Add Dining/Desk/Counter to Kitchen Cabinet

In 2024, a vacancy gave me the opportunity to bring to life a project I had been envisioning while the unit was rented.

As explained in the 2019 Before and After Project update made to this particular apartment rental, I observed that renters often blocked the kitchen counter adjacent to the dining area with whatever dining set they brought with them. Oversized tables and chairs protruded into the living area, making the kitchen counter less accessible and resulting in a cluttered look to the open floor plan."

When our renter-guests gave the requisite 30 days' notice to vacate, I had to select a design based on the following brief I created for myself:

• Keep kitchen counter "as-is". (In the 2019 update to this apartment the Formica countertop was sealed and sink updated to stainless steel, meaning, I did not want to recur those costs in changing out the countertop. One day, the entire counter will be changed but the ROI was not warranted at this point.)

• Height had to be standard dining/desk height. Renter guests may not want to buy customizable height chairs for a rental and will use what they may already have in terms of furniture.

• Flexible design - easily removable, if needed in future should flooring or cabinet repair/replacement require it.

• Do not block window/blinds.

• Integrate into "soft industrial" theme.

While the unit was rented, I leisurely collected design photos in Microsoft Whiteboard according to my brief. Below is a screenshot of design ideas collected that I thought might work in the space:

You can probably guess which design I choose but it actually was a combination of two ideas:

I went with legs that would support the added counter rather than rely on the fragile plywood backing of the kitchen cabinet (facing living area) for support. I also wanted the right "leg" support to be indented so people would be less prone to stub their toes and knees in a high traffic area.

The next step required gathering specific details including:

• Measure kitchen cabinet width from aisle to wall and, secondly, width of wall to window.

• Find metal legs, counter height (add the leg height and thickness of counter top thickness to = 30" height), arrange delivery to my home.

• Order butcher block counter from Ikea with delivery to the unit (I met the delivery).

• Identify labor for cost quote and time availability.

  
  

And, here is how it turned out:

What do you think of this DIY-crafted solution for this rental? Could your unit benefit from a similar idea? Have you created a similar solution? Please share your thoughts in the comments!"

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