I would imagine you could do a drop leaf type extension pretty easy.

I googled and found a few examples from motorhomes/trailers. But they could give you the idea. I also found a picture on Houzz - but it doesn't give good angles of how it was done.

[traditional kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by san francisco interior designer Amoroso Design

Here is a link that might be useful: Motorhome example of counter extension

Hi, mc15. A few years back we lived in a house with a small kitchen. We found all sorts of ways to maximize the space. A popup/popdown countertop was one of those. Similar to ucgal's picture, we made it from Maple butcher block and two braces because it was wider than the end cabinet. Unfortunately, I don't have any digital pictures.

BUT, we liked it so much that we installed a similar shelf in our current laundry room -- though it is not maple butcher block. The pictures below show you what it looks like from above and from below.

My only advice is that you may need to shore up the end of the cabinet if you use heavy butcher block. The sidewall of the end cabinet may not be sturdy enough to hold the brackets and weight of the butcher block.

Thanks for the ideas. Ucgal - I saw that same picture on Houzz and was wishing they had another photo from a different angle. Kashmi - thanks for sharing the photos. What a great solution (and I love the fold em saying). I would definitely have to factor in the weight of a countertop extension and what kind of brackets to use. I could imagine the kids dangling from it and breaking the side of the cabinet. Still in the design/dream stage of our kitchen remodel, so all suggestions are helpful!

Lisa_a had a picture from a kitchen show, here's a link to that thread:
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0814040018115.html

about 1/4 into the thread

Here is a link that might be useful: stainless steel extension

I feel kind of rude posting someone else's picture, but plllog has this, holding up stone no less.

Have you seen Ikea's? Perhaps more of a temporary fix, but i have two friends with these in their small kitchens, they love it...

Marcolo, it's not stone. It's sunflower seed husk board. About the same weight as plywood. Maybe a bit lighter.

The brackets are standard hardware, and will hold 200 lbs. If your counter piece is fairly small (like 2'x2'), you could use stone and still lean into it, assuming there's a good, safe way to attach it. I'm not sure about longer hardware. It's a few inches deep when folded, so if you're at a doorway or something you'd lose a little cabinet space with a flip up.

Another possibility is a pullout. You can have something like a pull out cutting board that slides from right under your counter top. It cuts a little into the storage space, but used to be a standard feature and is easy to make. It's just that this would pull sideways rather than to the front, and would be a bit narrower, because there will need to be a support for the end of the counter at the end there.

Wow, from the picture it looked like granite. Where the heck did you stumble across that material? It's great.

As an aside, in your final kitchen reveal thread, I felt I already had glimpsed the most gobsmacking parts of the kitchen. What really bowled me over was your meticulous picture labeling.

plllog,

Was it a DYI project?

I need an extenstion but don't know where to start. Do you mind giving me some directions where to get this hardware and the board?

Thanks!

P.S. Everyone is talking about your kitchen but I couldn't find the thread. I'd appreciate the link as well.

Actually, that was a question for everyone who had/has folding extensions.

Where did you get your brackets and what brand?

TX!!!

Bump?

We had a table installed in a cupboard in our kitchen. When closed, it is flush with the other cabinets. The table pulls out to any of three lengths, up to about 5 feet long. I have used it as a table, as extra counter space or an island (guess it would be a peninsula). There is a very usable cupboard between the table legs, so we didn't give up much cupboard space. I would imagine that something like that could be installed at the end of your countertop. One downside is that the table top is a few inches lower than the countertop. But I love it and wouldn't part with it! It is a pricier option than the drop down solutions, but it provides a lot of space and is completely hidden when you don't need it.

LOL!! Marcolo, the labelling was an attempt to force me to be brief. :) It's easy to do. :)

The sunflower seed husk board is something they have at the sustainable finishes store. Specifically epOxyGreen in Venice. It's made from the husks (the things the seeds/shells fit in) and a resin binder. It's not appropriate for a very wet area, and it's expensive, but it looks awesome, is warm to the touch, and is excellent for the table and the counter in the butler's pantry.

Eleena, the whole kitchen, including the table, was done by my cabinetmaker, but the table itself could be done by anybody who knows how to use basic tools. I'd guess the hardest part would be positioning the brackets to get a true level, but laser levels are pretty cheap nowadays and would make that task simple. Like standard brackets, these attach with screws. You can find them at good hardware stores as well as RV/Marine supply stores.

For the board, you can use anything you want. You could use a slab cabinet panel with trim for the edges, plywood, a maple cutting board, fiberboard with Formica, etc.

repac, can you show us any pictures? That sounds very intriguing!

Thanks, plllog!

The sunflower seed husk may be too "busy" for my kitchen, I think, but I searched for sunflower seed husk board and found some other "green" materials that may work, like Richlite.

It just had never occured to me to look for a "green" one - till seeing yours.

So, thanks again!

Ooh, I saw this thread a few days ago and meant to post, but forgot. I have exactly what kashmi has but in my garage. I use it for a table top I bought at Ikea and it serves as my work bench. You can set it at three different angles, so I can set it as an impromptu drafting table if necessary. I'm thinking of using the smaller versions in my mud room for a foldable bench for sitting on to put on shoes.

Here is a link that might be useful: KV Folding L Bracket

Not a folding extension but a pull out one.... found this on a blog curtesy of BHG. I think it's pretty cool!

I have an extension cabinet like that but sadly the extensions were broken in a vigorous game of spoons,lol.

^ brilliant!