Building a Kitchen Island with a Stock Cabinet
When we moved into our house, our kitchen was very dark with all of the oak kitchen cabinets and there was no kitchen island. Our kitchen is only  11 x 17 so we needed something narrow with a lot of storage. I’ve had quite a few questions about our kitchen island, and I was able to dig up a few pictures on how we made it and how we went about Building a Kitchen Island with a Stock Cabinet.
 Originally we had bought a tall bar height table and used it with stools underneath( until the kids started climbing  and pulling them over.). We had had an old stock bathroom cabinet in storage that after measuring we found fit perfectly underneath as an island base. After filling old knobs holes with wood filler, we added new handles to the drawers. Once I painted it, it made it look like one cohesive piece like it was a custom kitchen island.
The kitchen island cabinets sat detached for a long time ( you can see at the top) and with our kitchen remodel; we added bun feet to the underside of the cabinet sides to bring up the height underneath to create the new island. The base was a pretty sturdy piece of plywood so we didn’t need to add any thing else. Had it not been, we could have created a simple frame to attach them to. It was really easy! We used wood screws to attache the cabinets in the underside of the countertop overhang trim pieces from the inside so they weren’t visible.
 It received a new coat of paint on the base and a fresh look. One day I would like to put a marble or granite counter top on it as well. For now we painted and sealed the top. It looks great with our butcher block countertops and gives us not only more counter space, but storage space and a nice work space to prep food and increase our counter top footprint. This was a really easy DIY project for us.
I’ve seen a lot of other great options for islands as well such as:
-old dressers and buffets
-industrial carts
-vintage shelving
-vintage file cabinets
Ikea  also has some great kitchen islands that aren’t too much, that are very similar side of the island to what we started with and you don’t have to start from scratch either if you don’t want to.
Jen
P.S. I found out this weekend that my kitchen redo is supposed to be in
September’s issue of County Living!
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Congratulations on the CL thingy! It is so much fun to open a magazine and see your house on the pages! We you see it you can’t hardly believe your eyes!
tot
Congrats Jennifer… I get that one can’t wait.I have always wanted an island for my kitchen…someday I will come across one that will fit, or I will make one….I finally finished painting the cabinets.. what a job… I said NEVER AGAIN!!! but we all know better… have a good day
Pattie
That is so exciting! I love CL because they have such great ideas. I would be screaming my head off if I was you! Does the 11×17 include the eating area? I have been trying to come up with a different floor plan without losing cupboards. Ours is 9×17 with an eating area. No dining room either, so the eating area has to stay!
Very creative!! Congrats on being in Country Living..love that magazine!
Great job and congrats on your upcoming feature! I am so happy for you!!
Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo
Oh, congratulations! That is wonderful! I’m so very happy for you.
What did you do to the back of the cabinet underneath? Beadboard? Just plain painted plywood?
Really awesome idea!
Congratulations on the Country Living article..I love your kitchen island idea..I’ll bet ya are just so excited to see your kitchen in print..And what a great magazine to be featured in..Have a great week..
Janet
Wonderful; congrats!
Love how this island
came together. Not
everyone would have
the eye or even the
IDEA to marry these
two pieces. Love it.
xx Suzanne
you are just too darn clever girl. would have never known that was two pieces. i can’t wait to see the article. my famous friend. hehe.
I think that island is pretty brilliant. I never would have thought it was a hodge podge. I love stuff like that…where you take what you’ve got and mix it up and it turns out looking as good or better than if you’d gone out and bought something.
Oh…that is so exciting about Country Living too….you so deserve it. I adore your kitchen.
That’s so great – about Country Living! Will be looking for it! 🙂 I desperately want an island, and right now I have an old sideboard/dresser/I’m not sure that I painted from an antique store… When I redo my countertops I’m thinking of putting marble or granite onto the sideboard/dresser thing as well. BUT… what I want to do is see if there’s a way they can hinge on a second layer so that it could flip down and be an extended little ledge that I could site 2 stools under… hm!
Thanks so much for posting this topic! I have been checking Craig’s List for a similar table…with no luck. I am hoping I can track one down at a yard sale this summer.
Congratulations on Country Living! I’ll be checking my mag for your pictures.
This is genius!!! Shared it on pinterest!
Love this idea….thanks!