Picture this: you’re standing in your kitchen, imagining the delicious meals you could create if only you had the perfect kitchen island!
You might have been scrolling through Instagram and Pinterest, drooling over sleek granite countertops and cleverly hidden storage, when suddenly it hits you – ”I could totally make that!”
After all, how hard can it be? It’s just a flat surface with some legs! Spoiler alert: not quite.
Fear not! This is your moment to shine, wielding a power drill like a seasoned pro (or at least someone who knows which end is the business end).
But apart from the heavy-duty stuff, we’ll be showing you how you can easily repurpose other furniture to create your own unique kitchen island!
So grab your tools, channel your inner designer, and let’s transform your kitchen from basic to ”I did that myself!”
1. IKEA To the Rescue
If you’re looking to build a budget-friendly kitchen island, turn to IKEA! There are plenty of great open display cabinets that can be nailed together!
Top those off with a countertop of your choice and you can even do the sides to create a waterfall worktop like in the picture!
2. Farmhouse Style Kitchen Island
Instead of looking to recreate those big islands that realistically, can’t even fit in your kitchen, opt for a small farmhouse-style island!
There are plenty of tiny tables at thrift stores and yard sales that are being sold for cheap! Give it some love and a new coat of paint and you’re all set!
3. Mini Industrial Kitchen Island
This small industrial kitchen island is fairly easy to DIY! Scrounge up some metal bins and secure them together! Glue would be the easiest, yet the most unreliable option!
On top of that, either get a very large cutting board or a piece of wood found at your local Home Depot or hardware store and secure it to the top bin!
4. Repurposed TV Console
In this article, we’ll be talking about many repurposed furniture items and the first one on the list is an old TV console! Sand it down nicely and give it a fresh coat of stain or paint!
When you’re done with sanding and painting, get a nice worktop that matches the rest of your kitchen! Wheels are optional, but if you’d like it to be easily moved, wheels are a welcome addition!
5. Narrow Island
Most apartments and even homes nowadays don’t really have that much space in the kitchen, so any additional surface is welcome! A narrow table in the role of an island can be a game changer!
With such a small change you get additional workspace and dining space! These are usually tables that go in hallways, but with some imagination, it can be whatever you want it to be!
6. Pallet Kitchen Island
Now for this one, you might need to roll up your sleeves a little bit, because there will be lots of nailing, cutting, and drilling! Pallets are very versatile and can be used in so many different ways!
Assemble 3 or 4 pallets together (depending on how large you want your island to be) and drill them together! The only additional material you’ll need is a countertop of your choosing!
7. Repurposed Vintage Dresser
Another budget-friendly repurposed piece of furniture! Dressers are actually amazing as kitchen islands since they already have built-in storage and a nice worktop!
It’s up to you if you’d like to give it some love and attention, but if it’s in good shape from the get-go you can just give it a nice clean and you’re good to go!
8. Repurposed Workbench
This is another piece of furniture that would be great in the role of a kitchen island! A workbench can be versatile, it can serve as a desk, a table, and obviously, a kitchen island.
Make sure to give it a good scrub and some love, because workbenches tend to be pretty worn down! We’d suggest changing the worktop as well, but if you like a worn look, keep it!
9. Shop Display Counter
A vintage shop display counter is the perfect island! It has a nice flat surface and plenty of storage space! Again, it might need some love and sanding down, but once you finish that, you’re in for a treat!
10. Easy DIY Kitchen Island
If storage isn’t your main priority, it’s fairly easy to DIY a kitchen island. All of the materials can be found at your local hardware store!
Pick out four pieces of wood, measured to your space and preference, secure them together to form a sort of open box, and voilà, you have a simple elegant island you can use for dining and prepping food!
11. Adding Storage
This kitchen island has been made out of painted pallets and it looks stunning! But unlike the other pallet island we mentioned, this one has additional storage!
Pallets are easy to use, but they offer limited storage space! Luckily shelves are easily added to the sides of this kitchen island and they can be used for storing plates, magazines, and spices!
12. Double Dresser
If you’re lucky and you have plenty of space in your kitchen, but you don’t want to spend loads of money on a custom-made kitchen island, securing two or even three dressers is the best way to go!
The only thing you will need is a custom countertop that will make the dressers look seamless!