Some parts of this kitchen remodel aren’t as thrilling as tearing down a wall, but they’re necessary. We wanted to complete a few small tasks before the countertop fabricator came to template the new surfaces so everything would be measured accurately.
First on the list: filling the gaps beside the stove.
The base cabinet we removed was 36″ wide, while the stove is roughly 30″, leaving just under 3″ of empty space on each side. Since you can’t fit much into a two-and-three-quarter-inch gap—most pull-out solutions start around 3″—we decided to install simple filler boards. We considered shifting the stove to one side and installing a wider pull-out, but that would have left the hood off-center and required enlarging the ceiling opening, which would have created unnecessary complications. Thin slide-out drawers also wouldn’t have matched our cabinet doors, so a basic filler was the practical, cost-effective choice. We also wanted the penny-tile backsplash and items on our floating shelves to be the visual focus, so plain filler pieces worked best.
I picked up some pine project boards and cut them to size, then used a Kreg jig to drill pilot holes and screwed them into place carefully.
We added filler pieces at the front to visually close the gap and one at the back in case the countertop installer needed additional support. Each side ended up with three separate filler pieces—two would probably have sufficed, but the extra board cost very little (about $11 total for this project), making it a straightforward solution compared to an expensive pull-out option.
After installing the initial boards we noticed a small remaining gap of just over 1/4″. To tighten the fit I returned to the store and bought a 3/8″ project board to act as a final sliver of filler. I nailed those in place, keeping them flush with the front filler for a cohesive look. I didn’t extend these thin pieces all the way to the back since they were purely aesthetic.
Once the stove slid back into place the fit was much better. It was snug but still easy to remove when needed. After we demo the tile behind the stove the unit will push back a bit more for a more flush appearance, and adding a continuous toe kick across the base of the cabinets will finish the bottom edge neatly.
With the stove gap addressed, our next task was on the peninsula. We didn’t want the template to confuse the countertop fabricator into thinking we wanted an angled corner, so we attached a flat plywood panel along the back of the peninsula to square it off. I had already secured a small corner block to anchor the panel against the half wall; it’s just two scrap boards screwed together at a 90-degree angle and fastened to the wall so the panel’s edge would be flush with the cabinet backs.
The plywood I used was a thin piece of utility plywood I bought earlier for another project. It cost around $9 and was cut to size at the store; I trimmed a 3″ overhang with a jigsaw when we switched to a slightly narrower end cabinet. I nailed the panel into place, which gave the peninsula a clean, flat back and made the countertop templating straightforward. The countertop will overhang the peninsula by about 12″ on two sides to accommodate four stools.
It’s not glamorous at this stage—eventually we’ll add baseboards, corner trim, and possibly a three-panel board-and-batten detail, and then paint the panel to match the cabinets. For now, the panel achieves its purpose: it squares off the peninsula so the templater knows we want a straight, rectangular edge.
While we were at it we did some paint touch-ups on trim, drywall, and leftover paneling from the pantry/fridge shuffle and wall opening. These weren’t required for the templating, but painting small exposed edges makes the unfinished kitchen feel a lot more composed. We painted the inside edge of the half wall a soft gray to coordinate with the dining room and to sit more naturally next to the drywall on the side of the half wall—this subtle gray almost reads white next to the door jamb, making it a good transitional color.
There’s still plenty to paint—especially the cabinet faces, which we’ll wait on until after the counters are installed to avoid dings—but the minor updates have noticeably improved the space. We also used a leftover piece of paneling as a temporary threshold to bridge the gap left by the removed wall; it will later be covered with cork and a small finished threshold to meet the original hardwood flooring.
We took many photos of these small wins—about thirty, in fact—because the new doorway and the progress make us giddy every time we walk into the kitchen. Small steps like filling gaps around the stove, nailing the peninsula panel, and doing paint touch-ups add up and help the whole room look more finished even before the big pieces are installed.
What small updates have you tackled around your home recently? Any last-minute tasks you’re trying to finish before the weekend or the holidays?
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