If you're dreaming of a renovation and kitchen island ideas keep popping up in your head, we don't blame you. The way we see it, the kitchen island is the real MVP of the home. From cooking prep to casual dining to storage, these workhorses do it all (and add an architectural focal point). We've gathered 64 of the best kitchen island ideas in a variety of styles. Find inspiration for your future remodeling project in these stunning kitchens by top architects and designers. Whether you dream of creating a spot for nightly homework, gourmet meals, or morning coffee, a practical and beautiful island will be the most used area in the house.
Add Stools
In the kitchen of designer Ray Booth and television executive John Shea’s Nashville home , Roman Thomas pendant lights are installed above the Booth-designed island, Ann Sacks tile was used for the backsplash, the sink fittings are by Kohler, and the stools are by BDDW.
Install a Waterfall Island
Painted in a Benjamin Moore white, the kitchen of a Nova Scotia home designed by Alexander Gorlin is centered by an island clad in Caesarstone; the stools are by Gus Modern.
Mix Marble and Metal
The kitchen of Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent’s former New York apartment is outfitted with cabinetry and butcher-block countertops by Fanuka; the island is clad in unlacquered brass and topped with Breccia Imperiale marble from Artistic Tile. The marble shelves rest on brackets from Liz’s Antique Hardware; the subway tile is from Home Depot, the painting of Saint Peter is an 18th-century work from Peru, and the barstools are vintage American.
Make an Impact With Mirrored Surfaces
The symphony of reflective surfaces in the kitchen of a Manhattan penthouse by Jean-Louis Deniot includes the polished stainless-steel panels on the Deniot-designed island, a Guy de Rougemont free-form chrome-top table, and metallic wallpaper by Phillip Jeffries. The circular artwork is by Astrid Krogh, and the vintage swivel chairs are by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, and Charlotte Perriand.
Go for the Gold
The centerpiece of designer Jamie Drake’s New York kitchen is a custom-made island comprising cabinetry finished in gold leaf by the Alpha Workshops and an overlapping table in Corian with gold inlay; the pendant lights are by Drake, the counter stools are by the Bright Group, and the tabletop sculpture is by Reinaldo Sanguino.
Add Country Charm
At Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen's former Los Angeles home , designed by architect Richard Landry and decorator Joan Behnke, antique Tunisian tile from Exquisite Surfaces makes a lively backsplash in the kitchen, which is appointed with Formations pendant lights, marble countertops from Compas Architectural Stone, custom-made alder cabinetry, an oak island, and a Wolf range.
Use Warm Woods
At the Umbrian estate of architect Benedikt Bolza and his family, the kitchen’s massive oak-top island features sink fittings by KWC.
Make It Massive
This townhouse in New York’s Greenwich Village , designed by Leroy Street Studio architects and decorated by Christine Markatos Lowe, features a massive island that spans the kitchen.
Create Contrast With White
The sleek island in this Shelton, Mindel & Assoc.–designed Hamptons kitchen is paired with Jean Prouvé barstools.
Mix Black and White
The kitchen in this house near Tel Aviv —renovated by homeowner Joshua Kastiel and architect Alex Meitlis—features a black-lacquered Corian-topped island.
Center It in the Space
At a Southampton, New York, retreat renovated by interior designer David Netto and architect David Hottenroth, pendant lights by Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co. illuminate the island, which is paired with BassamFellows tractor stools from Design Within Reach.
Combine Seating and Storage
In the kitchen of an Aspen, Colorado, home designed by Shawn Henderson, a vintage Louis Poulsen pendant light from Lost City Arts hangs above a Caesarstone-top island and Orange Furniture barstools upholstered in an Edelman leather; the hood is by Bulthaup, the cabinetry is by Studio B, the ovens are by Gaggenau, and the sink fittings are by Dornbracht.
Add Standout Stools
The kitchen of a Martha’s Vineyard home designed by Ariel Ashe and Reinaldo Leandro features an island illuminated by minimalist pendant lights by Davide Groppi; the barstools are by Garza Marfa.
