DIY Kitchen Island Ideas

The kitchen island is the Swiss Army knife of the room. It can offer a sizable chunk of storage, a food preparation surface, a dining spot — or all of the above. Check out these ideas for DIY-able islands that can often be made without costing a fortune.

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November 18, 2021

By: Carrie Hamblin

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Build It In

The purchased built-in kitchen island is many things — beautiful, functional, expensive — but (lucky for us) it is not a mystery. A built-in island is frequently a simple combination of cabinetry and countertop, with table legs if it incorporates seating. Recognizing the components of the islands you love at the showroom empowers you to create your own for a smaller price tag than a commercial purchase. Consider using base kitchen cabinets for your island and adding a solid stone or wood countertop. If your island is small, you may be able to find a granite or marble remnant for little money.

Try it: Kitchen Island Installation

Make It Mobile

You don't have to start from scratch with your DIY island. A favorite HGTV activity is customizing an inexpensive purchase to give it the perfect look and ultimate purpose. Here, a store-bought kitchen cart was transformed with a coat of paint, new hardware and a towel rack that was fashioned from an old rolling pin.

Get the How-To: How to Trick-Out a Rolling Kitchen Cart

Make It Multipurpose

The best small-space furniture does double or triple-duty without adding visual clutter. The stainless and wood drop-leaf island in this LA kitchen has much to offer without interrupting the flow. Digital hosts Alexandra and Dani of Buy or DIY take it one step further when they compete for a client with a small budget and smaller condo, resulting in a mobile storage island that transforms into a dining table.

Try it: Space Saver: DIY Folding Kitchen Island

Consider Your Passions

With all we ask of a kitchen, disorganization can feel like an inevitability. Not so: A custom kitchen island is your opportunity to stay organized with an activity zone. Recognizing which aspect of your kitchen life would most appreciate the island accommodation is the first step. This DIY rolling kitchen island was made for bakers, incorporating storage for cookbooks, a stand mixer, baking pans and mixing bowls. These plans are perfect for the flour-spattered, but simple modifications to the shelf sizes and locations will accommodate barware, a coffee station — whatever your heart desires and passion requires.

Get the How-To: How to Build a DIY Kitchen Island on Wheels

Use Salvaged Items

When the Home Town folks tackled the 1955 bungalow of a big-city family relocating to a small town, Erin and Ben made use of what the existing space had to offer. Ben used the old midcentury knotty pine paneling of the kitchen walls as cladding for the base of the new kitchen island, unrecognizable in a glorious white. By repurposing materials from other home projects, you may have everything you need for your DIY island.

Find More Ideas: 18 Upcycling Projects We Love From 'Home Town'

Upcycle a Table

Before you throw out that old side table or cabinet for its dated look, think about what you're ditching: a solid piece of furniture with a narrow aspect, adequate height and useful storage.

HGTV Magazine shows us how to take a thrifted console table and give it new life as a cheery kitchen workstation at minimal cost.

From: HGTV Magazine

Go Natural

Kitchen islands are the perfect size to make use of premium natural materials in an affordable way. Slabs of granite, marble and certain wood species are far less costly in remnant form. And if you're flexible in your measurements you can really come out on top. Nicole Curtis of Rehab Addict used a gorgeous live-edge table as an island for the reimagined kitchen in her 1913 Tudor. Casters add several inches to the height and allow for it to be rolled out of the way. If size is an issue in your kitchen, check out stylish and space-maximizing solutions from our favorite designers.

Get inspired: 75+ Small Kitchen Ideas With Big Style

Don't be Afraid of Color

You know we love to repurpose here at HGTV, so when we come across old cabinetry, we see a free island base. New hardware and a fresh coat of paint is — well — transformational. The important part of DIYing a previously loved cabinet is to treat it like the special creature it is. Start with a deep-clean: We recommend a solution of one part trisodium phosphate to four parts water. Then proceed to prepping and painting using material-appropriate primer and paint. Most cabinet finishes are paintable but they require special treatment for good coverage. The same rules apply if you're dolling-up a store-bought cabinet.

Try it: How to Refinish Kitchen Cabinets Like a Pro

From: Lori Paranjape

Plan Your Storage Right

If storage is what your kitchen is lacking, adding a kitchen island offers a nice chunk of space. And the right storage solutions will maximize the addition. A well-planned island has specifically sized drawers, shelves and containers. So, when you're planning your island, it's helpful to make a list of what you intend to store in it and take measurements. We have some clever kitchen storage solutions for you to incorporate.

