very thin and even coats with a foam roller (that helps you roll beyond a border or line so it looks nice and seamless- just expand the border by around 6-12″ and feather things out with each thin and even coat).

      xo,
      s

  32. Natalie Muurisepp says

    What I am anxiously waiting for:
    When we first in we had a space in the basement that was 25% finished. We have since painted and carpet treaded the scary basement stares. Plushly carpeted the space and this week we should paint the upper walls (a light tiffeny’s blue) and then bead board panel the bottom part of wall. This has been a great space to have for our Dec. 17th birthday boy. In the 2 years prior in smaller spaces we waited till the day after to decorate for Christmas. I didn’t want his birthday pics to have a Christmas theme as well.
    I think this comment shows I get distracted easily and that I pretend we are shooting the breeze in a cafe daily hahaha (I know hot chocolate for you SHer-dog)

    Reply

  34. Katie says

    One of the things I am *most* looking forward to about your kitchen reno is the disappearance of the eyeball cabinet pulls!! I don’t know how you stand them! (Maybe they look less “eye-like” in person than in photos?) Any idea what you’ll be replacing them with yet?

    Reply

  35. Melanie says

    Looks like progreeeess… Having those counters in will make all the difference and probably spurr you into a kitchen finishing frenzy! It’s going to look great.

    Editing alert: You left an extra “of” in the sentence about ignoring the placeholder wood chairs. It says, “Of but of course ignore the wood chairs.” :)

    Reply

  36. Skye @ Neathering Our Fest says

    Wowza! It is crazy how far it has come! I am really excited to see how the shaker panels come out if you decide to do that. I have shaker cabinets in my kitchen and they are on my list of TTP (things to paint). I’m interested to see how you will rout out the panels and so they will be flush over the brackets. Brilliant solution! :)

    Reply

  37. Amanda says

    I think that picture of Sherry painting settles the “who-Clara-looks-like” debate…she’s definitely a Sherry look-a-like!

    Reply

    • Amanda says

      Oh.My.Goodness. You’re Amanda. I’m Amanda. And I don’t know if it’s an Amanda thing, or what, but I was just scrolling to the end of the comments so that I could write that VERY SAME THING! I saw that picture of Sherry and her paintbrush, and I was like, “Woah – Clara’s eyes!” Definitely still team Sherry. All the way. :)
      ps – hey $herdog!

  38. Lindsey @ arkadian belle woods says

    Lookin’ good! You guys hit the ‘So-close-but-so-far-away’ speed bump! I only wish I had half the energy so I could get to painting the few unfinished bits of our house! We’ve just celebrated our 1 year House-iversary and still have painting to do!

    The progress reports on this are amazing! I can’t wait until you put them all together for the big before and after!

    Reply

  39. beth in dc says

    Coming along so quickly! At least for those of us who don’t have to live through it. Are you keeping the current fan and light fixtures?

    Reply

  40. Melissa @ HOUSEography says

    Can’t wait to see the counters installed. Hopefully they won’t bang things up too badly. When we had our counters installed the only thing that got damaged was the wall – the cabinets were completely fine! I was surprised you didn’t prime the cabinets first but I guess once you get rolling you just go and do the whole thing!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yeah, since primer is only “open” for a few days (then it’s not as grippy or helpful as it once was) we didn’t want to be stressed about counters coming later and missing that window (which would have meant redoing alllllll the primer again so it’s nice and tacky).

      xo,
      s

  46. Kami Buchanan says

    Maybe I missed where you answered this before, but why haven’t you installed your new dishwasher yet? Since all your other new appliances are in, just wondering? I love everything you are doing. Can’t wait to see the new countertops tomorrow and what you do for lighting. I’m looking for new lighting in place of a fluorescent light. Can’t wait to see! Touching up the paneling really mad a difference too!

    Reply

    • nikki says

      Yes please keep us updated. I have the exact same granite in my kitchen and bathrooms and i want to get rid of it as well. Not a fan but unsure of what to charge if anyone would even want it. Good luck!

  48. Dorinda says

    Whoa. Ok, you DID make a believer out of me. I posted back in September when you guys first decided against the banquette for the peninsula…but IT LOOKS GREAT! I don’t know if I’m sold on the lounge area in the corner, but the peninsula is awesome. I stand corrected. Fantastic job guys!

    Reply

  50. Nikki says

    Quick question: Does this mean you’ll be installing the new dishwasher right away?

    So excited for you! I know you must be dying to see the countertops!!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We have to wait to do the new floors before getting the dishwasher in (since we want the floor to run under that and under the fridge, which we’ll pull out).

      xo,
      s

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