Ideas for a DIY Kitchen Island
No matter the size of your kitchen, a kitchen island not only add extra storage space, but it also gives you more countertop space and perhaps also a place to sit and have casual meals.
22/10/2021
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A kitchen island is not only beneficial in providing extra storage space in a kitchen, which is great, but it also provides an extra area of countertop that can be utilized to your advantage. Over and above these, a kitchen island can provide a focal point if the kitchen lacks one, a place to sit for casual meals, or even a place where the kids can do their supervised homework. All in all, adding a kitchen island is a great idea. Look at some of the inspiring kitchen island ideas we found.
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With an existing kitchen that you have no intention of ripping out or replacing in the near future, a do-it-yourself kitchen island gives you an opportunity to alter the floor plan of a kitchen without too much hassle. The best situation for a kitchen island is where the kitchen is open onto a dining room or living area. Used like this, the kitchen island becomes a focal point and provides a division between the kitchen and other room.
For those that have a kitchen closed off from the living spaces and who yearn for something a bit more open, there is the option to remove a wall that closes off the kitchen and replace this with a functional kitchen island.
You Have Options
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Designing your own unique kitchen island gives you the freedom to select the best design to fit into the space and the materials used to construct the kitchen island. Nowadays anything goes and you can purchase almost all the materials you need at your local Builders Warehouse store. If Builders don't have items you need, there's always the option to search online for a local supplier.
Not everyone likes Formica countertops, but you can shop around for pricing on a granite, marble, Caesarstone, quartz or composite, or you could consider the alternative of making a unique butcher block countertop or crafting a concrete countertop - you have plenty of options to choose from.
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You have Choices
Not only do you get to look at different design options for a kitchen island, but the DIY route also lets you determine the size and situation. You won't want one that takes up too much space in the kitchen but may want one that breaches the gap between open-plan areas. But that's what's nice about making a kitchen island - the choice is yours to make.
A practical kitchen island doesn't necessarily have to take up a lot of floor space to serve a purpose.
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In a kitchen that is limited on floor space, you can select an island design that fits into whatever space is available. No matter how small the kitchen island, it will still provide extra storage, countertop or a place to sit, all depending on what you require for your kitchen.
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Taking into consideration both your options and choices, you have to decide on the style of the kitchen island and what materials you will use to make it. Wood, and particularly PAR pine, will be the most affordable option and there are more than a few ways to stain, whitewash or limewash pine, or even to distress pine, to make it look like anything but pine. What will define a pine island and make it more of a design statement is the type of countertop you add. Just that alone will determine how the piece looks. Perhaps you could save money on the pine to make the island and then splurge on the countertop material.
Sustainable Kitchen Island Materials
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A contemporary and green option for a kitchen island is to make it from concrete poured into forms for the slabs.
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A concrete kitchen island, while more time consuming to make, costs far less than any other option, plus the money you save on making a concrete kitchen island can be spent on other fittings and fixtures for your kitchen.
Reclaimed Kitchen Island Materials
In a home that is eclectic, traditional or tends to lean towards a more rustic style of decorating, adding a kitchen island can be achieved by repurposing reclaimed or vintage finds and using them as an island. There are plenty of online resources for finding these pieces and you can usually pick them up at a decent cost. Once you have the piece you want, you can then decide to restore it to its original condition or make alterations so that it serves the purpose you need it for.
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When browsing for reclaimed furniture or furniture that can be repurposed into a kitchen island, look beyond ordinary to find the extraordinary that will let the piece stand out and perhaps even add more to the style of a kitchen.
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Consider Your Needs
There are no defining rules when it comes to a kitchen island and they can be narrow or wide, with or without storage and assembled to fit perfectly in the allotted space. Before you make a firm decision, consider your needs. Do you want to be able to sit at the kitchen island for casual dining or would you prefer to have more countertop and storage space? Your needs will determine what you need and then you can look at options and choices to make it happen.
If going the DIY route is not for you, there is always the option of having a professional kitchen installer design and select the materials for a kitchen island that complements the style of your kitchen.
