Mobile kitchen island
This Old House Magazine|Fall 2023
TOH DIY expert Jenn Largesse shows how to build a rolling kitchen cart with a butcher-block top
Jenn Largesse
Mobile kitchen island

We could use just a bit more counter space," I said to my husband, as I stood and looked around our kitchen. He laughed. After all, I had just spent months completely remodeling the space-building new upper cabinets, demoing a pantry wall, replacing the backsplash, installing flooring and lighting, and then having it painted when the work was done. But while I was a bit tired from the nonstop projects, I knew the space was calling for a kitchen cart. So I headed back into my workshop.

The result? A 25-by-50-inch butcherblock work surface atop a sturdy open-frame cart with tapered legs, a slatted shelf, hooks and a towel bar for hanging storage, and heavy-duty locking casters so it's easy to glide out of the way should a smidge more space be needed for, say, a family dance party. At just under $200 for materials, this last kitchen project was well worth the extra effort. Read on to see how you can make one of your own.

GETTING STARTED

When designing a kitchen around a fixed island, a good rule of thumb is to allow at least 36 inches of clearance on all sides. But since this cart can be wheeled around, I threw the rule out the window and sized the base to accommodate an off-the-shelf butcher-block top that I found at my local home center. At only $80, the 1/2-inch-thick, 25-by-50-inch unfinished butcher-block top was a much more affordable solution than buying a quartzite slab to match our countertops. To finish it, I chose a stain that complemented my kitchen's color palette.

STEP-BY-STEP

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Fall 2023 من This Old House Magazine.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Fall 2023 من This Old House Magazine.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

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