It is said that the kitchen is the heart of the home and for those of us who enjoy cooking and entertaining, it is also a very hard-working and social space. Storage and utility areas are key in a great kitchen, but with the large amount of kitchen furniture for sale it can be difficult to know what units will best suit your needs.
A mobile kitchen island is a wonderful way to increase work space and because it can be moved, it can easily be incorporated into different rooms as the need arises: as a handy buffet for the dining room or as a work station on the patio for a braai. Give it a touch of luxury by adding a marble top which is not only beautiful and bang on trend, it is also easy to clean and creates a hygienic work surface.
Follow these step-by-step instructions to create your own multi-purpose kitchen unit. And because there is such a wonderful variety of furniture for sale on Gumtree, you will be able to find most of the things you need for this easy DIY right here on the site.
Search Gumtree for the following:
1x pine work bench with caster wheels, or 2 smaller units like in the example
1x large marble tile, cut to size
2x Towel rails to fit the sides
4x Rattan Baskets
You will also need:
Construction adhesive (we used Global)
4x Steel Braces (if you have more than 1 bench like in the example)
Paint in a water-based enamel
STEP 1: If you have 2 smaller benches, first secure them to each other with the steel braces, 2 under the top and 2 lower down on the legs. This will allow the benches to move in unison when they’re wheeled and prevent movement which might cause the tile to become detached.
STEP 2: Remove any old paint from the benches and repair them if necessary. If the benches are new, make sure that they are free from dust and oil by giving them a quick wash with some sugar soap. Paint the work benches in the colour of your choice: we chose trendy matt black. Make sure that you paint a 5cm border along the top surface so that none of the wood will be visible once the tile has been installed.
STEP 3: Using an applicator gun, apply some of the construction adhesive onto the surface of the work bench. Ensure that you create an adhesive line around the perimeter of the bench, about 5cm from the edges, as well as enough adhesive to the center to keep the tile in place.
STEP 4: Carefully place the marble tile on top – call in the strongmen to help! Ensure that all the edges are aligned and remove any adhesive that might be showing. Allow to dry according to the adhesive manufacturer’s instructions.
Handy Hint: search for marble cutters on Gumtree to help you cut it down to the correct size!
STEP 5: Fit towel rails to the side of the unit for utensils and dish towels.
STEP 6: Place rattan baskets on the shelves to neatly hold all your cooking paraphernalia. Now stand back and admire your work!
This kitchen unit has turned out to be my favourite part of our kitchen and I can highly recommend it!
DISCLAIMER: this post was sponsored by Gumtree South Africa.
