EVER renovated a kitchen before? Then you’ll know that having a bespoke island unit made isn’t exactly cheap.
But rather than forking out a small fortune for one, savvy DIY fan Vikki Cosgrove decided to try her hand at it herself – and it looks amazing.
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Earlier this year, the 33-year-old, from Andover, Hampshire, was looking to replace her tiny kitchen table and chairs with a new breakfast bar.
But when she started hunting around, she was horrified to find that it would cost upwards of £600 to have one installed.
Vikki said: “I have always wanted an island but I didn’t think I could ever afford one and I have such a small space to work in, I didn’t think it would ever work.”
During lockdown, Vikki – like countless others – caught the home improvement bug and taught herself to use a drill.
Armed with her new tools, she began searching online for cheap budget hacks for creating your own island unit – which is where she got the idea to use an IKEA bookcase.
Determined to give it a go, Vikki bought one of their large £25 Billy bookcases and a smaller £15 one to form the base.
In the desk section, the DIY fan purchased a £25 tabletop and some £3 brackets to put it all together.
And while walking through the reduced section, Vikki stumbled upon some chic black stools which had been reduced from £19 to just a fiver each.
Before getting stuck in, she also swung by a local hardware store to buy some extra screws and a groove pack of five to cover the back of her bookcases.
Documenting the whole process on TikTok, Vikki explained: “I assembled the two bookshelves, then screwed them together using the hardware store screws and a spirit level to ensure they were level.
“Once they were screwed in using the holes already in the shelves, I flipped it over to add the tongue and groove to the back.”
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“I measured the total width of the bookcases, which in this case was 120cm. I measured each part of the tongue and groove and cut it using the jigsaw. I did this to all five pieces and then sanded the edges down.
“I got nail tacks and hammered these in, which finished off the back as well as giving it more strength.
“I then added on the tabletop, measuring all around to ensure it was even on each side so it wouldn’t be too heavy on one side.”
Unsurprisingly, Vikki is delighted with how well it came out – not to mention how the £114 project saved her almost £500.
She added: “I have never been prouder of myself. I have been single for a long time so decided it was time to learn how to DIY, and I have loved it!”
For more amazing home transformations, this savvy DIY fan transforms dull bed frame using a TABLE CLOTH to save hundreds – and it’s so easy for anyone to do.
And this thrifty mum creates son’s dream galaxy-inspired bedroom on a budget – including cheap DIY clouds.
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