A savvy DIY fan has created a stylish kitchen island out of an old chest of drawers. Taking a tired piece of furniture and giving it a new life, she completed the project for free.
Kym Brookes' DIY kitchen island idea has given her a handy storage solution for the heart of her home - plus we think it makes the area look more spacious.
Chest of drawers DIY kitchen island
After looking on eBay and kitchen stores for expensive pre-built islands, she decided to make one herself. 'I've always wanted a kitchen island but they are not in our budget,' Kym told money-saving community Latest Deals.
Before
Kym also needed to free up space in her hallway while working from home. So, she came up with a budget kitchen idea to make her home work harder by taking an old chest of drawers in the hallway and turning it into an island.
'I decided to cover the drawers with white DC Fix that I already had from when I wrapped my kitchen cupboards,' Kym shares. 'I used wood glue and screws to secure my tabletop to the top of the drawers.' The DIYer then added legs for extra support using the base from her dining table.
After
Kym cleaned all the surfaces before applying DC Fix adhesive vinyl. Once she was happy with how it looked, she applied wood glue to the top of the drawers.
She placed weights on top and left the DIY kitchen island to dry overnight. The next day, Kym used the base of her dining table to create the legs.
She sawed a little off each as they were a little too long for the height of the island. 'Once we got them to the right size, my partner drilled two holes through the tabletop in each corner so we could incorporate screws for added support,' she says.
After that, she covered the tabletop and screws with the DC Fix for a seamless finish. Kym says her family loves the finished result - her mum has even been inspired to do a similar easy DIY project. The sleek, multifunctional island provides additional worktop space for preparing food, as well as extra seating.
'I like to try and recycle as much as I can with furniture as we don't have the biggest budget to do up the house,' says Kym. 'If you can make something you already have better, then what's the point in buying new?'
If you're feeling inspired, Kym recommends Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace for finding spare drawers on a budget.
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