This IKEA Kitchen Island Had Open Shelves Until Drawers and Wine Storage Were Added
IKEA’s TORNVIKEN kitchen island comes with two broad open shelves beneath a wood worktop. That leaves room for cookware and serving pieces, but no drawers for utensils or dedicated storage for bottles.
Reddit user u/jamesgfilms found that another IKEA piece, the two-drawer EKBY ALEX shelf, was close enough in width to fit beneath the TORNVIKEN worktop. Instead of sacrificing both open shelves, the drawer unit went into the upper section.
Two bamboo wine racks filled the space below the new drawers. An IKEA LEDBERG strip added light across the bottles, while a KUNGSFORS rail went on the end for towels. The bottom TORNVIKEN shelf stayed open for pots and an appliance.
TORNVIKEN Started With Two Open Shelves
The original island shows why the modification works without rebuilding the frame. Two long wood shelves span the white base, while the space beneath the worktop has no drawer boxes or cabinet doors.
The upper shelf becomes the key part of the conversion. Its position leaves room above for the EKBY ALEX and below for bottles, while the second shelf can still hold larger kitchen gear.
EKBY ALEX Adds Two Drawers Across the Top
The EKBY ALEX has two shallow drawers inside a long white case. Its recessed black pulls put the handles within the drawer fronts rather than adding knobs or bars.
That white case also matches the TORNVIKEN frame, helping the two separate IKEA products read as one unit once fitted together.
Two Bamboo Racks Fit Across the Wine Shelf
Each bamboo rack measures about 60 cm tall and has five bottle openings down each side. For this project, two racks were turned on their sides and placed next to each other beneath the drawers.
The creator paid £19.99 for each rack and positioned them toward the back of the island so the bottle necks would not extend past the front edge. The bamboo also picks up the wood tones found across the TORNVIKEN shelves and worktop.
Drawer Rails Needed a New Position
Fitting the drawer unit inside the island required changes behind the front. The side-by-side images show the metal rail moved toward the front, changing where the drawer sits within the TORNVIKEN frame.
The creator said he cut about 3 cm into parts of the sides and moved the runners forward. That lets the drawers extend farther out from beneath the worktop and gives access to more of their depth.
Wine Storage Sits Just Below the Drawers
With the drawer case installed, the bamboo rack occupies the narrow band between it and the original wood shelf. Bottles slide through the round openings with their necks facing the front.
A LEDBERG strip beneath the drawer unit casts light across the wood shelf. The light makes the bottle row visible without taking another section of the island for a lamp or fixture.
Open Storage Still Has Room for Cookware
The finished island shows how much storage survived the conversion. Drawers take the top section, wine occupies the middle, and the bottom shelf still holds pots, pans, and a small appliance.
A KUNGSFORS rail mounted on the end provides a place for kitchen towels. The worktop remains clear, so none of the added storage reduces the original prep surface.
Open Shelves Became Four Separate Storage Zones
The comparison makes the change clear. The stock TORNVIKEN offers two open shelves beneath its worktop. The modified version divides that same frame into drawers, illuminated bottle storage, cookware storage, and an end rail for towels.
The creator later reported that the drawers had shifted after several years. He said he would use more L-brackets if he built the setup again, adding more support than the wood wedges and limited brackets used in the first version.
Would you add drawers and a wine rack to an open IKEA island, or keep both shelves for cookware?
Image credits to Ikea and u/jamesgfilms.