A thrifty DIY fan made a kitchen island for free out of an old set of drawers

'It took two days to complete and cost me nothing!'

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

Hallway with chest of drawers with lamp om top next to mounted heater and a window above with a garden view

(Image credit: Latest Deals)

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

White kitchen island with two chairs on white and blue floor in front of oven

(Image credit: Latest Deals)

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.

Black and white cat walking past a white kitchen island with 2 drawers and a shelf containing 2 woven baskets, an instant pot and airfryer

(Image credit: Latest Deals)

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.

Millie Hurst
Senior Content Editor

Millie Hurst was Senior Content Editor at Ideal Home from 2020-2022, and is now Section Editor at Homes & Gardens. Before stepping into the world of interiors, she worked as a Senior SEO Editor for News UK in both London and New York. You can usually find her looking up trending terms and finding real-life budget makeovers our readers love. Millie came up with the website's daily dupes article which gives readers ways to curate a stylish home for less.