12 DIY Kitchen Island Trim Ideas
Adding trim to your kitchen island is a great way to add personality and interest to your kitchen. Here are 12 ideas to inspire you!
Adding trim and molding to the back of a builder-grade kitchen island or even a peninsula is a quick and easy way to elevate a kitchen. All you need are a few boards for the trim, nails, paint, and a little imagination.
What Material Can I Use as Trim?
There are many ways to add decorative trim to a plain kitchen island. You can easily kick things up a notch by using detailed molding or create patterns with the molding. The most common is to use simple 1×3 or 1×4 boards to add detail. You can also add faux feet for the added custom look! I have examples of all of these below!
How Do You Install Trim on an Island?
Typically island trim is installed using simple pin nails or finish nails. The molding doesn’t get stressed and the nails are good enough to hold it together. You could use construction adhesive if you like but if you ever decide to take the molding off, you will have a nightmare of a time getting a clean slate.
To finish, you can use caulk and wood putty before painting. The simple rule is to use wood putty where wood meets wood and caulk where wood meets the wall. This will result in a nice clean professional finish.
Painting can be done with either a paint sprayer – which will need a lot of prep to cover up adjoining areas or a brush and good quality roller and paint with good leveling quality.
Trim Ideas for Kitchen Islands
To spark your imagination, I am sharing some of my favorite kitchen island makeovers using trim from across the internet with all types of styles – farmhouse to modern.
1. Modern Kitchen Island Makeover from Anika’s DIY Life
This is the peninsula in my kitchen which got a makeover from a plain old back to this gorgeous modern look with a few 1×2 boards. Check out the complete tutorial.
PS: Also, check out how my my kitchen makeover is coming along!
2. Kitchen Island Update Using Geometric Trim from Crafted By The Hunts
There are no rules around the pattern you can use. Like this geometric pattern using screen molding that turned a builder-grade island into a focal point!
3. Farmhouse Kitchen Island Makeover from Houseful of Handmade
If you aren’t willing to take a chance and add lots of trim, simple addition of a wider baseboard and furniture legs to make it look beautiful like a piece of furniture.
4. Island Makeover with Baseboard Molding from Inspiration for Moms
Sometimes simply adding a new wider baseboard and layering it can make all the difference in the builder-grade and custom-built look!
5. Kitchen Island with Beadboard and Trim by Remodelaholic
Board and batten look with beadboard paneling is another excellent and easy way to add detail to a simple island.
6. Customize a Kitchen Island with Trim from Lost and Found
You could keep things very simple with a few 1×4 boards, simple little feet to create a custom look.
7. Custom Trim Kitchen Island Makeover from Just A Girl and Her Blog
Craftsman style baseboard and new corbels added to this kitchen island make it the focal point of this kitchen.
8. Kitchen Island Trim from The Harper House
The X-detail on this kitchen island is made with thin poplar boards to create a custom panel.
9. DIY Kitchen Island Makeover from Bitterroot DIY
This was the second makeover for this kitchen island taking it from an island with a bar top second level to a modern kitchen workspace that functions much better.
10. Adding Molding to A Builder Grade Kitchen Island from Love Remodeled
Adding trim to this kitchen island was inexpensive and requires only a few simple tools.
11. Kitchen Island Makeover with Board and Batten Trim from Thrifty and Chic
Board and batten is a popular architectural detail and is great to add to a kitchen island!
12. Makeover with Distressed Wood Panel Trim from Pretty Handy Girl
A distressed wood panel framed with trim adds rustic detail and would be a great idea for a kitchen island.
You Might Also Like –
- 20 easy DIY projects for the kitchen
- How to reface kitchen cabinets
- 9 Dos and Don’ts of installing board and batten
Anika's goal is to inspire and empower beginners with woodworking, DIY, home improvement, and home decor ideas.
She wants everyone to unlock their creative potential and experience the feeling that comes with making something. Nothing feels better better than seeing something and saying "I can make that!"
