The Best-Selling IKEA Kitchen Island That's A Storage Dream

There are plenty of IKEA kitchen finds that cost less than 10 bucks, but if you have the capital, consider updating your cooking space with the Tornviken kitchen island. Priced at just under $500, this hefty piece of best-selling furniture is an absolute storage dream, making it a fantastic investment if you are struggling to find an organized spot to stow extra crockery, pans, or appliances. 

The unit is free-standing and has a shelf on one of the longest sides (almost 50 inches), creating two distinct levels for storage. These spacious shelves are ideal for holding items that you use daily, such as skillets and pans. However, they are also large enough to accommodate stacked baking pans and sheet trays, or appliances, such as blenders or rice cookers, that you might not use as often. You can even use the shelves to help you organize empty food storage containers or employ them as an easy-access place for stashing fresh kitchen linens or towels.

As the Tornviken kitchen island only has shelves on one side (the other side has space for tucking in a pair of tall chairs), you can hide your stored items from view by positioning your furniture toward the working area of the kitchen. Alternatively, if you are short on space and do not want to include any chairs, push it up against a wall and display your crockery and glassware freely. Showcasing your prized bowls, cookery books, or even some pretty trinkets on the shelves will provide warmth and character to your space.

Keeping your culinary tools at hand and being able to see everything in one considered area is a useful way to make cooking faster and smoother. Instead of opening cupboards and drawers, you can grab what you need at speed and create an inclusive cooking space for the whole family (or use it in a pantry space to store ingredients). Plus, a kitchen island provides extra countertop space, which is a real boon for cooks who need additional room for rolling out dough, making lengths of pasta, or cutting out cookies. Made of oak veneer, the worktop has a natural character and grounding, rustic aesthetic that will suit a cozy space. Just bear in mind that while it can be wiped clean, it does need to be treated regularly with a wood treatment oil to keep it looking its best.

IKEA's Tornviken island is available in two neutral color ways — off white and oak, or gray and oak — that will beautifully match most kitchens, making it a solid and stylish investment (it comes with a 10-year limited warranty to boot). A couple of other Ikea finds that will instantly update your kitchen and provide additional storage space are a utility cart and a pull-out pantry organizer.