9 New Kitchen Island Designs
An island offers many common-sense improvements to a
kitchen. Among them are more countertop space, an efficient work triangle,
casual seating and additional storage. But there are other not-so-obvious
features you can create with an island. Think face-to-face seating,
dropped-down tables and raised-up bars. Here, design and remodeling pros share
details about those and other great kitchen island features worth considering.
1. Dropped-Down Dining Table
Designer: Heather Markwood of Living Chic
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
Size: 650 square feet (60 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “The homeowners love to entertain, but their previous
kitchen was small with a nonfunctional island,” says designer Heather Markwood,
who used Houzz Pro Mood Boards to showcase material selections to the
homeowners. “They craved space and a huge island to entertain guests.”
Special island feature. Lowered dining table extension. “The additional lower
table offers flexibility to use for additional seating or a serving board for
food when they are hosting a large gathering,” Markwood says.
Other special features. Marble-look quartz countertops and range backsplash
(London Grey by Caesarstone). Marble tile in a herringbone pattern on the sink
wall. The island is a soft blue-gray (Blue Lace by Benjamin Moore). The
perimeter cabinets are white (Snowbound by Sherwin Williams).
Designer tip. “The key to the selection process is to put all the
materials together to ensure all the tones and elements work together,”
Markwood says.
“Uh-oh” moment. “We found out that the overhang on the island with the span was
unstable,” Markwood says. “The homeowner wanted knee space, so we came up with
a design solution for corbels to add the extra support needed.”
2. Curved Countertop
Designer: Rachel James-Dolan
Builder: Sneller Custom Homes and Remodeling
Location: Montgomery, Texas
Homeowners’ request. “The previous kitchen had some flow and efficiency
problems,” says Jenny Sneller, who co-owns Sneller Custom Homes and Remodeling
with her husband, Matt. The homeowners and their designer found the
construction firm by searching for builders on Houzz.
“Removing all the cabinets and starting fresh gave us the
opportunity to make a complete kitchen with more spatial awareness and
function,” Sneller says. “Initially the client just wanted to add upper
cabinets so there was no gap to the ceiling, but the designer worked with the
homeowner and presented ideas and designs to start new. Keeping the sink and
appliances in the same locations, reconfiguring and moving the island and
finishing out the rest of the space gave the client the solution to their
problems.”
Special island feature. Curved countertop design.
“The house flow is very linear,” Sneller says. “The kitchen and living room are
basically one room, so the curve of the island on one side with the straight
sofa back opposite it created a better walking space that didn’t feel like a
hallway.”
Other special features. Green cabinets (Rocky River
by Sherwin-Williams). Creamy gray island base and vent hood (Perfect Greige at
50% by Sherwin-Williams). White polished 3D backsplash tile. Flower motif tile
behind range. Macaubas Fantasy quartzite countertops. Rose gold knobs on the
upper cabinets, matte black pulls on the lowers. Matte white appliances.
Designer tip. “Form follows function,” Sneller says.
“We started the remodel process by fully understanding how the client and their
family used their kitchen. From there, we were able to design the cabinetry and
flow to work around their needs. We all love the clean lines of open shelving,
but for this family they needed storage and function. When starting with
functional design in a kitchen, the colors and feel follow shortly after.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “Once the cabinets were demoed and
the cabinet installer sketched the new ones on the walls, we quickly noticed
how short and narrow the pantry door felt,” Sneller says. “We were fortunate
that the framer was able to widen the space for the door, and the vendor was
able to get us a new taller and wider door very quickly. It really helped
finish out the space and make it feel like a cohesive remodel.”
Tile: Nabi Jewel 3D polished ceramic in natural white
(backsplash) and Angela Harris Wilder Protea Leaves Mural, 8 by 8 inches
(behind range), Tile Bar; wall paint: Perfect Greige, Sherwin-Williams
3. T-Shaped Bar Counter
Designer: Jenny Butler of Shelter Custom-Built Living
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
Size: 435 square feet (40 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “The homeowner requested an open-plan kitchen with
high ceilings balancing minimalist and luxury, along with a uniquely shaped
island mixing white oak elements with marble,” says designer Jenny Butler, who
used Houzz ideabooks to share design ideas with the homeowners. “The homeowner
wanted the island to be the focal point but also be used for storage and
entertainment, not appliances. To achieve this request, we enlarged the size of
the back kitchen, allowing for a second paneled dishwasher, built-in coffee
system, microwave, warming drawer and oven.”
Special island feature. T-shaped island design. “The unique T-shaped
island was designed to allow family and guests to comfortably eat and socialize
face to face,” Butler says. “To achieve this request and maintain a modern
feel, we designed the island in white oak veneer. This material allowed us to
miter the waterfall bar top leg for support, ensuring the support would not
interfere with bar chair placement or legs. The white oak veneer is easy to
clean and care for.”
