Here's a before and after photo:
Materials Used:
Vika Amon table top - slightly damaged from the AS IS section of Ikea - $10
Vika Curry table leg - $3.50
Long 3 inch screws (to attach the leftover pieces to the wall)- left over from another project
Short 1 1/4 inch screws (to drill through the molding and into the table top) - left over from another project
Square molding - left over from another project
Gel stain - left over from another project
Polyurethane top coat - left over from another project
Paint brush, roller, and rags - had extras from another project
a Drill
Here's how I did it:
I would've loved to add a granite or granite tile countertop that matched my kitchen but granite is very heavy (and expensive!). I ended up using an Ikea Vika Amon table top (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80071164) that I found in the As Is section of Ikea for $10!
1. Cut the table top - I needed the table top cut and do not own a table saw, so I measured and taped off the area and had the table top cut for free at Lowes! I saved the cut pieces to use later on.
2. Stain/Paint the table top - The birch effect color of the table top was very light compared to the maple cabinets in my kitchen. The table top is a laminate (not wood!), so my only options were to sand and paint it or try a gel stain. Gel stains are great because you can use them on a variety of materials other than wood. Before I began, I lightly sanded the top and and made sure the surface was free of debris. I blended 2 colors of Minwax Gel Stain (Honey Maple and Cherrywood) using a small brush and small paint roller. Once I was happy with the shade, I let the top dry for 2 day (just to be safe!).
Once the stain was dry, I used a polyurethane top coat. It protects your finish from damage and the more coats you use, the better! I used a Minwax wipe on poly and applied it with a rag and let the table top dry.
3. Add table leg - Since the table top was put in a corner, I only needed 1 table leg to support it. I used a $3.50 Vika Curry leg from Ikea (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10105290) and increased the height by attaching a small leftover piece of table top to the bottom of the table top and then attached the leg to the piece. I painted the small piece black to match the leg.
4. Attach table top to the wall - To attach the table top to the wall, I marked off the location of the table top and located and marked the studs (a stud finder is very helpful!). I attached the leftover table top pieces to the wall, and made sure that each piece was level and drilled it into the studs with a drill and long screws.
I painted the wall pieces the same color as the wall and then attached small pieces of square molding to the wall pieces. I placed the table top on top of the wall pieces and secured the table top in place by drilling screws upwards through the molding pieces into the bottom of the table top.
5. Final details - If there are small gaps on the sides of the table top, you can fill them using a clear caulk (I didn't need to caulk). I added some wheels to our steel trash and recycle bins and stowed them under the table. I also added a cute letter organizer to the top of the table.
Final cost= $13.50 +tax = $14.31
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