A DIY Kitchen Island

Is it possible to make IKEA furniture MORE do-it-yourself? It totally is!

While looking for ways to add counter space to my kitchen, I thought about getting a small island that could roll out when I needed it and hold cookbooks, big pots or possibly even my clunky KitchenAid mixer. I’ve always dreamed of having a real old-fashioned wooden butcher’s block – but that will have to wait. The most reasonable looking island I found was here for $70, but it still looks sort of cheap. Not quite my style, or considering shipping costs, in my budget.

Check out this kitchen island, creatively pieced together by Kyle Freeman at Apartment Therapy. It used two LACK side tables, currently priced at $7.99 and available in eight colors (red and black are the best).

The two tables were put together using strong, double-sided adhesive pads, then topped with a heavy wooden butcher’s block top. Freeman said the weight of the top helped solidify the adhesive and keep everything sturdily in place.

Pretty crafty, eh? And I happen to already have two of those tables! You can also use this method to make some funky end tables. However, when I make this project, I’ll be sure to use a strong wood glue and/or figure out something with nails. For some reason the adhesive pads just don’t sit right with me.

Either way, kudos to you guys for this great idea! Check out other great ideas for sprucing up your apartment, kitchen and home over at Apartment Therapy and its sister blogs.

Have you recently done something cool and unexpected to improve your kitchen? Let us know!