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An old stove bay was transformed into a delightful kitchen alcove complete with new benchtop and drawers for storage.
The project
Most of my work area is enclosed in the old stove bay. Needing to replace the oven I decided to make the area more functional, replacing deep narrow cupboards with drawers, and the plywood benchtop with Tasmanian Oak.
It’s working beautifully now! I chose not to have a cooktop at this point but have a single plug in induction burner which I’m finding better than I expected.
Steps
Step 1
Made the drawer and oven units. There is nothing square in this kitchen! I chose not to use under cupboard legs as I’m using the space to store flat baking trays and such (eventually in box drawers). This is where I learned how important it is to cut square edges, so I made a jig to line the handsaw up against ,which thankfully worked well because the next step needed it.
Step 2
Once the drawer units were in place it was the scary moment of working on the benches in an area with three walls - not one of them square to another! First I had to dowel join the panels. I needed two plus a strip of Tasmanian Oak for each of the three pieces. I made a jig to keep the holes level and used the double-ended dowel things to mark the adjoining holes. I used long clamps and bricks to hold them together while they dried.
Step 3
Using corflute I made templates for the benchtops. I decided to leave the existing painted ply in place (filling in the cooktop top hole with a piece of scrap melamine and a bit of swearing), for strength and hopefully a bit of stability as the panels are only 19mm thick. It seems to have worked well.
Because of the tightness of the space I couldn’t dowel join the two cross seams, so used the super strong gorilla glue and crossed my fingers. It’s been there since Easter with no problems. I used wooden pegs around the edge to hold together and allow a bit of expansion room.
The underneath had three coats of Cabot’s benchtop clear and the top surface had six coats. Waiting two weeks before I could use it was agonising!
Step 4
I used 12mm x 90mm thick pine strips to finish the edges. The cupboard fronts are painted MDF. One day I might play with them a bit more to give them a panelled look but there’s a lot more kitchen beyond this area to finish first.
The drawer beneath the oven was painted black to match the oven with a long bunnings drawer handle similar to the oven handle.
The ‘frame’ of this area was improved using two veranda brackets for the mantle, modified to fit, which I’ve also used to hold the shelves inside the area.
Step 5
And happily in use!
Tools and materials
Materials used in the project:
- Mantle shelf supports
- Tasmanian Oak panels
- Melamine sheets
- Drawer side and runner sets
- Water-based clear varnish
- Dulux lime white paint
- Construction adhesive
- Various dowels
- Corflute.
Tools used in the project:
More inspiration for your kitchen renovation
Community member islandgirl completed a budget renovation using Acacia benchtops for a small kitchen in a holiday home.
Bunnings Workshop member Melzie added style and storage to a tiny kitchen.
For more ideas for your home, check out our Top 10 most popular kitchen projects.
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