Low Waste & Limited Budget: Upcycled, Removable Kitchen Counter Skirt
I find such joy in making adjustments within our little home (which is also my full-time office) in order to creatively improve our household’s day-to-day routines. But I have zero interest in wasting material resources, spending money or acquiring new items in order to switch things up. Instead, I strive to find ways to work with what we’ve got to make impactful changes. These little endeavors usually involve a bit of repair, customizing, crafting, and/or trial and error. Sometimes things play out perfectly. Other times the project ends up a complete disaster. But either way I delight in trying.
Recently, while shuffling things around the house, we stored some extra produce and cooking ingredients, emergency storm supplies and library books in the built-in cubbies of our kitchen island. I found myself visually overwhelmed by everything, which can happen easily in a smaller space with an open layout. I wished I could conceal the cubbies when desired without making any permanent changes and without buying new goods. Usually I quite like the cubbies, and they’re certainly highly functional. I’m glad they’re there, and that we didn’t opt for cabinets instead, as I appreciate the character and depth the cubbies offer. But every now and then — particularly when I’m working on creative projects for others — my mind and eyes need a reset, or at least a calmer canvas of sorts.
A counter skirt / kitchen island curtain seemed like a simple solution. And our younger beagle-mix rescue helped me bring the concept to life by digging a hole in the bottom of our flat sheet on our bed, leaving me with a lot of leftover linen fabric to repurpose. (She’s a menace, that dog, but we love her just the same.)
With a few Command hooks and a telescoping sash rod (we have two on-hand here because we find them as ever-useful as tension rods and s-hooks), I was able to swiftly install an imperfect but entirely passable counter skirt. No damage, no waste, no bulk — everything can be removed and reused as desired.
These simple Command hooks are only visible when ducking below the counter.
It’s not fussy or flawless, but it’s perfect for our home, priorities and needs, and that’s what matters to us here.
Items used:
Telescoping Sash Rod
Repurposed Flat Sheet (cut and sewn to specs)
