We may not all have Instagram-worthy kitchens with their sprawling islands, but a kitchen island need not remain a pipe dream, even for a small kitchen.
Again, IKEA’s trusty KALLAX shelving unit comes to the rescue. The humble cube organizer is one of the best furniture pieces for a small kitchen island.
Zaga shows us a practical and inexpensive way to create a small functional kitchen island.
What You’ll Need:
IKEA Products:
- KALLAX 4×4 shelving unit, 30 1/8″ x 30 1/8″ (77 cm x 77 cm)
- KALLAX Insert with door
- KALLAX Insert with 2 drawers
- VINNÄSET Door Knobs (or similar)
- BAGGANÄS Handles (optional)
Other Materials:
- 4 round cabinet feet
- 4 L-shaped metal brackets
- Contact paper of your choice
- Formica laminate countertop, 23.6″ x 33.5″ x 6.5″ (60 cm x 85 cm x 16.5 cm) custom-made
Easy DIY Small Kitchen Island:
Assemble the KALLAX: Start by putting together the KALLAX shelving unit according to IKEA’s instructions.
Add Some Flair: Apply contact paper to the sides of the unit and the door insert. This is where you can make your kitchen island blend with your kitchen decor style – choose a pattern or color that complements your theme.
Customize the Inserts: Attach the door knobs to the drawer inserts. Then, add the drawer insert and door insert to the KALLAX unit.
Create the Countertop: Attach the custom Formica laminate countertop to the top of the KALLAX unit using L-brackets. Before tightening the brackets, make sure the countertop is centered and has an equal overhang on all sides.
Add Feet to Island: Carefully flip the unit over and attach the round cabinet feet. This will give your island a more finished look and make it easier to clean underneath.
Optional Touch: If desired, add two BAGGANÄS handles to the sides of the unit. These bar handles are perfect for hanging kitchen towels or utensils.
And voilà! You now have a unique, custom-made small kitchen island that provides extra storage and counter space. The best part? This project can be completed in just a few hours, making it perfect for a weekend DIY session.
Ideas to customize your small kitchen island
- Personalized style: You can customize this IKEA kitchen island hack further by choosing different contact paper designs, knob styles, and countertop materials.
- Customized storage: Explore the wide range of KALLAX inserts and dividers and mix and match them to suit your requirements.
- Add mobility: If you want the flexibility to move your small kitchen island around, consider caster wheels instead of furniture feet. This lets you easily stow it away when not in use or use it as a mobile serving or prep station when needed.
- Add a back: To prevent items from falling through, here are 12 ways to close up the back of the KALLAX.
- Need more inspiration? Browse our page on Kitchen Island Hacks.
See the small kitchen island hack on Zagadiy’s website.
More Small Kitchen Island Ideas To Try
If you don’t have a spacious kitchen but would like to add an island, you’ll love this idea from Sara. It uses 2 LACK side tables (I’m sure we all have one of those tucked away somewhere) and some spare wood. The LACK mini kitchen island can also be pushed out of the way when not in use.
4 Ingredient KALLAX Island Hack
We spotted a fantastic IKEA kitchen island hack from Yatt. This clever project uses just 4 IKEA items to create a compact and affordable island, perfect for adding extra prep space or storage to your kitchen.
Kitchen Cabinet To Island Hack
Ananda takes an IKEA base cabinet and gives it a kitchen island makeover. This clever transformation uses a 30″ x 30″ x 24″ cabinet to create a chic island with wheels, a butcher block countertop for extra prep space, and a handy pot rail for easy access to your cooking essentials.