Friday, March 1, 2019

DIY Reclaimed Wood Kitchen Countertops

Hey!  Do you remember me?  

I've been hanging out over on Instagram and had pretty much given up blogging, but blogging was my first social media love, and I really wanted to get back to it.



I wasn't even sure if I remembered how to blog.  But here I am, trying again.  I thought I'd start with some exciting news - we did a magazine photo shoot this past fall, and it will appear in a Fall 2019 issue.  More details to come...


The magazine shoot gave us the push we needed to take on the countertops we planned, but were a little afraid to start.  We used the last of the floorboards we pulled up from the attic.  These boards are 187 years old and have so much character.  We really wanted to use them where we could see them everyday, plus, we needed an inexpensive option for wood countertops.

They may not be for everyone, but we love them.


Now I'm just going to do a photo dump of the process we used.

After pulling up the boards, we laid them all out on the deck and puzzled them together before making any cuts.  We had to find boards that were the same thickness for each section. Every board seemed to be of a different thickness and width.

The boards, sanded and cut to size.





Some of the boards sanded down better than others, but we were fine with that.



The sink corner was the trickiest part.


We were just fitting the boards for placement here, we added a plywood base under the boards.



The pieces are coming together.




We used a biscuit tool to connect the boards with biscuits and wood glue.




The boards were finished with Watco Danish Oil in Natural and then sealed with many coats of Spar Urethane.



Clamps for days. 







 My dream was a farmhouse apron sink, but that would have meant reconfiguring our kitchen, moving the sink and dishwasher, and a lot of money.
I settled on this cast iron sink which I think gives a similar old-fashioned farmhouse feel and it was a bargain!


I love the faucet we chose.


 We added White Washed Wall Boards 
from Weaber Lumber. 
 Here, we are just starting to piece them in.


We are thrilled with how the countertops and backsplash turned out.















20 comments:

  1. I am so happy to see a post from you. While I do like IG and the other social formats I just feel so much more connected to people that blog...and share their stories and talents. You did a really GREAT job on that and how wonderful that you were able to use up that old lumber from the attic. I think it is just perfect for your home. I really like your sink, too. There is nothing like an "old" cast iron sink, is there?
    I hope you have a wonderful weekend and KEEP POSTING! lol xo Diana

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    1. Thank you so much for this comment Diana! I really want to get back to blogging again, I really miss it and you really can share a lot more in a blog! I hope you are well.
      Warmly,
      Gloria

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  2. Thrilled to find a post from you. You've been missed. Great job using the reclaimed wood.

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    1. Thank you so much for still remembering me! I am so glad you stopped by and left these kind words!
      Warmly, Gloria

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  3. I have a serious crush on your kitchen counters. The history, the rich wood - oh, and that sink! Just dreamy. So glad you are blogging again. :)

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    1. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know Lorri! I have really missed it here!
      Warmly, Gloria

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  4. Everything looks beautiful!!

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    1. Thank you Jan! I'm so glad you like it!
      Warmly, Gloria

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  5. Gorgeous! Well done! Nothing warms up a space like wood. Love that you used wood from your attic floors. We moved up from Florida to New Hampshire...didnt get our own place yet ss we are still renting...but when we do....I'll definitely be showing my hubs your counter tops for inspo!
    -@Deedeesfarmhousecottage (fellow over 50 IG-er in Manchester)

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    1. I'm so glad you found my blog DeeDee! Welcome to NH! You will have so much fun fixing up your own "long awaited home" someday. We really love wood, and were so excited that we could pull these countertops off!
      Warmly, Gloria

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  6. Beautiful and inspiring! Thank you for sharing!

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    1. You are so welcome Nanette! I'm so glad you stopped by!
      Warmly, Gloria

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  7. Awwwwww... so glad to see a post from you .... I had a hunch about IG .. and did see where you were posting over there... BUT.... SO HAPPY TO SEE A BLOG POST !!Kitchen counters are amazing !!!

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    1. Thank you for the warm welcome back Lisa! I hope to get back here again somewhat regularly. It's so hard keeping up with social media these days.
      Warmly, Gloria

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  8. I am so glad to see you!!! I have checked several times and worried that something had happened to you. I'm glad the something that happened was GREAT!! I will be watching for magazine info.
    Blessings,
    J
    PS: I have an old cast iron sink and LOVE it!!! When we have company (often) it hides a load of cooking "stuph" so the kitchen looks halfway neat!!

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  9. This comment just made me remember why I loved blogging J! Thank you so much for your kind words and welcome back!
    Warmly, Gloria

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  10. Oh my goodness! Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous!! Thank you so much for sharing. I am remodeling my home by myself and didnt know where to even start. I am so glad I decided to get on pinterest. because now I know what I'm doing with my countertops! Thank you ♡

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  11. Oh my goodness! Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous!! Thank you so much for sharing. I am remodeling my home by myself and didnt know where to even start. I am so glad I decided to get on pinterest. because now I know what I'm doing with my countertops! Thank you 🎯πŸšͺπŸͺ‘πŸ”¨πŸ”§πŸ“πŸ”©πŸ—œπŸ’ΈπŸ–€

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  12. I love this so much! This may be solution to my countertops! I am curious though, how easy is this to keep clean? I have messy boys here.

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Thank you for your lovely comments - they make my day!

Gloria