Our apartment kitchen is small, so since counter space is limited, I decided to build a small kitchen island to increase the work and storage areas. A section of butcher block countertop was left over from the Newport News house, so the island top section only needed something to support it.
After looking at various plans and user ideas on the Internet, I decided that a mobile island with a middle shelf would fit in well. The frame was constructed using 2×4 and 1×4 lumber, glue, and fasteners.
Since I used whitewood for the frame and shelves, I decided to paint the frame the same color as the kitchen walls, and stain the butcher block the same color as our kitchen cabinets. Any imperfections in the wood were filled and sanded before assembly.
The work area was stained with two coats of Early American stain, followed by three applications of furniture wax. After buffing out the countertop, we moved the island to the apartment kitchen. Besides providing us with a flexible work and storage piece of furniture, it blends well in the kitchen.