Because There’s No Such Thing As Too Many Shelves

Remember when we ambitiously removed the laminate kitchen countertop with great ambitions of selling it on Craigslist? It didn’t happen.

It’s not like I expected to be able to redeem any substantial value from the two large pieces of countertop, I mostly wanted to see them go to a good home (and clear out of ours). Big countertops aren’t known to hide away easily in tiny houses. But they didn’t sell, and we were still reluctant to throw them to the curb. They’re in damn good shape, aside from being sawn in two.

Pete had a good Plan B effort in mind for the larger of the two pieces though, because you can never have too much working surface space in the basement. Eight feet of length along one wall makes a big difference.

This particular corner of the basement, the corner nearest the staircase, has a built-in ledge. It’s not wide, only about 6″ in depth, but the perfect shelf for a pint of beer if you were playing foosball, which is quite likely what was happening down there when the home was occupied by previous homeowners. Note: There’s some verified accuracy to that statement. I found pint glasses and a foosball table when I moved in. And then I sold the foosball table for $150 a few holiday seasons back when the thing I needed least was a foosball table and the thing I needed most was cash money. Have I ever told you how much stuff was left in the house when I bought it, and how much of it I was able to sell? Cha-chinnnnng. Story for another day.

The countertop piece, a section which has a right angle with backsplash still perfectly attached, sits flush into the corner of the basement directly on said built-in shelf. It’s not even attached, the thing is heavy enough that it wouldn’t be easy to budge, although if it, brackets would surely anchor it to the wall in a pinch. With two simple scrap board lengths cut to height and attached to each corner with pocket screws from beneath, there’s no bend or flex to the countertop as well, you could climb onto it if need be. I realize that the left wooden leg looks totally wonky in this next picture, but I can assure you it’s level in all directions – crazy camera warping.

Also, I never claimed that our basement was well-organized or picture-ready. Surprise, our house is a mess, especially this corner of the basement.

This space is going to be perfect for wrapping Christmas gifts, my dears. How’s your holiday preparedness coming along?