The DIY Glass Block Mini-Island That Improves Countertop Space

Do you find yourself constantly seeking out hacks to add more storage to your kitchen? The struggle is real in the kitchen, especially when it comes to counter space and storage solutions. That's why Instagram DIYer Micol Zanzuri seemed beside herself with excitement over an idea she conceptualized that provides more of both. She notes that when she would describe her unusual concept to others, they told her it was impossible. 

Zanzuri's "impossible" design is one trendy way to bring retro glass blocks back into your home. It's a two-level mini-island made of glass blocks, incorporating a long table that slides out from the island to create more dining or prep space. The island also integrates two storage boxes from IKEA's Bestå system behind the glass block façade (another addition to our growing list of IKEA Bestå hacks to take your home storage to the next level). As a final touch that brings the DIY altogether, the glass blocks are illuminated from behind to create a vibe-y effect. 

The nitty-gritty how-to for this DIY is actually shown in a second video on TikTok, which begins as Zanzuri builds a glass block structure in a taped-out area of her kitchen. She uses silicone glass glue to hold the blocks together, pointing out how much less messy it is than using the customary mortar to join the bricks.

She's right that mortar is the usual choice for building with glass blocks because of its strength and durability. Mortar is especially important for glass block projects that will be exposed to significant amounts of water. Since Zanzuri's island probably won't get that exposure, silicon glass glue is an acceptable choice that definitely provides a clean look with less work and mess. 

Rounded corner glass block pieces give the mini-island a finished look. On the inside of the island, Zanzuri places the Bestå storage boxes. She then adds metal frames to the top of the glass block structure to protect it when sliding the table out to expand it. She goes on to slide the table over the bottom structure. Next, she builds a wooden framework for the top piece of the mini-island, though she does not include the placement of the glass blocks for the top piece in the video.

The magic of the design comes from the DIY dining table, part of which slips between the top and bottom portions of the mini-island. Zanzuri doesn't specify the material the table is made from, though it appears to be wood that she painted. She uses pieces of 4x4 wood for legs and covers them with what looks like painted PVC pipe. The finished unit is intended to expand the surface space when the table piece is pulled out from the island. As one commenter points out, it's not a perfect design because, while providing more dining or worktop space at the pulled-out end of the table, surface space is actually lost on the side of the mini-island against the wall. 

An alternate design to recover that lost space could be a table extension hinged to the wall that would fold down to cover the space where the full table was pulled out. The project could also be redesigned with a hinged drop-down table at the end of the island, although it would provide less space.

The glass blocks can be illuminated, presumably by a fixture behind the glass façade. The mechanism for lighting the blocks isn't shown, but you can find several ways to light them, including by purchasing lighted glass blocks  or using LED lighting between rows of blocks.