By David Stenhouse, Data Mutz

I enjoy sitting at the kitchen counter, sipping a cup of coffee, and working on a laptop all at the same time. However, sitting at a kitchen island or peninsula can be uncomfortable without the proper amount of countertop overhang.

I have long legs. Without a nice long countertop overhang, my knees will strike the structure underneath, requiring me to hunch over the counter. This not only promotes bad posture but also limits the amount of time sitting at the spot due to growing discomfort.

Remodeling my kitchen was quite a task but because I had the ability to build my own custom peninsula, I wanted plenty of room underneath for my legs. I also did not want to see the overhang supports from the sides. While tastes vary, my wife and I enjoy a sleek look of just a countertop overhang with no visible supports or decorative corbels. Research told me the farthest a piece of quartz should overhang without support to be no more than 14 inches. Because I am careful and my peninsula was not going to be very wide, I wanted good supports for the overhang. I wanted a 15-inch clearance at least, so I searched for quartz island supports and found the Original Granite Bracket website. The company has numerous solutions for structure supports, but I focused on the Hidden Island Support Bracket. This would be perfect for the peninsula I was creating from two cabinets trimmed out to look like a single peninsula. I placed my order for three supports.

The old peninsula left a lot to be desired and provided 12 inches of overhang. This was just short of what I needed.

Old Peninsula Out | New Peninsula Built

Mounting two standard kitchen cabinets together on a fresh sheet of plywood and leveling, I provided some thickness to the overall width by adding a backing low-grade 1x4 pine. I sheeted the structure with 1/4” sanded plywood to give it a solid single-piece look, trimming it out with 1x4 quality pine for a Shaker design. It all came together to look like one piece:

Brackets Shipment Arrives

I received the shipment via UPS and unfortunately, the box was a bit beat up. The brackets are heavy and it looked as if the box was dropped in shipment—hard enough for the brackets to be slightly bent on the ends where they are attached to the cabinet structure. I contacted The Original Granite Bracket support email address and promptly received a reply (within an hour). Sometimes things happen where a box is dropped too hard and the flange on the brackets gets a bit bent. I was worried that if I tried to straighten the flange on each bracket, I may break it off. No worries, I was told and was given instructions on how to deal with this issue. I rested each end on a concrete surface and lightly tapped each flange until straight.

The brackets are easy to mount and come with simple instructions. The Original Granite Bracket website provides how-to videos and PDF downloads if needed. To be forewarned, mounting of the brackets does require notching of the cabinets on the overhang side. These cuts are permanent. The brackets rest within the notches and are secured to the opposite side with provided screws (make sure you use the proper length screws).

I caulked the joints in the trim, filled in the nail holes, and applied two coats of fresh paint matching the cabinet face (the below photo looks to be between coats). Level, flush, and ready for the quartz installers:

The quartz installers were impressed by the brackets and asked me where I had purchased them. They told me the quartz went on smoothly. The end product turned out great:

Below is a shot from underneath showing the brackets resting in the notches and supporting the top. The brackets’ discrete design provide great support while not revealing themselves when viewing the peninsula from the side:

With the brackets tucked up under the quartz countertop, this allows your knees to swing to the side without hitting any supports. I love the 15-inch overhang where I can scoot my chair up as far as needed. This allows for proper posture while working and enjoying a nice cup of coffee.

Final Thoughts

The Hidden Island Support Brackets are pricey but well worth it. As we were spending a good amount of funds for quartz countertops, the added expense of the brackets put a nice finish on the peninsula, making the countertop look even better. It is wonderful to sit at a counter with an adequate overhang.

Quoted in Computerworld, Laptop Magazine, Businessweek, and numerous other print and online news outlets, David Stenhouse brings years of computer forensics experience working with law firms and corporate clients amid civil litigation. He is currently President of DS Forensics, Inc.

A former Special Agent in the U. S. Secret Service and Trooper with the Washington State Patrol, he is now so blessed to spend each day running a business with his best friend—high school sweetheart and wife, Shay.

Follow Data Mutz on Twitter @datamutz.