I used a free standing cabinet I found for under $100 at a thrift store.
You can use a desk, dresser (remove the mirror), any piece that will fit in your space. You can add tile to the top or change to counter top materials. Paint or stain to go with existing kitchen.
Either sit a longer worktop on top of a base cabinet, or place small cabinet at each end and have the space in between (allowing for a Bar with stalls). Good luck - not difficult if you know what you want to achieve!
Using a 29” high desk or dresser will give you a work surface that’s ~30” high.
If you’re going to sit down and not stand to work on the island, then this works.
If you’re going to stand up, then
This means you’ll need to add 6” in the form of blocks or 2x6’s (which are 5.5” high) on top of the furniture and under the new top.
This could a good place to store platters, cookie sheets, and other large shallow things.
If you buy 36” “uppers” kitchen cabinets, then they’ll be about 12” deep, which will be “tippy” if the top overhangs more than 6”.
Unless you buy two, rotate them 90 degrees & spread them apart a couple of feet - and then connect them with 2x4’s flat-studded and extending out the sub-straight for a bigger top.
SO many choices. Start from scratch and use cabinet grade plywood. Add a butcher block top or make your own. Use and old dresser and add a top. Use kitchen cabinets you get from a second hand store and add a top. Use two book cases back to back for underneath storage and add a top.
My small kitchen doesn't exactly feel like the heart of the home. There is a smallish bay window area adjacent to kitchen and the table tends to make walkway cluttere...
See more
Hello, I live in an affordable housing. My kitchen is a good size kitchen but storage is a HUGE issue. The gas pipe is outside of the wall, right behind the stove and...
See more
Our kitchen island cabinets smell and this is a new build. The island has our sink and dishwasher and started to smell a few weeks after moving in. It’s almost like...
See more
I have a relatively small kitchen........I think it is about 12x14. There is no natural light and I hate that. I want to add an island and place something like this f...
See more
Here's a link with plans for 15 different islands:
https://www.thespruce.com/free-kitchen-island-plans-1357128
Here's one for you Dawn!
https://www.hometalk.com/diy/paint/furniture/diy-kitchen-island-with-stock-cabinets-43408010
DIY Kitchen Island With Stock Cabinets
I used a free standing cabinet I found for under $100 at a thrift store.
You can use a desk, dresser (remove the mirror), any piece that will fit in your space. You can add tile to the top or change to counter top materials. Paint or stain to go with existing kitchen.
Hi Dawn,
Here's a whole bunch of them from the Pinterest folks:
https://www.pinterest.com/kitchenideas/kitchen-islands/
https://familyfocusblog.com/make-kitchen-island-old-coffee-table/
Hi Dawn,
Either sit a longer worktop on top of a base cabinet, or place small cabinet at each end and have the space in between (allowing for a Bar with stalls). Good luck - not difficult if you know what you want to achieve!
Using a 29” high desk or dresser will give you a work surface that’s ~30” high.
If you’re going to sit down and not stand to work on the island, then this works.
If you’re going to stand up, then
This means you’ll need to add 6” in the form of blocks or 2x6’s (which are 5.5” high) on top of the furniture and under the new top.
This could a good place to store platters, cookie sheets, and other large shallow things.
If you buy 36” “uppers” kitchen cabinets, then they’ll be about 12” deep, which will be “tippy” if the top overhangs more than 6”.
Unless you buy two, rotate them 90 degrees & spread them apart a couple of feet - and then connect them with 2x4’s flat-studded and extending out the sub-straight for a bigger top.
All kinds of ideas
https://www.hometalk.com/search/posts?filter=kitchen%20island
Any rectangular or square cabinet, desk, etc. can be made into one. Or you can build one from scratch. I did mine out of an old desk.
https://www.hometalk.com/diy/build/furniture/a-desk-upcycle-into-a-small-island-cart-part-2-37590291?expand_all_questions=1
A Desk Upcycle Into a Small Island/cart Part 2
Some clever ideas here:
https://www.familyhandyman.com/kitchen/the-12-best-diy-kitchen-islands/
Hi Dawn, we converted a fishing tackle box and small office cupboard into a kitchen island - https://acraftymix.com/blog/from-fishing-tackle-box-to-kitchen-island/-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf0XYxcG03g this has a great video
You can take a look through all of these exciting kitchen island ideas
SO many choices. Start from scratch and use cabinet grade plywood. Add a butcher block top or make your own. Use and old dresser and add a top. Use kitchen cabinets you get from a second hand store and add a top. Use two book cases back to back for underneath storage and add a top.
You can buy unfinished cabinets, secure them together and buy a countertop to put on top.