Incorporate Appliances
Design duo Dufner Heighes chose marble surfaces in this Manhattan penthouse kitchen, which complement Bulthaup cabinetry. The space is equipped with Miele wall ovens, a Gaggenau cooktop, Dornbracht sink fittings, and a Sub-Zero wine refrigerator; the Suite NY stools are clad in a Holland & Sherry fabric.
Pair With a Table
The kitchen of a Bridgehampton, New York, home designed by Steven Gambrel has plenty of surfaces for prep, including an island and a Gambrel-designed table.
Bring In Shining Surfaces
Sleek ebonized-oak cabinetry, matching flooring, a gleaming island, and black granite counters lend a moody elegance to the revamped kitchen in this Aspen, Colorado, home decorated by Stonefox Architects.
Mix Drawers and Shelves
The kitchen of a Long Island home renovated by designer Daniel Sachs and architect Kevin Lindores includes 1920s American pendant lights over the island and a bespoke copper hood; the range is by Bertazzoni, and the cabinetry at far right is painted in Farrow & Ball's Hague Blue.
Make It Minimalist
Single slabs of Carrara marble and Basaltina top the kitchen counter and island in a Manhattan apartment designed by John Pawson.
Keep Dishes Right at Hand
In a 1930s Palm Beach house refreshed by designer Jacques Grange, Portuguese tiles pave the kitchen, and the island displays a collection of dishes. The vibrant range is by Officine Gullo.
Brighten Up With Pendant Lights
In the New York apartment of Naomi Watts, pendant lights by the Lamp Goods hang over the kitchen island. The space has a checkerboard concrete-tile floor, and the apartment's designers, Ashe + Leandro, devised the cabinetry and hood.
Match the Cabinetry
Pops of metal from a Wolf range, a Waterworks faucet, and vintage Poul Henningsen suspension lamps complement Imperial Danby marble and custom millwork in the kitchen of Charlotte Ronson and Nate Ruess , which was designed by Paul Fortune and Gachot Studios.
Keep It Slim
A midcentury light fixture by Gio Ponti is positioned above a Boffi breakfast bar and stools from Design Within Reach in the kitchen of a London rowhouse decorated by Veere Grenney.
Add Storage Above
In the kitchen of Julianna Margulies's New York apartment, specially crafted steel shelves are suspended above the island and a pair of barstools from Design Within Reach; the backsplash is reverse-painted glass, the range and hood are by Viking, and the sink is by Blanco, with fittings by Grohe.
Go for a Custom Design
The massive kitchen island in the home of Alexandre de Betak and his wife, Sofía Sanchez de Betak, was made to Alexandre’s exacting specifications. The sink fittings are by Chicago Faucets, and the barstools are by Étienne Fermigier.
Bring In Color
In a Manhattan townhouse , designer Jeffrey Bilhuber painted the base of a kitchen island in a deep red to contrast with the otherwise white kitchen.
Incorporate Open Shelving
Don't forget the ends of the island, where a few shallow shelves can house anything from your prized pottery to your dog-eared cookbooks. This Houston kitchen by Miles Redd is outfitted with subway tile and a Wolf range.
Light It Up
This gorgeous kitchen island features built-in, under-counter lighting that amplifies the entire space.
Add a Sink
Adding a sink to your kitchen island is a great upgrade, as seen here in Shay Mitchell's home in Los Angeles.
Add Pops of Color
Adding in bold dashes of color can make your space come alive. We love how the cutout in the island, the accent wall, and the faucet are all exact-match red.
Keep It Classic
Willy Rizzo stools line the classic white-on-white island in Inga Rubenstein's elegant Manhattan kitchen.
Think Outside the Box
This kitchen island in pro skateboarder Nyjah Huston's Laguna Beach home does double duty—half is a prep surface and half is a curved booth.
Less Can Be More
This colorful kitchen island is slim and simple, which is a perfect combination for a kitchen that's on the smaller side. It gets the job done without taking up too much real estate.
