The Thrift Store Find You Have To Try In Your Kitchen

Kitchen islands have long been a stylish and functional way to add extra work and storage space to any kitchen, particularly useful if you have dead space in the middle of the kitchen or limited existing counter space. These islands, typically at counter height, come in a large variety, from sprawling marble islands to portable options on wheels that can be moved around the kitchen. A stylish alternative to newer islands, however, can give your kitchen a greater sense of history and character. Antique or vintage kitchen islands can be a singularly great find while hitting up secondhand venues, allowing you to get a truly old world feel in your vintage-inspired or rustic kitchen.

A stunning kitchen island trend, these pieces can be found occasionally in thrift stores, antique markets, and flea markets, as well as secondhand on places like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. You can also find some excellent antique pieces through antiquebutcherblocks.com. While true antique pieces may be expensive in some venues, occasionally you can find excellent dupes that are newer reproductions of older style islands.

Usually made of solid wood and sturdy construction, these older islands typically have open shelving underneath, spindled legs, carved details, and the patina and charm earned from decades of loving use. A popular design for small kitchens sports a thick butcher block top with one or two shelves underneath. Some may also have marble tops for baking or tiled inlays. Look for a maker's mark if you want to determine if the piece is actually an antique. They can be left in their natural rustic state or painted to match your other kitchen décor.

Even if you have plenty of storage and counter space, adding one of these islands can help fill up that dead space in the center of the kitchen, even if you only use it to hold a bowl of fruit or vase of flowers. In tiny kitchens, place it along a wall or to extend an existing peninsula. They also work well to break up an open concept space like a studio apartment, dividing a kitchen space from dining or living spaces. Other great uses include creating a home bar or using the island as a coffee station. 

If you can't find one of these antique islands at the thrift store, there are also other pieces that can be modified into stunning vintage islands with a similar rustic charm. Try a buffet or sideboard with wooden or slab marble top. Augment an antique dresser with a wider counter to leave room for stools on one side. These pieces have ample drawers for kitchen storage space, or remove some of the drawers for open shelving. For a wider island with lots of storage, place two identical dressers back to back with single wood or marble top. Antique wash stands also make lovely islands for a small space.

Even standard-height wooden dining or console tables can be turned into islands. Attach the legs to a plank slightly larger than the dimensions of the counter, then add short legs underneath. To get the look of an antique old world butcher block island with a budget friendly DIY approach, thicken the top of a regular wooden table with layers of scrap wood or thick plywood, then add butcher block veneer around the perimeter and over the top.