A million sites out there talk about the woes of rental kitchens and how little there is to do about them without a lot of $$$ and your landlord's consent, which isn't always easy to get. Personally, a lot of the temporary fixes out there just aren't worth the money to me, because chances are when you move again, whatever you devised to mask your current kitchen isn't going to work (or fit) in your new one.
I got pretty lucky with my current apartment, and the kitchen isn't all that bad, just your standard semi-traditional meets contemporary Ikea assembly. The cabinets are white (yes!), and the counter is an earthy laminate trying to look like stone, I think. It's not bad. But once I start to fixate on something I don't like, there's no stopping me to figuring out how to change it, and the counter tops just aren't doing it for me. Anyway, I was at the hardware store and passed by the plywood aisle and stopped in my tracks for this beautiful 4x8 sheet for only... $13! I knew exactly then that it was going to be the faux counter top for this detached section that acts mostly as my coffee center. They cut the sheet for me there, then all it takes is a little staining, and... thats it! New beautiful grainy woody counters.
Here's what I started with-- like I said, it's not awful, but let's just say it's not quite my taste.
Not bad + shelf...
BAM.
I often go for the plain, desaturated, even, light tones on most plywood, but this mix of sapwood and heartwood was just too gorgeous to pass up. And now with everything set up:
So yeah, I literally just slapped a piece of plywood on top of my counters, but look how much better they are. And it can't get any easier than that. Every time I pass by, I take a gander at that smokin' wood grain. I'm thinking about lining the edges of the counter with black or white contact paper, but I don't really mind the stoney laminate peeking out.
And for anyone looking to do something similar, here are some tips:
- Plywood, while generally much less prone to warping than solid wood, can still bend a little especially when it's thinner and has less layers. It's always a good idea to give each side the same number of coats of finish, both to protect it from moisture and to lock it out so it will stay flat.
- If you plan on preparing food on wood, make sure you really really seal it well. Wood is porous meaning all that juicy salmonella fluid from your raw chicken will get sucked right in. Also, you will need to maintain it, much like butcher block counters.
- It's a good idea to sand with a high grit between coats, and on your finish coat you can use fine steel wool to buff it and make it super smooth.
- Seriously, seal it well if it's going in your kitchen. Don't skimp on the coats of finish. (I used a poly in satin finish, with about 5 coats on each side.)
Cost wise, the plywood cost $13, the shelf cost $16, and a can of poly cost $5. Hows that for a budget makeover?
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