I Bought IKEA's Tiny Island for My Small Kitchen — And Hacked It in This Clever Way to Make It Look Expensive and Custom

When I was designing my small, U-shaped kitchen, I never really entertained having an island in the middle. However, after using the space for a few years, I felt the absence of one.

When entertaining, guests would naturally gravitate to the kitchen, but with nothing to congregate around, it could feel a little awkward. Plus, I felt the possibility of more storage and countertop space would really add to the functionality of the room. So when, on a trip to IKEA, I spotted the FÖRHÖJA Kitchen Trolley, a small, all-wood kitchen island with slim proportions, I thought I'd give it a go in my space. If it felt too crowded once it was in, it was no big deal. At £129, it's not a huge investment, and I'd have been able to sell it on to someone else. However, I quickly found it a useful addition to the space.

Then, however, all it needed was to feel part of my small kitchen, aesthetically. An IKEA hack was brewing to make this simple design feel more design-forward and elevated. Here's what I did.

While I'm not actually that adverse to this timber finish (as it brings a nice warmth to a space), it wasn't a material I was looking to add to my kitchen. That meant both painting the trolley itself and replacing the countertop, too.

The painted finish was the easy part — well, I say easy. Because this trolley has slatted shelves, it's a fiddly job. To make it as quick as possible, with the smoothest finish, I bought a micro 2" paint roller (like this one from Amazon), which helped keep things tidy, with minimal paint drips. I chose the paint color to match my walls, rather than color-matching my cabinets. For me, this was Dulux's Pale Walnut in Eggshell, bought from B&Q.

I primed the island first, and then did two to three coats for a full, even coverage. My tip for a longer-lasting finish? Treat it with a clear, matt varnish — my favorite is Polyvine Decorators Varnish from Amazon.

I'd always recommend getting to know your local stone yard — I've finished dozens of projects in my home this way, from my outdoor kitchen to shelving indoors and even a coffee table. Getting stone cut to size isn't prohibitively expensive, and for a project this size, you might even be able to find an offcut of stone that'll bring the price down. For my offcut of a marble-effect composite, I was charged £75, including cutting and profiling the edges.

It's become the perfect spot for storing my overflow cookware, with drawers for tea towels and utensils, too. Plus, it's the place I can lay out a feasting table for when I have guests around, and we all happily hang out in the kitchen for most of the evening.

If you like the idea of a small kitchen island of your own, here are some other alternative freestanding designs to consider.