Tools and Materials
Tools
Items may be Special Order in some stores. Product costs, availability and item numbers may vary online or by market. Paint colors may vary slightly from those shown. Availability varies by market for lumber species and sizes.
Key Takeaways
- This DIY island expands your work area in the kitchen and gives you more prep space for meals.
- By creating an island with cabinets, you’re extending your storage space for cookbooks, dishes, serving pieces and more.
- Since you're designing the kitchen island yourself, create the look and functionality that works best for your home.
- As you build the kitchen island, you'll develop the skills and confidence needed to design and create other DIY kitchen furniture and take on more projects around the home.
Measure & Select Your Style
Measure the Space
Size the kitchen island to give you the room needed without making it more difficult to move around the kitchen. In general, you need a minimum of 36 inches of clearance, but 42 to 48 inches will be more comfortable and usable. If the kitchen needs to be wheelchair accessible, allow up to 60 inches to maneuver. Use the instructions below as a guide, but scale the measurements to fit your space.
Select the Style
Thanks to a range of cabinet designs, countertop types and hardware styles, you have the flexibility to create a custom kitchen furniture piece.
- Decide on traditional or transitional stock cabinets.
- Choose a door style, like Shaker or square.
- Select pulls or knobs from a huge range of finishes and designs.
- Decide on your countertop. Popular in-stock materials include laminate, butcher block and solid surface options. Just make sure it matches or complements your existing countertops and doesn’t include a backsplash.
More Info
Learn how to prep and paint kitchen cabinets.
Select the best countertops for your island.
Before you begin building the island, order the countertop. We used a herringbone butcher block countertop for this kitchen.
How to Build a Kitchen Island
Follow these instructions to create a custom kitchen island for your space.
Instructions
Let's Get Started
Are you ready to build your custom kitchen island? Shop online or purchase the tools and materials at your local store.
If you’re short on time and need a quick, affordable fix, buy a kitchen island or prep table. While it’s not the same as a custom kitchen island, it offers more work and storage space while taking less than an hour to assemble. Lowe’s offers plenty of style options from utilitarian metal prep racks to more intricate rolling carts that could blend right in with your kitchen cabinets.
