If you like cooking and entertaining friends a cheap kitchen island is a great choice. It can also offer storage capability for miscellaneous kitchen appliances. The versatility of an island counter makes it a must have for any kitchen. My kitchen island can fit multiple cutting boards, bowls, and appliances on it at the same time. Making feasts for parties is easy to have multiple dishes being prepared at the same time. This is my guide to build an easy DIY cheap kitchen island.
Cheap Kitchen Island with Seating
Under the counter is a nook for stools allowing seating space and shelves for kitchen appliances. On my island I have electricity ran for plugs underneath allowing a microwave and toaster oven to be stored in the island. I also have a switch ran for an overhead light built into the beam that the island is attached to.
Cheap Kitchen Island with Storage
Storage space is a big plus of having a kitchen island. My kitchen is medium sized but has enough appliances to seem much larger and more versatile than its size. On the shelving in my kitchen island I have stored a blender, coffee grinder, dehydrator, strainer, crockpot, coffee maker, pressure cooker, baking trays, a microwave and a toaster over. We are big on cooking so having a wide array of appliances is helpful.
Home office work station
The kitchen island can also double as an at home office workspace. I have outlets built into the island making it easy for multiple laptops to be plugged in and placed on the counter top. Keep your coffee machine close by for snack and drink breaks. At my house roommates congregate around the kitchen island with their laptops and turn the kitchen into a work from home co-working space.
Is it cheaper to build a kitchen island or buy one?
It is significantly cheaper to build a kitchen island. The main problem with buying and island is the cost of installation and cabinets. Getting new quality cabinets will set you back a chunk of change. Installation costs are also pricey as a quality carpenter and installer is required.
The best solution is to retrofit a dining room table into a permanent kitchen island feature. At any thrift shop you can find old tables that are dinged up and need paint. If you look on craigslist or facebook market place you can find hidden gem dining tables that need TLC. Anything that is in disrepair can be fixed up and made better than a new item.
How much does it cost to build a cheap kitchen island?
| Material | Secondhand table | Paint | Screws | 4×4 Post | Brackets | 3 Sheets Plywood | Stain and Sealer | 2x4s | Total Cost |
| Cost | $10-$75 | $7 | $6 | $15 | $5 | $45 | $20 | $15 | $123-$188 |
Building the cheap kitchen island of your dreams could be much less than you expect. If you play your cards right you can expect to spend between $123-$188 for all the materials. This is much lower than buying cabinets and traditional kitchen island materials. will all depend on how well you can source your materials. Necessary materials include 2nd hand dining room table, paint, screws, 4×4 posts, brackets, a 3 sheets of plywood and 2 2x4s.
How to make a cheap kitchen island
I purchased my table at goodwill for $15 and transformed it into a DIY cheap kitchen island and built it into a wood beam feature. Below is my step by step process on how I built it and how you can build one in your kitchen.
Location for island
Measure your kitchen and figure out where you want to put the kitchen island. It can attach to a wall, a structural beam or just be sitting by itself. Technically if you attach a kitchen island to a wall its no longer an island but a peninsula or regular countertop space.
For the simplicity of this article we will refer to everything to as a kitchen island. In my house the island is built into a structural beam giving it a rustic look.
Find a dining room table
Find a fixer table that fits in the dimensions of your kitchen space. You can look on craigslist, facebook marketplace or offerup to find people selling used dining tables. Or you can check out places like habitat for humanity restore which has lots of used stuff. Make sure the table top is made of solid wood that can be sanded. Tables made of MDF will not look good sanded down and won’t hold up. You want something that will be durable and hold up to the traffic of a cooking top.
Sand and paint
Sand and paint the table to your liking. If you paint I would recommend using oil based paint because it is much more durable. Oil based paint is much more durable and won’t require a sealer coat. If the table has nice wood you can show it off by sanding it and giving it a clear coat. Or you can use something more funky like epoxy resin to create a vibrant colorful counter top.
For me I used a timber green oil based paint, white paint for the table legs and a clear coat for the extender legs.
Modify the table height
You can also modify the legs of the table up or down depending on the height you desire. If you want the table to be higher, you can cut the bottom of the table leg and add a piece of wood that matches the width of the leg. On my kitchen table we added a 4×4 post to the bottom to raise it up to standard kitchen counter height. You can connect these table leg extenders on with screws or brackets.
