TOPICAL ISLAND

I long for a weekend where we climb out of bed, slip on a pair of flip flops, lather our bodies in sunscreen and spend the day on a beach of a tropical island in the middle of nowhere. This weekend, however, found us climbing ladders, slipping on work boots and lathering our bodies with "Off" to keep the bugs at bay. The main topic of our weekend: developing a plan for our new kitchen now that we've bashed the walls down! As the sun, absent for the better part of a month, gave us glowing farmer tans, we came up with a few bright ideas to bring a modern edge to this old farmhouse. Under bright, new, modern lights in the center of our kitchens universe will live an island housing a sink, dishwasher, cook top, and storage. In my quest to design the perfect Island I was shocked at the hidden treasures I found online. Ace Hardware, for example, sells potting benches (usually placed in garages or in an atrium) which, with a few modern additions...like galvanized metal for the top or glass tiles, cement or stainless steel...can shine new light on any drab kitchen!

TIME TO COMPLETE TASK: 5-7 days for delivery, one hour to assemble

COST: The Living Accents potting bench at http://www.acehardware.com/: $69.99

STRESS LEVEL: Enjoying a nice, warm Island: LOW