15 Modern Kitchen Island Ideas
Kitchen islands are for food prep, dining, and act as spatial dividers. Often they bridge the design gap between living, dining, and kitchen spaces, which means that they should also complement your home’s design style and layout while matching your lifestyle, habits, and budget. Here are some modern kitchen island ideas to help bring things together while maintaining functionality for your home.
1. Try drawers instead of cabinet doors
This kitchen island provides lots of options for hidden storage. "We chose to have a very big kitchen," says homeowner Egelund. "I love it when people cook together."
The kitchen is by Egelund’s brand Vipp, and is a design that was developed more than 14 years ago.
2. Expand counter space using an island with a sink
This renovated kitchen is open, airy, and connected to the rest of the main level.
Plum Projects used Bedrosians Magnifica Luxe polished white porcelain for the island, countertops, and backsplash.
3. Try solid wood
This solid wood island with an inset stove and sink brings expands the natural wood floors upward adding a bit of rustic warmth to the space.
A solid wood kitchen island adds warmth and the inset sink and range makes for an efficient and compact workstation.
4. Install outlets
When you have a small kitchen, a functional dining island is important. Outlets on the side of the island increase functionality for food prep as well.
Lattices increase the flow of light and impart a beach-house vibe to the interiors, but especially this kitchen.
5. Buy an island separate
Outsourcing your kitchen island allows for additional aesthetic and functional flexibility.
This island brings together the various materials of the room and also offers storage space and a butchers block top.
6. Mix and match colors
This earth-tone kitchen is complimented with an island with a white marble top and matte black base. The island also features side shelving for extra convenience.
"Anthony and Sherry love to entertain, so they wanted something that felt a little more austere from the street and then became warm and cozy on the interior," says architect Eric Hughes.
7. Make the island your centerpiece
This kitchen is anchored by an expansive black island, which pops against the crisp white walls and polished concrete floors.
Going monochrome black for a kitchen island might seem intimidating, but when the island is the centerpiece, it ties the space together.
8. Use a longer island for defined separation
This long waterfall island creates a clear divide between dining and kitchen space in this long A-frame home.
Matching the marble top to the dining table is key in keeping the space cohesive as the kitchen is just steps away from the primary living spaces.
9. Blend textures
This island combines the marbled surface with a finished wood texture; keeping the identity of both materials. Giving space for materiality creates dynamism for an otherwise plain white room.
Mixed materials work in this kitchen because of the expansive and generous island, which allows for the material's textures to shine.
10. Inset the dishwasher
Let's face it, sometimes—most times—dishwashers are an eyesore. Insetting the dishwasher into the kitchen island is a great way to hide this clunky appliance while maintaining a crisp clean feel in the kitchen.
Tucked into the island and out of sight is a great and efficient place for a dishwasher to live.
11. Stick to a basic white
Sometimes, a clean white kitchen is all you need! This island top spans across storage cabinetry and two coarse blocks of pitted travertine.
A mix of pure-whites, off-whites, and natural woods make this kitchen feel buttery smooth and chic.
12. Try pink marble
Use of colored marble in the home is always a great way to pop a space. In this case, the pink marble kitchen island compliments the peachy walls and wood to bring everything together in this warm and inviting space.
Pink marble is unexpected, but adds the touch of warmth every kitchen needs.
13. Experiment with different wood grains
This Tasmanian oak island is a great compliment to the other wood grains in the space.
Mixing and matching woods is a simple way to liven up a space.
14. Islands can store more than kitchen items
When using an island to separate spaces, feel free to display items in the built in shelving to identify what room you would like your guests to identify with. These homeowners have stored their children's toys in the potion of the steel island facing the living area.
Open shelving in a kitchen island is a great way to maximize storage space.
15. Take inspiration from modernist styles
This Eichler home kitchen island with an inset range has two tiers, separating dining from cooking space.
A pop-up table attached to the side of the island extends the surface for extra seating.
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