The extender pieces can be stained and sealed or just sanded down and sealed. I chose to use framing brackets to attach the post onto the table and used multicolored screws to make it look funky. When factoring in how tall you want your table remember to add the length of the extender pieces, length of table legs and the width of the countertop.
Find studs to attach
If you are attaching the table to the wall you want to find studs on the walls and drive long screws through the legs of the table into the studs of the wall. You may need to cut off part of the table top to make it fit against the wall. You can cover up cut marks later with trim. If you are attaching to a structural beam you can cut a notch in the table and slide the table so it wraps snug against the beam.
If you are attaching it to the ground you can toenail the wood down from a nail gun or screw in the table to the subfloor. Make sure the table is well attached and not moving. Double check everything is plum and level.
Cheap kitchen island underside
Now is time to think about how you want to design the underside of the table. Do you want all storage space or all stool space or a little of both? Do you want to run electricity into the island for appliances? For me I chose to have half the island be storage and half be sitting room for stools. I also chose to run electricity to plug in a microwave and toaster plugged in.
Half and half
Add a vertical separator wall cut to size to fit under your table. This will separate where the storage is and where people can put their legs with stool. You can use plywood or any other sheet wood for the separator wall. The wood can be any color stain or paint and finish with sealer. Screw the separator wall into the underside of the table or the wall with brackets.
You can also attach brackets to the separator wall to support shelves. Make sure the separator wall is completely plum with a level before moving on. If you decide to go all storage underneath you do not need to add a separator wall.
Bottom shelf
Create a bottom shelf that separates the storage from the ground of the kitchen. Measure the space underneath and cut a notched shelf out of plywood that fits between the separator wall and notches into the legs of the table. You can cut 2x4s on the outer edges of the island and place the notched shelf on top. Look at picture above.
Upper shelf
Attach upper shelf to brackets on the separator wall and brackets to the legs of the table. You can also attach the shelf to the wall or beam if possible to add extra strength. You can cut the shelves to size with notches and slide them in underneath the island table.
A shelf can be made of plywood any other sheet wood or other wood. You can stain the shelves or just clear coat the wood. Make sure you sand the shelves as you want them smooth. Make sure your shelves are sealed with a good oil based sealer because they will endure a lot of traffic.
Add trim to cover up any jagged edges or cracks between the island and the wall or beam.
Can I build a cheap kitchen island in a small kitchen?
You can build a smaller version of an island for a smaller kitchen. The biggest issue is making sure there is enough walking and movement space. Instead of using a dining room table you can convert a small table, end table and a stool into smaller versions of the DIY kitchen island I described.
If the island is smaller it also has the potential advantage of being moveable. You can attach rolley wheels onto one side so it is easier to move. Bring the island in when you are cooking and take it out when you having guests over, the choice is yours.
How do I attach a kitchen island to cement floors?
If you are attaching a kitchen island to cement floors things can be a little more tricky. This will require using a cement drilling bit attached to a corded power drill or hammer drill. Drill multiple holes on all sides of the island, then drill long cement screws through the bottom of the island into the cement holes.
Since it is a bit more arduous to drill cement holes I would recommend if you have a cement floor to find a way to attach the island to the wall or beam. In my house I have stained concrete floors and I didn’t have to drill any cement holes because I was able to attach the island to a beam.
What height should I make my kitchen island?
The standard height for a kitchen island is 36” tall. However you can adjust the height up or down depending on if you are tall or short. If you are going for a more work space kitchen island you can raise the height to make it easier to type on a computer standing up. If you want it to be reachable by young kids a shorter table may be a good idea. Personally I think it looks best if the kitchen island matches the height of the other kitchen counters.
More cheap kitchen island ideas
These are some ideas that I didn’t implement myself but have seen in other kitchen islands. You could have a hanging light over the island to make it more of a center point in the kitchen. Or you can add can lights for a more sleek look.
Another option is a having a place to hang pots and pans over the island. You can build a pan hanging apparatus that attaches to the ceiling with chains or ropes. There are also pre built ones you can buy online. Make sure you screw the pot hanger into a stud so it will be able to hold weight. The hanging pot system also synergizes with the island as a place to add more storage.
More resources: https://metropolismag.com/viewpoints/recycling-demolition-building-materials/