Even though this may seem like an illusionist’s act, the kitchen island in the video below is as real as it gets. Tim Thaler needed a versatile kitchen that could provide plenty of space, but in the same time wanted an island for storage. In a mind quest for how to do both, he came up with the ingenious solution of having a retractable kitchen island. Here is Tim’s description of the project: This is my kitchen island, below is an unfinished utility/storage room. A hydraulic scissor lift is at bolted to the cement, and then a small frame is built on top of the scissor lift table. On top of that is a subfloor, flooring, and then the island. The cabinet doors are on the other side, and have safety push button switches that kill the electricity from the Smart Home Insteon switches, and prevent it from moving when the doors are not fully closed. This lift can easily lift over 1,500lbs, so it was an important safety feature! Please comment if you are interested in seeing the inner workings of this. Believe it or not. I used IKEA boxes and hardware with custom walnut fronts built by Scherrs.Be sure to have a look at the video below to see how this fascinating design goes in and out of the floor at a touch of a button.

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