A bespoke kitchen island built in my workshop usually costs between GBP 2,500 and GBP 4,000, and more where the island is large or carries a stone worktop, a sink or a hob. That figure covers design, materials, making, finishing and me fitting it myself.
Where a piece sits in that range comes down to four things: how big it is, what it is made from, how it is finished, and how much has to happen inside it. Here is how each one moves the price.
What the price includes
The home design visit is free, and there is no charge for drawing the island or talking through options. Once the design is agreed you get a written figure that covers timber and sheet materials, the worktop if I am supplying it, hardware, workshop time, priming and painting or finishing, delivery and installation.
There is no showroom margin and no subcontracted fitter, because I do the consulting, the making and the fitting myself.
Size is the biggest single factor
A compact island of around 1.2 metres with two cupboards and a timber top sits near the lower end of the range. A 2.4 metre island with drawers, an end panel, open shelving and an overhang for stools sits at the upper end.
Depth matters as much as length. Once an island is deep enough to need access from both sides, it becomes two cabinet runs back to back, and the carcase work roughly doubles.
Materials and finish
Solid oak construction costs more than tulipwood built for hand painting, but it needs no repainting in ten years time. Painted work carries extra labour: priming, filling, sanding between coats and letting the finish harden properly before the piece is moved.
Worktops swing the total more than people expect. A timber top on a modest island can be a few hundred pounds; a granite or quartz top templated and installed by a stone fitter often adds four figures.
What happens inside the island
Cupboards and shelves are straightforward. Deep pan drawers on quality runners, internal lighting, a socket in the end panel, a sink with waste and water run under the floor, or a hob with extraction all add cost through both parts and coordination.
If services are involved, I plan them at design stage with your electrician or plumber, so nothing has to be cut into a finished piece afterwards.
When a bespoke island is not the right answer
If your room takes a standard-sized island and you are happy with a factory door style, a custom island built from pre-made components will usually come in lower. I will tell you when that is the case rather than sell you something you do not need.
Bespoke earns its money where the space is awkward, where the island has to match existing cabinetry exactly, or where you want proportions and details that no catalogue offers.
How long it takes
Allow a few weeks from agreeing the design to fitting. Most of that is workshop time for making and finishing, and letting paint or oil cure properly.
Installing a single island is usually a day, occasionally two where services or scribing to old walls are involved.
The next step
The starting point is always a free home design visit. I measure the room, we talk through how you want to use the island, and I tell you honestly what it would cost before you commit to anything.
You will find photographs of islands, dressers and display cabinets built in the workshop on the bespoke islands and dressers page, and you can book a visit on the book your visit page.
