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.”

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.

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.

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.

5. Buy an island separate

Outsourcing your kitchen island allows for additional aesthetic and functional flexibility.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

13. Experiment with different wood grains

This Tasmanian oak island is a great compliment to the other wood grains in the 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.

15. Take inspiration from modernist styles

This Eichler home kitchen island with an inset range has two tiers, separating dining from cooking space.

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