Other special features. Calacatta Apuano honed marble slab backsplash
and countertops with waterfall edges. Glossy white island base, range hood,
paneled appliances and other details. White oak lower cabinets, interior upper
cabinet boxes and flooring. Black accents.
Designer tip. “To achieve a sleek, uniform look in your kitchen,
color-match your wall, ceiling and trim paint to match your cabinets,” Butler
says. “Minimizing the number of shades creates a clean aesthetic and does not
compete with the other materials or textures used in the same area.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “When 2D and 3D kitchen layouts did not help our client
visualize the T-shape bar layout and flow of traffic in the kitchen, we decided
to tape out the entire kitchen layout on the floor to scale for our client to
walk through, feel and understand the design cultivated for this area,” Butler
says. “Everything stayed as originally planned, and our client could not be
happier with her experience and kitchen design.”
Stools: Ansel, Arteriors; island chandelier: Perle 3,
Larose Guyon; walls, ceiling and trim paint: Alabaster, Sherwin-Williams.
4. Beverage Fridge and Open Storage
Designer: Sierra Fallon of Rumor Designs
Location: Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Size: 374 square feet (35 square feet); 17 by 22 feet
Homeowners’ request. “The homeowner wanted to modernize the style of the
home, which was incredibly traditional in style and with formal spaces,”
designer Sierra Fallon says. “They are a young family, so creating fun yet
practical areas to be with family and friends was important in the design. We
wanted to open up the layout and create a much larger island in order to
provide an informal dining area for their family since the main dining room is
in a formal space in a separate room. They wanted to add color to the room to
balance the existing flagstone floors and beautiful woodwork.”
Special island features. Beverage fridge and open storage. “The
homeowner wanted to include an open area to showcase her cookbooks, and since
we didn’t have room for a full-depth cabinet in this space, it created a
perfect opportunity to incorporate that detail. Adjacent to the end of the
island is an informal living room, so it made sense to have an undercabinet
fridge there for easy access. Setting those two elements together added to the
more casual, informal, family-friendly vibe of this space and gives an
opportunity to break up the cabinetry with a pop of color.”
Other special features. Green perimeter cabinets (Rosemary by
Sherwin-Williams). White ceramic tile backsplash. Quartz countertops (Alpine
Mist by Caesarstone.) Large-scale limestone flooring. Wire-brushed white oak
island base with black glazing. “A glazed wood door would generally fit well in
a traditional-style kitchen, but we applied it onto a slab-face door style,
which created a more contemporary look while paying homage to the traditional
elements of the home,” Fallon says. “The texture of the wood adds a whole other
beautiful detail and depth to the cabinets.”
Designer tip. “When starting a remodel, it’s important to take into
account the house itself and the style of the original home,” Fallon says.
“Even with all of the furniture removed from this house, the actual bones of
the house are very formal, so it would not have worked to put a super modern
kitchen into it. The colors, organic themes and door style of the kitchen were
intentional in tying back to the home itself while also creating a unique space
specific to this client.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “The countertops are a quartz product in a honed finish, and
during the install there were some complications,” Fallon says. “Honed finishes
can be tricky, especially on a man-made product since it shows oils and stains
a lot more than a polished finish. On this project, the fabricator had to use
two slabs to cover the island since it is so large, and the seam between the
two slabs became very obvious when they first installed it. Not only that, but
the adhesive they used ended up getting spread around the seam. This would have
disappeared on a polished countertop, but the honed countertop showed
everything on these slabs and it looked awful. The fabricator had to replace
the slabs twice before getting a clean seam.”
Island lights: Eldridge in Old Bronze, Hudson Valley Lighting
5. Small but Mighty
Designer: Jessica Nelson Design
Location: Seattle
Size: 140 square feet (13 square meters); 10 by 14 feet
Homeowners’ request. “They have a beautiful view of Mount Rainier out
the sink windows, and their kitchen was closed off and completely segmented
from the rest of the house,” designer Jessica Nelson says. “We opened up a wall
and expanded their kitchen to make it so much more functional. Our clients have
a fun style, and they wanted something both classic and bold, so we had lots of
fun with a moody backsplash and hood.”
Special island features. A compact island offers seating for two,
storage on two sides and plenty of style with a soapstone countertop and black
base. “We wanted to include an island to help create a focal point in the
room,” Nelson says. “Also, they have an amazing view out the windows above the
sink, so we wanted to create a great spot to sit and take in the view.”
Other special features. Dark green backsplash tile. White Shaker-style
inset cabinets (White Dove by Benjamin Moore). Brass accents.
6. Furniture-Style Storage
Designer: Kristyn Harvey Interiors
Location: Solana Beach, California
Size: 286 square feet (27 square meters); 13 by 22 feet
Homeowners’ request. “The homeowners envisioned a bright and open
kitchen that did not obstruct their backyard views,” designer Kristyn Harvey
says. “They are big cooks and have two young children, so they wanted a kitchen
that functions as a family gathering place.”
