Custom Kitchen Island Made from Vintage Wood Ladders

Making a custom kitchen island with an industrial or vintage look is easy if you can find a few great wood vintage ladders. I like to use vintage wood ladders for a variety of reasons, but you can always build your custom kitchen island with new wood ladders.

I like using vintage wood ladders for this custom kitchen island, because it makes it narrow a long. If you have a smaller or narrow kitchen, this will allow you to have the coveted kitchen island, but still have room to walk!

If you are using new wood ladders, then be sure to stain or paint them. You can age them by rubbing wood gel stain on them.

Now, to build a custom kitchen island using vintage wood ladders you will need:

3 wood ladders

Power dill

Wood screws

Glass top or butcher block

Plywood shelving (optional)

Now, the key to making this shabby chic or industrial kitchen island easy is finding those great mid height wood ladders. You need them to be counter height and there are a variety of ways to do this. If you are lucky enough to find a vintage wood ladder with about 4 rungs, you are probably pretty close to the height you need.

Shorter ladders can be made taller with castors screwed into the bottom. You can also add wood finial posts as feet. Taller ladders can be cut down to size.

Now, take these two ladders and set them side by side. Now, top them off with one longer ladder. This will be the top.

Pull the two shorter base vintage ladders apart until they are about 4 inches from the ends of the top ladder.

You need the vintage wood ladder that is acting as the top to be level. You can add wood biscuits to adjust this.

Pre drill holes and screw the top ladder to the two lower base ladders.

Now, top off the kitchen island with a piece of beveled glass.

If you want, you can skip the whole top ladder and use a sheet of plywood. Now, top that off with some butcher block. Of course be sure to screw into place.

Now, to add storage you can add some plywood shelves cut to length to run from one lower ladder rung to the next.

If you leave off the shelving you can slide stools under the kitchen island.

You could also use four ladders as the base on one side install the shelving. This will make a wider kitchen island.