How to Redo Your Kitchen Island

Look over kitchen design books and magazines. Write down ideas you find appealing, such as a two-level island with a cooktop and bar space for eating meals. Make notes concerning special shapes, also, such as island bars with a round top and stools around it. Figure out your best option for adding lighting to the island makeover, such as suspended individual lights over the countertop or recessed lighting in the ceiling. Include an extractor hood for cooking vapors if you plan to cook at the island space.

Measure your kitchen dimensions and existing island area. Transfer all of this to graph paper to define the floor space you will use for the makeover. Incorporate the island redo into part of the kitchen work "triangle," which includes the stove, refrigerator and sink located just a few steps away from each other. Create a well-crafted plan for a new island on paper and use colored pencils to provide all color components of the plan.

Add new framing and route electricity and plumbing. Avoid wasting materials already in place, however. Figure out if a large portion of the island can remain in place as you build on a new section, for instance. Tear out the old island or part of it, if needed. Construct new framing with two-by-fours to enclose the new space. Run water pipes for a new sink from the attic or basement to the island. Build a faux wood hollow column next to the island to route electrical wiring from the attic down to the island, as one choice.

Install exterior covering to the entire island space to tie the old and new together. As one option, choose durable materials, such as beadboard or tongue-and-groove wood, to enclose the island and install hinged doors to hide the shelving inside. Install enclosure materials and countertop material to harmonize with kitchen cabinets and existing countertops. Leave room for a drop-in cooktop and space for a sink, if you wish. Hook up a curved faucet that will allow plenty of clearance for washing vegetables.

Connect electrical wiring to the cooktop and all other areas. Hook up all lighting over the island. Connect the electrical wiring to outlets that will provide electricity for a mixer or blender. Make sure all wiring is properly grounded and the outlets have ground fault circuits installed.

Purchase appropriate barstools. Buy six short stools to fit on both sides of a long island extension, for example. Replace old wooden barstools that are outdated with chrome stools or high-quality wooden stools with upholstered seats. Use visually appealing stools that fit the color scheme and décor of the entire kitchen.