We've gotten used to seeing metal lockers repurposed for home use, school chairs, and even industrial trashcans, but here's a way to take simple schoolroom science lab furniture (such as this mobile lab demonstration cart) to create a perfect-size island in your kitchen that looks simple and modern. You can even cut a half-moon out of the bottom to add legroom for barstools, or even create a desk if you want. We also found some great lab tables that would work for dining, and cost much less than their counterparts in the home catalogs...
Poking around on school supply websites the past few days, we ran across simple Mobile Demonstration Carts on castors and love 'em. They're all maple, on industrial castors, and the cart even has a birch bottom shelf for pans, cutting boards or mixing bowls. The top is designed to withstand the rigors of science classes, so it resists stains, water and spills, and looks incredibly modern. We also found a great selection of science lab tables (the one above is only $289) that are roomy and some come with compartment storage you could use for napkins and silverware. Now if we can only shake the flashback to those fruitfly experiments gone awry...
>>> Available at School Outfitters
Pretty cute ... if only I had a kitchen big enough to use them. *sigh
view jick's profile
Also good...library supply stores!
view mdevans's profile
Top it with a few old glass beakers for good measure...
view sfteri's profile
I always thought cooking was a lot like chemistry...
view clampers's profile
In my next kitchen, I would like to use the countertop material used in science labs. It seems like it would be a wonderful durable surface.
view jfinteriors's profile
I love lab and science objects! I've got a box of pyrex beakers and flasks ready and waiting to be put out in my kitchen area, when I get to unpacking. It'll also go great with my vintage "Fallout Shelter" sign. 8^D
view btoddster's profile
jfinteriors, I have friends who used just that countertop material in their uber-mod kitchen and they work beautifully! It's def. one of those materials that can take the heat (I couldn't help it) and looks really lovely for a very long time. I recommend it!
After pondering the cute stainless steel kitchen island/kitchen table in one of the small cool categories, I've got questions of comfort. If any of ya'll have one out there, what stools do you pair them with (that have backs and are comfy, not just cute) and what do you do about leg room for said stools? Most of the carts come with shelves for stability and storage, but are they adjustable?
view darcidoodle's profile
What a nifty idea! The mad scientist cooks your dinner, muhahahaha...
view seraph's profile
I love the look of these (especially if you were to throw in a beaker or two). What is that table top made of and how do you buy it separately?
view Cassis's profile
Cassis– My girlfriend said that her counters are epoxy resin, although I know you could use soapstone, too.
view darcidoodle's profile
epoxy-resin counters can be prohibitively expensive (like the ones we remember in chem-lab)... the tables above are a lightweight version at best if you were to read the decription. however, there's a good alternative: paperstone http://www.paperstoneproducts.com/ ... or richlite ... both are a resin/paper product that cuts like plywood. while a piece can run in the sub-grand range, it's self-workable.
view redneckmodern's profile