Previous Jobs

I just wanted to post a couple pictures of my previous countertop projects, just to give a better idea of what else I've done.

The first is the island from my last house. It was diamond shaped with a 20-degree beveled edge. We had a pull-out trash can on the right side, so I created a "trash hole" (aka basketball practice) right above it. Strangely, it never smelled. Perhaps odor absorbency is an undiscovered property of concrete. Also, we inlayed three copper pipes on the left for a trivet.

Next was the outdoor kitchen. I took a regular Weber grill and built the countertop to form to its shape. I also wanted a built-in smoker (right on the other side of me in the picture), so I inlayed a baffled duct-work piece into the countertop that lined up exactly with the smoke exhaust from the smoker so that I could control how much smoke escaped. It was pretty slick. Also, I integrated 3 landscaping lights for nighttime grilling and to help us getting to and from the hot tub. Finally, I added an orange circular bar seating area off the end and suspended it with some metal supports. All-in-all, I was very pleased. I miss this part of my old house the most. We wanted some fun colors, hence the blue and orange.

Done and done

This weekend we moved and installed the countertop. It went surprisingly smoothly, though I was worried after the client tore off half of the crate trying to put it in the truck! I guess he's stronger than I thought after all!

Once we got to the house, we solicited the help of a neighborhood strongman, which rounded out the total to 5 guys - a good number for a ~450 lb countertop. And they all proved necessary, especially when going through the doorway. We caulked the cabinets and dropped her on. The cabinet reinforcement looked and worked great, and they never felt uneasy from the weight.

The clients seemed pleased. Always a good sign. And while I think it turned out pretty cool, it definitely stands out in the kitchen. Not in a bad way. It's just pretty different from what they currently have. All the more reason to replace the rest of the countertops:)

Anyways, thanks to Jason, Mark, Nick, John, Ryan, and Patrick (random neighborhood guy) for your help with the flipping and moving. It *literally* would not have been possible without your help. And I especially want to thank Adam and Lizzie for their willingness to take a chance on me and letting me practice with their island. I had a great time and hope that they're pleased with the final product.

On to the next kitchen...