My explanation for why I would brake up the 3 pound bag of Sonic ice over the granite square tiled counter’s edge would have made Lucy Ricardo proud. With plans to gut the kitchen, I was just using a bag of ice to move the plan forward. Lucy Ricardo would have done the same thing if she had her heart set on Quartz counters. And, that is the short version to the backstory and why I can share how to build plywood counters.
When everyone knows mom really, really wants quartz counters.
My backup explanation was to tell my husband my blog needed new countertops. It was impossible to photograph anything with mud color granite squares as a backdrop. #hashtagbloggerprobs
I closed my argument with it wasn’t like we were going to have these twenty year old square tiles much longer.
That was almost three years ago.
The compromise to the chipped edges and corners was to build temporary plywood kitchen counters.
My husband suggested we build plywood counters , stained to blend with our existing granite counters.
We wanted the space between the kitchen and dining room to have a finished look after we took out this wall between the kitchen and dining room.
Knocking out the wall forced us to create a temporary kitchen counter that transitioned from the dining room into the kitchen. The decision gave us time to shore up finances before we gutted the entire kitchen.
Here are the details on how to build plywood counters when mom wants qaurtz counters.
How to Make Plywood Counters
The supply list for plywood counters is short:
- Sheets of plywood to create the rectangular frame base (counter)
- Use construction glue add 3/4 FINISHED BIRCH plywood to the top of the frame.
- Finish the edges with 1×2″ SELECT BIRCH trim.
- Prep the stain with this step.
- Stain (we used a black stain) and finish with multiple coats of a high gloss sealer.
Until this kitchen counter project, I did not think it was possible to create a beautiful, solid surface plywood counter. With the finished Birch plywood stacked on top of the basic plywood it keeps the countertop costs low.
This plywood counter is so much prettier than we imagined. What started as a temporary fix, has evolved to 2+ years. Plywood counters are a great compromise or fix when you want to gut the kitchen, but other financial commitments (college tuition) push the kitchen renovation further down the list. For now, new cabinets, counters and appliances are in a holding pattern which is the quirky life when you are married to an entrepreneur. It is also the reason my husband agrees we need a better, temporary solution since I chipped out the corners of the kitchen island.
Because it was an island I did not need to climb a ladder. Because it had natural stop and start points, I did not take the time to tape the space. I used the trim work to guide my brush.
It was a simple project with 2 x 12 select pine from Home Depot. We went with select pine because it has a smoother finish. I cut the pine boards to size using a table saw (with an assist from my assistant (husband) to hold the end of the board).
to prep the wood shelves.
This was an easy Saturday afternoon project. I loved this project so much I added the same shelves to our aging basement kitchenette/bar. So the farmhouse shelf photos are from both spaces.
