When you walk into Jim Greenbaum’s house in Manhattan, MT, his personality bleeds through every corner. From the surfboard hanging on the living room wall to the electric guitar, microphone, and amp in the corner, everything is uniquely his style. “I think a home should smell like coffee and home cooking when you walk in,” Jim tells Latest News. “It makes people feel more at home.”
The house is Jim’s own design built in 2005. Acting as the general contractor, he and a crew added every detail — from the large picture windows in the living room to the light, airy kitchen. Since then, Jim has been adding personal details as time goes on. Most recently, he began experimenting with galvanized corrugated metal to create a unique and durable kitchen island and accent below his living room windows.
“Recently, a friend of mine was getting his materials for a metal roofing and siding project. I went with him and when I walked inside the showroom I was so impressed with all the applications of the different corrugated metal materials,” explains Jim.
“I thought to myself, ‘I’d love to do something in my house and create a textured look with the corrugated metal. I’ve got the wood, I’ve got the granite, but I don’t have the metal look,’” he recalls.
While Jim has plenty of construction experience, he had never worked with corrugated metal before. To begin the DIY project, he first built out the sides of the kitchen bar with plywood and added granite and tile pieces to frame the metal. The area was originally sheet rocked, which he ripped out so he could attach the pieces with the fasteners instead of searching for studs. “It was a lot more work, but it was worthwhile to build out and start fresh,” explains Jim.
To replace the sheet rock, he chose Galvanized Corrugated Metal with a contrasting black metal trim. “I like the art deco aspect and the light gauge,” he says. Since this was his first project with corrugated metal, he decided to use the lightest gauge available to make it easier to cut and bend around the corners.
Even with the lighter gauge, Jim still came across challenges with his first project, including bending the metal corners around the radiator panel at the bottom of the bar. This encouraged him to come up with creative solutions like the striking band of black metal in the center. “It was difficult for me, having no experience with corrugated metal. I added the black trim down the middle to split things up and make it easier,” he says.
Jim’s choice of the bright and reflective galvanized corrugated metal paired with the rich black trim creates a stunning focal point with clean lines that play off the ample light in the kitchen. He is pleased with the results of his corrugated kitchen bar.
“The metal work fits in extremely well with the design of the house,” he says. “I have a lot of people say ‘Wow, I love what you’re doing. I never would have thought metal could be used for interior.’” Jim used the left over corrugated metal as accents under his living room windows and plans to tie it into other areas of the house.
One area he is keen to tackle is behind his wood stove, perhaps this time moving up to a heavier gauge metal and a wider corrugation now that he’s got some experience under his belt. “Metal fits in with any decoration,” says Jim. “I wish I had known about it earlier. I would have planned things differently and used metal from the start.”
