Kitchen Update: Painting, Counter Support, and Countertop Prep

We weren’t thrilled with how unfinished our “new,” tile-ready walls looked. The mismatched, unpainted paneling and the exposed, stained parts of the ceiling left after we removed the upper cabinets were driving us a little crazy.

So we painted. The paneling took two coats of primer and two coats of paint. The ceiling required many more — I honestly lost count, maybe five or six coats — because some areas were raw drywall and others were stained. We used Kilz CleanStart primer (no-VOC) and the leftover ceiling paint the previous owners left in the basement. After multiple coats, it blended in and looked much more consistent.

The visual improvement was real, even if the space still feels raw. We’re waiting for the new countertops to be installed, and after that we’ll add window molding, backsplash tile, update the lighting, paint the cabinets, and lay cork floors. Each of those steps will help this kitchen look more finished and polished.

Installing Support Brackets for the Overhang

Before the counters could go in, we needed to add support brackets. From a countertop templating visit we learned that any overhang greater than 10″ needs reinforcement. Our peninsula will have a 12″ overhang on two sides. We could have paid to have the Corian reinforced, but the templating pro also suggested a cost-effective DIY option.

We bought six 10″ steel brackets at Lowe’s and gave them a coat of spray paint. At about $6 a piece it cost roughly $36 — a fraction of the price of having the Corian reinforced professionally.

To make the brackets secure, we cut scrap wood into 12″ lengths and placed them inside the cabinets behind the cabinet face. The templater advised against screwing heavy brackets only into the thin cabinet face; anchoring into thicker internal blocking makes a much stronger connection so the overhang will be safe and sturdy.

After measuring and marking for even spacing, I hammered the scrap wood into place and used another scrap piece as a temporary counter to set bracket height. Once positioned, each bracket was secured with three screws.

Here’s the setup after the first three brackets were installed. When the Corian counters arrive we’ll also fasten them from below into the factory wood reinforcement that’s included under Corian for overhangs.

Once the counters are in and the cabinets are painted white the brackets should be barely noticeable. We’re considering adding shaker-style panels to the back and possibly the side of the peninsula — both to add detail and to hide the brackets by routing out the back of the panel and laying it over the brackets.

Final Prep: Priming the Refrigerator Surround

We didn’t want to prime and paint the cabinets before the counter installation, because heavy countertop installation often requires shoving and scraping that can nick freshly painted cabinet faces. Instead, we primed a narrow stripe of the refrigerator surround where it meets the counter. That way, if there’s a tiny gap between the paint and the finished counters, the exposed edge will be white instead of brown and will blend better once the counters are installed.

The kitchen is starting to look like a kitchen — even if the temporary wood chairs we’re using aren’t the right height or color yet.

In real life, though, it still looks a bit like a construction zone. We were worried about the exposed brackets being a hazard, so we propped up leftover cabinet shelves to create a temporary edge so our daughter Clara could see and avoid it. The chairs help make the edge more visible too.

Next Steps

We’re excited for the counters to be installed — hopefully very soon. Once they’re in we’ll finish the cabinet painting, add trim and backsplash, finalize the peninsula panels, and install cork flooring. Having a functioning sink again will be a huge relief; washing non-dishwasher-safe items in the bathroom sink gets old fast. For now, we can still cook using the fridge, stove, and dishwasher, but a working sink will make life much easier.

Psst — we’ve listed our old granite counters for anyone who’s interested. You can find more info on them here.