Learn more: 17 Smart Kitchen Storage Ideas You'll Want to Try ASAP

From: Zoe Feldman Design

Don't be Restricted by Space

We're often told that small spaces require us to think outside the box, but a mobile island can allow us to return to thinking within the box if we plan accordingly. This clever rolling island stashes beneath the counter, maintaining its use as a storage shelf and functioning as a pull-out prep center. Just because your kitchen is small doesn't mean you have to miss out on island living. We have loads of ideas for kitchen islands that work well in compact quarters.

Get inspired: 34 Small Kitchen Island Ideas

From: Urbane Design

Make an Island for the Outdoors

There's no reason that outdoor kitchens should miss out on the island experience. In fact, these much-enjoyed secondary spaces are more likely to be short on space. But we have specific needs for pieces living outdoors, and our island is no exception. (If you've ever had your favorite boho hammock appropriated by Mother Nature, you know that she takes what she wants.) This snazzy and functional outdoor island is made on the cheap, using the weather-friendly materials of stainless steel and a decoupaged shower curtain.

Try it: How to Turn a Stainless Steel Cart Into an Outdoor Kitchen Island

Consider a Wood Worktop

Though wood countertops throughout the kitchen may be too large of a maintenance commitment for some, an island is a perfect way to integrate this beautiful and useful material into your space. You can buy small slabs of a multitude of species or reclaimed wood from other home-improvement endeavors, like discarded tables or doors.

Try it: Butcher-Block Kitchen Island

Know Your Limits

A DIY island doesn't require DIYing every single aspect of the project, and sometimes it's wise not to. If you're contemplating using a stone slab countertop and the design requires cutouts or specialty edges, let professional fabricators handle the top and focus your talents instead on doing a bang-up job on the base construction. For this outdoor kitchen island, the base was constructed on-site with reclaimed pine wood, but the solid stone tops were cut and installed by the pros.

Try it: How to Build a Grilling Island

Customize It

We all have different requirements for our kitchens. Some of us are bakers and others microwavers. Some need laptop space within arm's reach of the coffee station and others like to crowdsource cooking techniques. Ask yourself: What conveniences do I want from the island? Electrical outlets for technology? Seating for friends? A DIY island is made by you so make it for you. Even if you aren't starting from scratch, you should never hesitate to modify. Designer Brian Patrick Flynn shows us several chic customizations we can make to a store-bought island that will upgrade its style and its use.

Get inspired: 10 Ways to Customize Your Kitchen Island

Standing Out

The perfect kitchen island doesn't have to look like the rest of the kitchen. When you're contemplating your DIY island, consider how you can integrate a unique piece into your space. The designer of this historic West Coast home worked the kitchen design around the client's existing desk-style island, tying the kitchen together through the hardware color and wood accents.

Get inspired: Top 45 Kitchen Design Trends

Keep Sightlines Open

If you're working in a small space, you don't want to sacrifice visual appeal for practical needs. The designer of this gorgeous kitchen used an open shelf in corresponding colors for the kitchen island. The homeowners get attractive storage and a much-needed prep surface without a bulky island interrupting the flow.

Get inspired: 30 Ways to Maximize Space in a Small Kitchen

From: Jenn Feldman Designs

Upcylce an Antique

Remember, any piece of furniture that is the correct size for your space can have a second life as a kitchen island. Case in point: Architect Jeff Troyer found this antique lab table that works beautifully in his clients' new kitchen. The most important measurement of an antique-cum-island in terms of function is the height. Shorter pieces can be scaled up using casters, bun feet or with the addition of a thick countertop.

Get Inspired: 100 Beautiful Kitchen Island Inspiration Ideas

Include a Spot for Artwork

We all have different kitchen needs and sometimes they aren't even food-related. For those who often find themselves with a young assistant in the kitchen, we love this island cart that's been customized into a mobile art center. With a chalkboard easel, gallery wall, art paper dispenser and tons of relevant storage for all the paints and brushes — this art cart has everything your little Van Gogh requires. And for you? Well, paying attention to that Food Network how-to just got a lot easier.

Try it: Turn a Kitchen Cart Into a Mobile Toy Closet

Plan Wisely

In planning your kitchen island, you can allow your requirements to inform how much you DIY. Will the island be free-standing or built-in? What do you want it to provide: a prep space, specialized storage, an eat-in location or a utility spot for a kitchen fixture? If your island is going to be stationary, you likely want to light it. A bar sink requires plumbing, and a wine fridge needs electricity. How big can the island be? Standard distance from counter to island is 42 inches at minimum, but that's too narrow for two people to work back-to-back and for those using wheelchairs or walkers. Plan the space around your family and how you use your kitchen. Our favorite kitchen designers provide a wealth of inspiration.

Learn More: Read This Before You Remodel Your Kitchen