Gardener Transforms IKEA Kitchen Find Into Genius Potting Station With Built-In Storage

It's truly a home gardener's dream to have a dedicated potting station with all of their supplies organized right at hand. But customized setups like that can cost a pretty penny, and more affordable premade store options may not have all of the storage features you need. Thankfully, one clever gardener discovered the perfect middle ground between personalized and affordable, all by heading to the kitchen section at IKEA.

Well Grounded Gardens shared on YouTube how she made the IKEA SUNNERSTA kitchenette into a perfectly customizable potting bench station for under $200 and in only about 20 minutes. While her exact setup will only set you back $193.92, the modular SUNNERSTA line can be configured to your liking with affordable add-on parts like shelves, hooks, baskets, and more. The best approach would be to gather all of your potting supplies to see what you have and determine the best way to accessorize your SUNNERSTA to fit your specific storage needs. It is worth noting, however, that this kitchenette is technically an indoor product, meaning it works best as a potting station on a covered porch or sunroom rather than out in the elements, where it can rust. If you're looking for an outdoor-friendly kitchen turned potting station, look at the IKEA NÄMMARÖ series. While it only features hooks on its upper rails so the configuration options are more limited, the line can be used outdoors for those without a protected space.

Let's explore how you can create the customized potting bench of your dreams for under $200 with this IKEA hack featuring the endlessly versatile SUNNERSTA kitchenette.

To create a similar setup to the YouTube gardener, begin by purchasing the IKEA SUNNERSTA kitchenette. There's a version available with a kitchen faucet and sink if you need running water (and have access to a hookup), but the YouTuber simply used the basin as extra storage. You can install the floating shelf below the countertop on either side, and the YouTuber opted to install it under the recessed basin so the opposite side was completely open for two stacked storage bins, the smaller and larger SORTERA recycling bins with flip up lids. The larger bin on the bottom can be used for potting supplies, fertilizers, or soil conditioners that you'll want at arm's reach when potting. The smaller bin on the top can contain the loose potting soil mixture, which is easy to scoop through the tip-up lid. When it's time to clean up, simply remove the top completely and use a brush to sweep any extra soil that had fallen on the work surface during potting back into the bin.

On the stainless steel worktop itself, the YouTube gardener shares her preferred setup, with a 35 quart plastic work bin floating over the recessed basin and an open space on the flat surface on the left. For gardeners who use seedling trays, the remaining space is large enough to fit two 10" by 20" trays side-by-side. Extra trays and corresponding 2x2 seedling pots can be stacked on and/or below the SUNNERSTA's lower floating shelf. Alternatively, the lower shelf could be used for extra pots or your watering can, depending on your potting needs and scope.

While you'll want to purchase accessories from the SUNNERSTA line that best suit your tool and supply collection, let's break down how the YouTube gardener chose to outfit the top rails of her kitchenette-turned-potting station for optimum results. Hanging container baskets are perfect for corralling tall narrow potting tools like knives, scissors, small pruning shears, dibbers, and markers for labeling. The slotted dish draining shelf is ideal for anything that needs a place to dry after a rinse, such as soil blockers, measuring cups, water droppers, and misters. It is also the larger of the two shelf options, so it could help with storing wider items. The smaller regular shelf is great for wrangling for a large range of items, from your soil cleaning brush and measuring tape to an assortment of soaps and plant treatments.

The SUNNERSTA kitchenette comes with five hooks included, which are fantastic for suspending small gardening hand tools with handle loops, such as trowels, hand forks, soil scoops, and cultivators. They can also hold rags, gardening gloves, and, as the YouTuber found out, sheet protectors filled with documents like your garden map and yearly task schedule for easy flipping. If you need more of these exceptionally handy hooks, they are available to purchase independently in a five pack. Finally, top off your potting station with a paper towel holder to make cleanup a breeze.

The IKEA SUNNERSTA kitchenette and corresponding line of modular accessories are the ideal building blocks to create a low cost, easy-to-build custom potting bench station for less than $200.