On the remodeling project shown here (1), the clients wanted to create a gathering spot that would connect their kitchen to the adjacent dining and living areas. They came up with the idea of a dry bar in the corner, with a surface that would complement the stone counter in the kitchen. They found a maker of concrete and wood counters on the Web (J. Aaron, jaaroncaststone.com) and, after seeing a photo of a top made of distressed black walnut, declared, “This is it!”
We drew up a preliminary design and forwarded it to the company to get pricing. Once we had the owners’ go-ahead, we finalized the drawings, refining the edge radius and requesting some handwork with rasps and files to give the piece a natural feel.
We decided to support the top with steel brackets (2) secured to the half-wall framing below. We ordered these from a local metalworker, who fabricated three brackets that fit perfectly in the stud bays. We installed them and tested them for strength, then waited for the counter to arrive.
The day the walnut top was delivered was exciting. It came via freight truck, packed in a 5-foot-by-7-foot wood box. Other than the photo on the Web site, how the top would look had remained a mystery. No one was disappointed.
We scribed the counter to fit against the wall, set it in place, and marked out the exact locations of the steel brackets from underneath. We then routed slots in the bottom (3) and installed the top, using silicone to seal the connection between the wood and steel. A few coated screws driven up through the steel hold it in place (4), where it seems to float above the floor.
