Table of Contents
*This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Image source: pixabay
Let’s take a look at 12 DIY kitchen island ideas that will make your friends wish they had your kitchen.
How enviable is your kitchen?
You may have grown up fantasizing about your dream kitchen. What does your current kitchen look like compared to those fantasies?
You may have thrown in the towel a long time ago, resigned to the fact that those dreams couldn’t come true. The budget may have gone through the roof, and you realized that your dream kitchen just wasn’t in the price range.
Why can’t you do it yourself? While paying builders to come in and renovate your kitchen can quickly add up, you can save a lot of money doing it yourself.
DIY kitchen projects are fun, rewarding – and they can revive those old dreams you had.
1.DIY Kitchen Island: Bookshelves
[amazon fields=”B00E3V4B5C” value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center”][amazon fields=”B00E3V4B5C” value=”button”]
If you’re an avid reader, you’re going to love our first pick for the best DIY kitchen island ideas. Not only can you use this kitchen island for food prep, but you can also store all of your favorite recipe books in it, too.Plus, there’s a place for your kids to put up their homework when they’re done with it for the night. If your kitchen is a bit short on storage, you’ll love this DIY kitchen island bookshelf idea.It’s not limited to books, either. You can store whatever you need to underneath the benchtop.
2.DIY Kitchen Island: Scrap Wood
This next DIY kitchen island idea is perfect for someone who is on a tight budget and doesn’t have much wriggle room. There are plenty of places that will sell you bits of good quality scrap wood for a fraction of how much they would cost new.
Once you’ve collected all your 2×4’s, simply recruit the hubby to do some handy DIY construction. The 2×4’s is a great place to store essential kitchen items, and you can even include some faux drawers in the mix if you like that kind of aesthetic.
3.DIY Kitchen Island: Dresser
[amazon fields=”B07DMGM9T6″ value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center”][amazon fields=”B07DMGM9T6″ value=”button”]
The kids have grown up, and you suddenly find yourself with a number of pieces of different furniture that they don’t want anymore. There may even be a beautiful antique dresser in the mix that’s been handed down through the generations.
Don’t know what to do with it? Turn it into a DIY kitchen island. You can paint it a different color depending on the décor of your kitchen. You can also add some rolling wheels onto the bottom, making it mobile if in case you need to move it.
All you have to do is look online for a cheap benchtop, secure it on there and you’re away.
4.DIY Kitchen Island: Barn Or Pallet Wood
Maybe you want to be reminded of a farm kitchen when you look at your DIY kitchen island. There’s nothing to say you can’t get creative with the type of wood you make to construct it.
Both barn and pallet wood are perfectly acceptable when it comes to making your very own DIY kitchen island. The great thing about these materials is that they’re cheap, too – or even free, if you know where to look.
We recommend adding a towel rail on one side for your dishcloth.
5.DIY Kitchen Island: Storage
The great thing about making your own DIY kitchen island is that you can add as much storage to it as you like. In fact, many people end up making their own kitchen island for this very purpose.
Whether you like the drawer look or prefer to see everything you keep down there, you’ll find a style to suit your kitchen with your DIY island. We also recommend letting the benchtop overhang a bit, so that you can add some barstools to the look further down the line.
6.DIY Kitchen Island: Upgrade
Image source: pixabay
You may already have an island in your kitchen, but you’re not happy with how it looks. Instead of taking it out of your kitchen entirely, why not try sprucing it up a bit and altering its look?
If your island is made out of wood, you can paint if virtually any color you please. Another practical upgrade you can make to an existing kitchen island is to add on some trim pieces to the edges. This can extend the benchtop surface out as an overhang, allowing for the inclusion of stools.
7.DIY Kitchen Island: Cart
[amazon fields=”B07HJ27HHW” value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center”][amazon fields=”B07HJ27HHW” value=”button”]
Our next DIY kitchen island is taking things outside of the box and exploring different ways of having the island altogether. Who says it has to be made out of wood and be square?
Why not try using an old cart and repurpose it as your DIY kitchen island? It’s a great wayto recycle what could be a vintage piece. The best thing about picking up something like this is that you can either leave it to look rustic, or you can refinish it and give it a polish.
Turn your kitchen into rustic chic with a repurposed cart.
8.DIY Kitchen Island: Multipurpose
Image source: pixabay
You may be someone who loves ergonomics. This next DIY kitchen island is for you. If you make the design simple enough, you’ll be able to find other uses for it. We recommend making this DIY island out of scrap wood and a few screws.
The end result is an effortlessly simple kitchen island that can be used for other purposes, too. If you build it on wheels, you can even move it around the house for different jobs, including working at your computer and storing the laundry before you iron it.
9.DIY Kitchen Island: Pallet Wood
Image source: pixabay
We’ve briefly mentioned the practicality of pallet wood when building your very own DIY kitchen island. If you’re a big fan of pallet wood, we recommend going crazy over it and putting some time into constructing a serious DIY kitchen island.
Pallet wood can be painted any color you desire, so it can comfortably fit into the aesthetics of your kitchen. What’s more, you can add other features onto pallet wood easily, including door handles and a towel rail on the side, where you can hang kitchen utensils from if you wish.
10.DIY Kitchen Island: Sofa Table
[amazon fields=”B01JOBGBK8″ value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center”][amazon fields=”B01JOBGBK8″ value=”button”]
We’re huge fans of taking an old piece of furniture and reinventing it. You may have not even considered using your old sofa table for your DIY kitchen island – it’s too short, forstarters, isn’t it?
The beauty of DIY and reconstruction is that you can easily alter the height of furniture like a sofa table. Simple find wood of a similar style and repaint it to suit. Then, using screws, nails, and glue, attach your new sofa legs to the rest of the table.
All of a sudden, you’ve got your DIY kitchen island, all thanks to that sofa table you were going to throw out.
11.DIY Kitchen Island: Double Door
[amazon fields=”B077FBTTYC” value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center”][amazon fields=”B077FBTTYC” value=”button”]
Ever gone underneath the house and found an old door that used to belong in your home somewhere? You may still have one of these lying around. Instead of taking it to the dump in your next spring clean, why not sand and repaint it to serve as the benchtop to your DIY kitchen island?
For the rest of your island, you’ll need a few 2×4’s that can support your door. You can even go crazy and get some engraving on your door – it will look great underneath the tempered glass.
12.DIY Kitchen Island: Custom Built-Ins
[amazon fields=”B07H142HSL” value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center”][amazon fields=”B07H142HSL” value=”button”]
If you’re the head of practicality in your household, you may be scouting for a DIY kitchen island that will fit around the rest of your kitchen. This means that you can store your microwave or dishwasher easily into the spacious storage your DIY island provides.
When you make it more about your existing kitchen and what it needs, you can create a beautiful, practical DIY kitchen island that serves a greater purpose than just looking good.
You can even include cubby holes beside or beneath your appliances for their accessories. There’s no limit to what you can achieve when you embark on building your very own kitchen island.
Looking At 12 DIY Kitchen Island Ideas To Make Your Friends Envious
Who said you need to spend thousands of dollars upgrading your kitchen?
Your kitchen may need work, but it’s not in the budget. You may have always wanted a kitchen island, but never thought you could afford it.
With DIY, you can. If you can imagine it, you can do it. There are many different types and styles of kitchen islands that can easily be constructed by doing it yourself. Forget paying someone else to do it.
Looking at our list of 12 DIY kitchen island ideas, you’re bound to find something that fits in perfectly with your kitchen.