If you've opted for an island cabinet arrangement for your kitchen as part of your remodelling project, you can really add a neat finishing touch to it by including a plinth.  Not only can a plinth give your units a more professional-looking finish, it will make cleaning much easier too, as dirt and debris won't be able to get trapped underneath your new units.

This is a simple project that you could take on yourself if you have a bit of DIY experience, or you could ask your remodelling contractor to do it for you if you're not confident to do it yourself.

Here's how it's done.

What you'll need

• plinth
• tape measure
• try-square
• pencil
• fixing bracket and screws
• bradawl
• screwdriver

You can get everything you need for this job from a good DIY store if you don't already have the tools in your toolkit.  Most kitchen island unit arrangements are of a standard size and plinth kits are readily available in a wide range of colours and finishes.

How to do it

1. Start by measuring the length of the island's sides and cutting the plinth to fit.  To do this, place the plinth flat on the floor alongside the front edge of the island and use a try-square to mark out two pencil lines where the unit legs sit.  
2. Next, hold a fixing bracket in place between the two lines that you've marked, and make a starting hole using a bradawl.  
3. Screw the bracket to the leg, parallel to the bottom edge of the unit.  Fit the other brackets to each side of the island in the same way.  
4. Next, slide the special plinth clips that are supplied with the plinth into the fixing brackets on the island.  
5. Take the plastic plinth attachments and screw them vertically onto the plinth so that they align perfectly with the plinth clips and fixing brackets.  
6. To finish off the job, attach the plinth to the island.  To do this, simply slide the plinth attachments into the clips so that each piece of plinth is held securely in place on the appropriate fixing bracket.

In conclusion

You can give your island kitchen cabinet unit a really professional finish by fitting a plinth.  For non-standard shaped islands and units, you may have to ask a professional cabinet maker to produce a bespoke plinth for you.  If this is the case, you would be best advised to ask a kitchen remodelling firm to fit the plinth for you, unless you are very experienced in home DIY projects.