How to Use Mismatched Dressers As a Kitchen Island

When looking at your options for the base of a new kitchen island, consider using mismatching dressers. It will be a truly original look that will also give you a great amount of storage space for everything from kitchen gadgets and pans to cookbooks. To tie the mismatching dressers together, use a single paint color and hardware that coordinates with the rest of your kitchen. Paint color and hardware will also help you to create the style you desire. One style that works very well with this mismatched combo is country.

2 mismatched 34-inch-tall dressers
Laminate countertop
Wood screws
Bead board paneling
Wood trim
Wood filler
Putty knife
Paint

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the dresser drawers and place the dressers back to back. Insert wood screws through the back of one dresser into the other. Because there will be a countertop installed on top of the dressers, you should only have to use four to eight screws to bond the dressers together.
- 2
  Cut bead board to fit each side of the island. Install the bead board on both sides of the dressers to finish the sides of the island; attach with brad nails, countersinking the nails.
- 3
  Attach the trim. Cut the trim to fit over the edge of the bead board and meet up with the edge of the dressers; attach with brad nails, countersinking the nails.
- 4
  Fill the nail holes with wood filler, using a putty knife. Allow to dry thoroughly before painting.
- 5
  Paint the island; paint the drawer fronts while the drawers are still out of the dressers. Apply at least two coats of paint for the best results. To create a bit more interest, paint your island base a complementary, but different, color than the rest of your kitchen cabinets. Because kitchens generally get a lot of wear-and-tear, it is ideal to choose either semi-gloss or gloss paint to allow for easier cleaning.
- 6
  Install the hardware. Ideally, the hardware will be centered on the drawer front, whether you are installing handles or knobs. Placement templates are available in most home improvement stores and online, and some packages of hardware come with a template.
- 7
  Install the laminate countertop, attaching it from the underside of the top of the dressers. If you would like to allow for seating at the island, incorporate a 7- to 8-inch overhang on one or both sides. Otherwise, the overhang of countertops averages between 1 and 1½ inches.
- 8
  Place the drawers into the dressers.

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