My Very Own Island!

Before I can put up the exterior walls, I need to pass inspections for framing, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical.  The rules say that I need to have outlets on the kitchen island, so I need to install the kitchen island a bit earlier than the rest of the kitchen. 

First up, I framed a base for the island using pressure treated lumber.  This gives me a point of attachment for the island cabinets and makes sure the cabinets will be at the right height after my future radiant flooring project.  I attached the lumber to the concrete using explosion-driven nails - probably the closest I'll ever come to owning a shotgun, and it was surprisingly cheap.

Getting the sink base installed over the DWV pipe involved cutting out a section of the pipe, installing the cabinet, and then replacing the cut-out section with a new piece of pipe, some pipe joints, and ABS cement.

Another tricky area is the post that will rise out of the island.  In order to fit, the back of that cabinet needed to be mutilated, both to leave room for the post and to provide access to the electrical junction box.  No worries - it won't show in the finished product.

This part of the project also brought with it a minor milestone - my very first installed appliance.  The dishwasher is now conveniently located in arm's reach of the sink.  A quick test demonstrates that the dishwasher is in good working order and fairly quiet.  Here you can see the island cabinets installed.  I'll unwrap the dishwasher later, once I'm less likely to damage the finish.

The next step was to wire the island.  I don't anticipate ever using this outlet, but it is much easier to just do things to code than to argue with the inspector.  Some other outlets on the island will power the dishwasher and disposal.

With the cabinets in place, I was able to identify the proper spots for the pendant lights that will provide illumination for the island.