Special island feature. Furniture-style storage unit. “The mom wanted to
be able to cook while also helping the kids with their homework, so the island
was designed with a furniture piece on the end that also functions as a
homework station with charging cables for the kids’ future laptops and drawers
for school supplies.
“One drawer is a catchall for miscellaneous items that the kids bring home,
like little drawings or goodie bags. The second drawer is for homework
supplies, such as pencils and crayons, etc. The upper open shelf is for the
kids’ backpacks, lunch bags and water bottles so their mom can easily pack
their lunches in the morning. The lower open shelf has rattan open-weave
baskets for storing dried goods like onions, potatoes and garlic.”
“Tip: Use a white pillowcase inside the open-weave rattan basket to place dried
goods. This protects them from being exposed to light so they don’t start
sprouting and allows enough ventilation so they don’t rot. This gives you the
woven basket look without sacrificing functionality.”
Other special features. Plain sawn white oak island base. Porcelain slab
countertops. Stacked-pattern backsplash tile in varying shades of white (Cloe
by Bedrosians Tile and Stone). White cabinets (White Dove by Benjamin Moore).
Designer tip. “Forgo upper cabinets and go for more windows or open
shelving in its place to open up the room and add more light,” Harvey says.
“And use drawers for everything. This allows you to be able to visualize
everything in the drawer, instead of digging into the back of a cabinet.”
7. Usable Butcher Block Top
Architect: Stacy Eisenmann of Eisenmann Architecture
Location: Albany, California
Size: 146 square feet (14 square meters); 11½ by 12¾ feet
Homeowners’ request. “The homeowner wanted a kitchen island, and the
original kitchen footprint was too small, so we moderately enlarged it by
creating a bay window niche to accommodate the sink cabinets,” architect Stacy
Eisenmann says. “Also, the client’s favorite color is periwinkle, and that
became an important element in the finish design.”
Special island feature. Maple butcher block top. “The island butcher
block was constructed with the ability to chop on, providing a more integrated
workstation that can be accessed from all sides of the kitchen,” Eisenmann says.
“The island has storage to meet homeowner-specific needs — drawers on one side,
microwave on the other side and open bookshelves for their cookbook library.
The open shelving also connects visually with the upper-cabinet open shelves
that flank the cooktop.”
Other special features. Gray-blue upper cabinets and storage wall cabinets
(Harlequin Blue by Benjamin Moore). Blue-purple lower cabinets (Stratford Blue
by Benjamin Moore). Calacatta Caldia marble perimeter countertops. Stacked
matte white backsplash tile. Maple veneer island base and open shelves.
Designer tip. “We love the proportion of the 2-by-9-inch tile in a
kitchen backsplash,” Eisenmann. “Also, the periwinkle color needed something to
contrast with it, and in this case the maple upper cabinets were essential to
help elevate the cabinet color.”
8. Movable Bar-Height Workstation
Designer: Amy Miller Weinstein of AMW Design Studio
Location: Birmingham, Michigan
Homeowners’ request. “The old kitchen lacked counter
space and storage for larger equipment,” designer Amy Miller Weinstein says.
“There was a very large walk-in closet that backed up to the original kitchen,
so I presented the idea of using that space to be a prep kitchen. We placed the
ovens and refrigerator in that space, as well as their large coffee maker,
Cuisinart, Vitamix and microwave. This additional space solved their problems
and keeps all the unsightly necessities of an active kitchen out of sight.”
Special island feature. Movable bar-height working countertop. “Because
she has chronic back issues, the homeowner prefers working on her laptop at a
42-inch-height counter,” Weinstein says. “We added the furniture piece at the end
of the island to accommodate her request. It can be moved and tucked away if
they are entertaining, but for the everyday look, it’s harmonious with the
overall design.”
Other special features. Custom mahogany cabinets. Honed quartzite
countertops. Mosaic backsplash tile.
Designer tip. “The prep kitchen is the best new-old trick in kitchen
design,” Weinstein says. “With open kitchens becoming the norm, people need a
spot where all the functional activities happen. I recommend carving out a prep
area to anyone planning a new kitchen space.”
9. Two-Sided Seating
Designer: TriVistaUSA Design + Build
Location: Arlington, Virginia
Size: 198 square feet (18 square meters)
Special island feature. Two-sided seating that allows the option for
face-to-face conversation.
Other special features. Light gray upper cabinets (Evening Shadow by
Sherwin-Williams). Blue-gray lower cabinets (Steely Gray by Sherwin-Williams).
Bianco Dolomiti honed marble backsplash tile. Marble-look quartz countertops.
Polished nickel pendant lights (Fletcher from Hinkley). Widespread bridge
faucet.
Designer tip. Using a lighter cabinet color for upper cabinets can help
add visual height to a room.
See an island you like? Cabinet-S-Top can help you design the right island for you kitchen. Located at 1977 Medina Road, Medina, OH 44256 ~ 330.239.3630 | cabinet-s-top.com
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