As a part of our continuous home improvements, we’ve been making ad hoc updates to the kitchen over the past not quite two years since we’ve lived in our home on Gloucester. The primary project to-date was a simple exercise in throwing some paint on the walls and trim, but so far we haven’t tackled the big things like cabinets, counters, and appliances (other than a very necessary dishwasher replacement after the previous one threw in the towel last year).
The latest project to wrap is a revamp of a storage alcove on the eat-in side of the kitchen area. From the day we moved into the house, we knew exactly how we’d use the space (a home bar, naturally) and even had an idea for how we’d eventually transform it (paint + copper backsplash). We’ve been using it for this purpose ever since, but have only now gotten around to putting in the work to realize that vision.
The impetus, like many of our DIY projects, was having impending guests. In this case, it was to be a group of 15-25 revelers for a barbecue on the Fourth of July. Nathan communicated these grand plans to me a couple weeks before said gathering was set to commence, and despite the short timeline, I decided that the success of the entire venture rested on us having the bar refresh completed. So we picked out and ordered the backsplash, and I got to painting.
Coats of blue
The paint job went relatively smoothly, even if it ended up taking longer than expected (doesn’t it always). We already had the paint, as we had chosen the color – Benjamin Moore’s Van Deusen Blue – months ago, and I had previously used it to paint the brick chimney (pictured above) and the kitchen door that leads down to the basement.
The trickiest part of this process was maneuvering around the two sets of heavy sliding glass doors. Unlike the doors on the bottom shelf, the top doors couldn’t be finagled out of the track, and because one door slides in front of the other, there was a section of the trim in the center that proved impossible to reach with a paint brush – at least without smearing the glass with paint in the process. I regrettably did not have time to figure out a solution to this, so there is a small area where the unfinished wood is still exposed. It’s high on the very top shelf though, which is at least fortunately hard to spot from the ground at most angles.
After brushing on two coats of paint and letting that dry, I applied a clear polyurethane to the tops of the shelves in order to protect the paint from the inevitable bar glass scratches and sugary, sticky spills. Despite dutifully layering on the recommended three coats, the very first thing we did was scratch the paint while trying to wedge in the first – and all proceeding – backsplash tiles.
Handle with care
Installing the backsplash also proved to be not only more time-consuming than expected, but also significantly more difficult. We had opted to go with a 2×2 tin tile product in the copper penny color from American Tin Ceilings. Because the sheets were larger than the height of the bar shelves, we had to trim each tile down to fit the space. Now, this sounds straightforward enough, but if you’ve ever tried to cut metal with tin snips, you’ll know that it’s not quite that simple.
The task itself is physically difficult due to the rigid material you’re working with. It’s also fairly dangerous – at least as far the standard novice-level DIY projects go – turns out jagged metal edges are sharp. And it’s impossible to cut a straight line across the tile so that it fits evenly into the space you’re putting it into. Because we erred on the size of having excess material when measuring and cutting the pieces, we were often able to wedge the sheets in between the bottom and top shelves (hence the paint scratching). This usually proved a better method than gluing the tiles onto the substrate with construction adhesive, as recommended by the manufacturer. What do they know anyway. We also ended up nailing in a couple dubious-looking corners where the strength of the bond didn’t seem like it would hold up.
I’ll drink to that
Throughout the whole process, I managed to only cut myself on the tin once. (PSA: Don’t be like me – always wear work gloves when working with metal.) The other dodgy bit was re-touching the paint where it was scratched two days before the barbecue and hoping that any lingering paint fumes would be overwhelmed by the sweet aroma of smoked meats (they were).
Finally, on the morning of the party, with all the difficult work done, all that was left to do was put the bottles back on the shelf. This was a task best suited for Nathan, as the keeper and connoisseur of our collection of whiskys, scotches, and other fine spirits. No disrespect to his liquor or his system for storing it, but, irritatingly, several of the bottles are too tall to fit on the shelves. They now collect dust on the counter underneath the bar. And that is why a new rule that all bottles must be no greater than exactly 12.75 inches in height is now under strict effect.
So if you’re ever here with a house warming gift (psst, you’re late) or over for a party with a boozey tribute in tow, please do check the bottle size. You’ll be kindly asked to check any oversized bottles in the overflow storage area – also known as the wine cellar, otherwise called the basement – which, if our wine collecting continues at its current pace, will one day be the subject of its own glorious renovation story.
