When we did the beach house kitchen makeover, I originally had planned to use the Ikea Groland freestanding island. The kitchen needed an additional work surface and I liked the industrial vibe of this piece.
But along the way, I realized that this modest kitchen would function better with some additional seating. This led us to the Ikea Stenstorp island.
The Stenstorp freestanding island packs a lot of style in addition to functionality. It comes with a solid oak butcher block top that can be stained light or dark. We chose Minwax dark walnut to match the other countertops.
If this kitchen had been larger, we probably would have opted to mix the countertops (wood on the island and laminate or maybe granite on the perimeter).
The base of the island is white and it also comes in black. The painted finish could be changed with some sanding and priming. We left ours as it was because it matched the color of our cabinets.
On the side facing in, the Stenstorp has two shelves finished in stainless steel. I love these! They give the piece an industrial vibe and provide lots of storage. We added the two wooden crates from Home Depot for housing paper goods and water bottles.
On the other side, there is plenty of room for two counter stools. Counter stool choices will dictate whether the island feels country, modern or industrial, enabling this piece to blend with any decor.
We outfitted our island with three dark bronze hooks from Home Depot. These are perfect for towels and it customizes the island so it doesn’t look like every other Stenstorp that’s out there.
For additional functionality and a cool look, you could add casters to the island.
The $399 price tag, together with the fairly easy assembly, make this an ideal piece for a modest kitchen update.
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