DIY Kitchen Island

Adding a kitchen island increases both cooking and dining space in small kitchens. But using standard-sized, closed cabinets as a base eats up floor space and can be expensive. Practical kitchen carts also lack decorative oomph, especially in open-concept condos. A painted console table topped with butcher block is sleek enough for a smaller kitchen, and doesn’t sacrifice style.

Materials and Tools

• Console table
• Eggshell-finish paint
• Knobs or pulls
• Length of butcher block
• Rubber drawer liner
• Small metal angle brackets
• Screws
• Drill or screwdriver

Step 1: Choose table

Look for a console table 1 1?2″ shorter than the height of your counters, so it will be the same height as the counters once the butcher block is attached. If you’d like to repurpose an old console table but it’s not the right height, try cutting down the legs or adding casters to give the height a boost. I chose a table with drawers for kitchen tools and linens; a table with a bottom shelf would be handy for storing larger pots or stacks of pans. An unfinished surface is ideal, too.

Step 2: Paint table

Paint the table in an eggshell-finish paint. I chose a warm grey with a hint of green that’s pretty but not too intense. If you’re reusing an old console, sand and prime it before painting. Add new knobs or pulls if needed.

Step 3: Cut butcher block

Cut a length of butcher block so it’s 6″ larger than the top of the table on all sides. You can do this at home with a circular saw, or ask a lumberyard to cut it for you.

Step 4: Attach butcher block

Cut a length of rubber drawer liner the same size as the top of the table. (Its slight stickiness will help keep the butcher block in place.) Lay the butcher block on the floor, top down, and centre the liner on it. Place the table, top down, over the liner. Attach the block to the tabletop with four angle brackets, one on each side. If your table has drawers, however, do not install a bracket where it might prevent the drawers from opening.

Table, Wicker Emporium; butcher block, Ikea; hardware, Lee Valley Tools; paint colour, Storm Cloud Gray (2140-40), Benjamin Moore.

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