Mum saves hundreds creating kitchen island for £33 from old baby changing unit

You’d never know the island on the right used to be the baby changing unit on the left (Picture: LatestDeals.co.uk)

Kitchen islands can cost hundreds – or even thousands – of pounds to buy new.

But one mum managed to make her own from an old baby changing unit she snapped up on Facebook Marketplace for £20 – and she transformed it on a budget too. 

Nikki Dixon, 43, a carer from Cardiff, managed to turn the changing unit into an exact match for her kitchen with the use of Fablon, furniture paint, and brand new handles.

Best of all, rather than splashing out £600 for a kitchen island, her transformation cost her just £32.99 in total.

Nikki told money-saving Facebook group DIY On A Budget UK: ‘I have three children who nickname me the DIY queen – they never know what they’ll be coming home to! 

‘I’m currently ripping out my chimney wall and rendering it to have a log stove installed. I’ll have a go at anything.’

The unit Nikki picked up for £20 on Facebook Marketplace (Picture: LatestDeals.co.uk)

Mum-of-three Nikki said she’d been looking for a kitchen island for a while when she got the idea to make her own.

This was partly because she knew she could save cash by doing it herself, but also because the worktops available in the shops were too large for her kitchen.

Nikki said: ‘I also faced the problem that with my kitchen being quite small that they were too big and would take up too much room.

That same unit after mum-of-three Nikki transformed it into a handy kitchen island (Picture: LatestDeals.co.uk)

‘I decided to give it a go and make my own to a size I knew would be a good fit. I also wanted it to match my existing kitchen.’

After coming across a baby changing until on Facebook Marketplace for £20, Nikki collected it in her car, which she said ‘was a bit of a squeeze but saved on delivery costs.’ 

Interiors enthusiast Nikki then went to The Range and picked up a pack of four swivel wheels for £6.99, as she wanted the island to be able to move around.

Nikki loves upcycling and DIY, getting power tools as Christmas presents (Picture: LatestDeals.co.uk)

‘I removed the original legs and drilled these to the base,’ added Nikki. ‘I had recently used Ribbeck Oak Fablon to cover my kitchen worktops, so I bought another roll of this from B&M for £6 and re-covered the top so it was an exact match.’

From there, she used leftover brilliant white furniture paint to brighten up the wood and changed the handles to match her existing cabinets. 

And far from being a taxing project – both in terms of effort and budget.

She picked up swivel wheels at The Range and drilled these into the bottom of the unit to make it moveable (Picture: LatestDeals.co.uk)

Nikki said: ‘I transformed the unit for a total cost of £32.99! 

‘It was an absolute bargain, and took just two hours of my time. I love the finished look and I’ve saved myself hundreds of pounds.’

Another upcycling project Nikki’s undertaken recently is turning an old Welsh dresser into a corner display cabinet, TV unit, and enclosure for her pet chameleon.

Handles to match Nikki’s kitchen were added – and it seems her pooch gives his seal of approval (Picture: LatestDeals.co.uk)

Nikki said: ‘I am always looking for a new challenge and project. Some mums have handbags for birthdays and Christmas, I have power tools.

‘I now have plenty more storage in my kitchen and I love the finished look.’

She added: ‘I think anybody is capable of making this and would need minimal tools to achieve it.

‘The wheels just screw on and the Fablon is very easy to apply as it was a smooth flat surface.’

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This handy mum has inspired fellow DIYers to give it a go themselves.

She said: ‘I’m happy people have been inspired to do this.

‘The shop-bought islands were priced from £300 to £600 and weren’t even going to be an exact match to my kitchen. I am really happy with a saving like that as mine cost just £32.99.

‘What I also love is that it is unique and I’ve made it myself.’

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