Varde Island with mosaic front panel

Materials: Varde, glass tile, grout

Description: My husband and I purchased a 1960’s split level that recently had the kitchen revamped – but not in a style we liked. The original island was too small for the kitchen, looked out of place and didn’t offer additional seating.

After purchasing new appliances, painting the cabinets and a trip to Ikea – our kitchen looks thoroughly modernized and we love our Ikea island!

The island is a VARDE base cabinet unit, which we topped with one of Ikea’s oversized butcher blocks. Then I tiled and grouted its original melamine white front with the same glass mosaic tile we used as our backsplash.

You can’t quite tell in the picture, but the butcher block top overhangs the base unit, which allows for three stools to fit perfectly underneath it.

Ikea products used in kitchen: VARDE cabinet, VARDE cabinet handles, NUMERAR countertop, GRUNDTAL shelving, and Ikea stools (that I can’t find the name to).

~ K Lonnstrom