Ideas for Customizing a Kitchen Island Or Cart
I’ve been hunting for a vintage table or counter height cabinet since renovating our kitchen- almost five years! The dimensions are very specific and I kept striking out. I stumbled across this readymade island online at Lowe’s last month and the measurements were a perfect fit for our odd kitchen floor plan. Per usual, I wanted to put our aesthetic stamp on it with some customization. Click through to see how we updated this island on a budget, along with my best ideas for customizing a kitchen island or cart or your own!
This post is sponsored by Lowe’s. All content, ideas, and words are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that allow me to create unique content while featuring products we actually use & enjoy!
We renovated our kitchen in 2019. If you’d like to see the crazy before images, sources, and the entire process, definitely check out that link! It’s one of my favorite renovations and a room I still adore- even five years later. Since the renovation, not much as changed… we did update the kitchen shelving, swap out our gas range (we removed the GE Cafe Range for the Big Chill Classic Range), and we added a water filtration system. Those three changes really improved the space, but there was one item I’d yet to cross off the completion list… finding a slender kitchen island. For years, I relied on my budget kitchen cart, but knew it was never meant to be a long term solution. I was excited to find this island from Lowe’s, and was eager to give it a mini makeover to match our kitchen! Scroll to see it…
Kitchen Island Makeover
The island itself is well made, has a beautiful shape, and is really functional with tons of organized closed storage. I just wanted the cabinet to feel more cohesive with our kitchen, as the color didn’t work very well with our existing cabinetry color. We gave it a fresh coat of paint- to match the floating shelves above our coffee bar, which is a gray hue pulled from our backsplash tile. I debated changing the hardware, but ended up really liking the existing matte black pulls and knobs. The biggest update was swapping the wood top for a heavy slab of marble. It was in the remnant trash pile at the slab yard, so it was a very budget friendly project.
Before & After
Here’s a little behind-the scenes look at the process… Emmett sprayed it at his work (so much easier and less mess in a paint booth).
Ideas for Updating a Readymade Kitchen Cart or Island
Curious how you could update your existing island or kitchen cart? Let’s brainstorm some easy and impactful ideas…
- Paint or Stain
- Replace the Top (wood, butcher block, stone remnant, etc)
- Add or Remove Casters (wheels)
- Swap the Hardware
- Add a Towel Hook or Hanging Rod
- Install an Outlet or Charging Station
Quick & Functional Kitchen Island Styling Ideas
I started migrating some things from our main cabinets to the island… oversized serving boards, seasonal serveware, rolling pins, cookbooks, recipes we’d like to easily access (perfect for the drawers), etc. I’m sure I’ll enjoy restyling this piece often. For now, I kept it simple with a magnolia branch arrangement and a seasonal candle for fall. Here are some more styling ideas, no matter the size of your kitchen island…
- Use it to hold occasional glassware or serveware
- Style your cookbooks or baking tools (like rolling pins) for easy access
- Keep your cutting boards easily accessible while adding warmth to your kitchen
- Hang your linen kitchen towels from it
- Style oversized bowls for fruits & veggies
- Use it as a surface to style fresh florals or branches for the season
- Keep your favorite seasonal candle on top for a calming moment
Kitchen Islands & Carts from Lowe’s
Click directly on each cart or island below to be redirected.
Of course I wanted to share my top picks with you! Having had both a kitchen cart and an island, both have their advantages. I will say- we may add hidden wheels to this someday because having a mobile island was the most convenient… especially since I photograph our kitchen so often. It’s also easier to clean, can quickly be pushed out of the way for entertaining, and can be used in multiple spaces. Just something to think about! Lowe’s has a lot of great options- for islands and carts. Definitely keep them in mind for your upcoming interior and kitchen projects… our entire kitchen came from Lowe’s (even the cabinetry)!
FAQ
I do! Be sure to check out our kitchen linens in the Tuesday Made shop. You can also hop over to this blog post- Classic Kitchen Linens to Love!
These would also be great for serving, outdoor (covered) areas, as an additional work surface in a home office or studio, for use as a home bar, in a butler’s pantry, folding table in a laundry room, or a makeshift kitchen- in a basement, perhaps? I enjoy thinking outside the box for things like this!
Check out this post on Cabinetry Hardware Placement Guide (with easy examples). I think those visuals will be super helpful for you!
It’s this one– my favorite for fall! The weather cooled off and I jumped right into cozy season.
Related
Looking for more kitchen projects or sources? I’ll link some of my favorites for you below, and you can always read more about my kitchen here!
- My Top Paint Color Picks for Dark Kitchen Cabinets
- My Cabinetry Selection & Design Process at Lowe’s
- How to Replace & Upgrade Your Cabinet Doors
- How to Install a Hidden Kitchen Trash Can
- Guide for Properly Lighting a Kitchen
- Kitchen Shelving Update
- How to Choose a Marble Slab for Your Renovation
- Wood Cutting & Serving Boards for the Season Ahead
- How to Select Different Countertop Edge Profiles
- Roundup : Non Permanent Kitchen Islands
- 5 Things Every Kitchen Needs, That You Might Not Think Of
I hope you liked this one! I’m really thrilled to have a substantial kitchen island. It was also exciting to find and install that big slab of marble. I’m working on a post on how to shop remnants for you- stay tuned! I feel like this really brightened up the space and feels cohesive with our existing soapstone countertops. Let me know if you have any questions! I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts in the comment section below…