Bring On the Color
This stunning kitchen—complete with a fuchsia island topped with marble—proves you can make any color combination work.
Take a Cue From Other Surfaces in the House
The Danby marble on the countertops and island in this kitchen are used throughout the entire home .
Make the Island a Focal Point
The open kitchen is accented with Bocci light sculptures, ceramics by Sonia Pedrazzini, chairs by Modh, and a standout double-tiered kitchen island.
Go for a Butcher Block Countertop
Maximize your counter space with an entire island made of butcher block, as seen in this midcentury kitchen.
Keep It Simple and Streamlined
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's Los Angeles compound has been described as a “ futuristic Belgian monastery ." The entire house—right down to the kitchen island—is a study in minimalism.
Go Sleek and Contemporary
This kitchen island strengthens the sleek, contemporary vibes in decorator Isabel López-Quesada's crisp Madrid kitchen.
Incorporate Organic Elements
Why not use your kitchen island to showcase organic materials? This black walnut piece (from 3 Dot Design ) was kiln-dried and milled to look like a live edge, then finished with five coats of topcoat to prevent watermarks and mitigate wear and tear.
Add an Extra Kitchen Island
Why limit yourself to one kitchen island when you can have two? We're seeing double in this Rockwell Group–designed Manhattan penthouse ’s kitchen, and we're here for it.
Use a Console Table for Your Kitchen Island
There are plenty of alternatives to the standard cabinets-and-stone-slab combo. Take a console table, for example. Architect Joseph Pell Lombardi restored Château du Sailhant in central France. The 19th-century kitchen boasts period copper cookware, kerosene lamps, and for the kitchen island? A narrow wooden table topped with two stone cutting boards.
Islands Aren't Just for Kitchens
This striking wood island isn't in the kitchen at all, but instead in the great room of golf champion Brad Richards's Connecticut mansion with a gorgeous view of the Long Island Sound.
Put It On Wheels
A rolling island like this one makes it easy to rearrange your space in seconds.
Keep It Sleek
Take a cue from Will Ferrell’s Manhattan loft and keep the space sleek, glossy, and modern.
Use Natural Wood
In a Brooklyn brownstone decorated by Nick Olsen, the leather-upholstered dining chairs and cherry red light fixture are a perfect complement to the natural wood on the kitchen island.
Cover It in Marble
The kitchen of decorator Pedro Espírito Santo’s home in Lisbon , features a marble island with a cooktop and a 19th-century Italian porcelain figure.
Substitute a Dining Table for the Island
Are you sure you even need a kitchen island? You could swap it for a table—which gives you a prep surface and dining area simultaneously.
Play With Angles
This perpendicular kitchen island shows that the standard rectangle is just one way to lay out your kitchen island.
Add a Chrome Top
The chrome top on this kitchen island really modernizes the entire room. The deep blue paint on the base also adds a richness to the otherwise light and airy kitchen.
Go Country Chic
Adding a Colefax and Fowler checkered curtain to the island in this kitchen lends the space a country chic feel we can't get enough of.
Make a Statement
One of the boldest kitchen island ideas on this list, this red stunner makes a major statement, and fits right in with the red lacquer on the kitchen cabinets.
Mix Red and Blue
For John and Christine McSwaney’s 16th-century manor in the English countryside, designer Mark Gillette made use of classic shades of blue and incorporated a red kitchen island.
Use Your Island as a Real Table
Why pull up a few stools to your island when you can set up a full double-sided table? The kitchen of a house in the California desert , designed by Emily Summers Design Associates, features Bulthaup cabinetry and a KWC faucet; the Bertoia counter stools are by Knoll.
Think About Seating in a Different Way
Who says you have to have your stools in one row along the counter? Why not place them at the ends of your kitchen island instead?
Attach a Table
You can attach a table right to your island, giving you more floor space and keeping the cooking area closely aligned with the eating area.
Add Barstools
Sleek barstools and a streamlined kitchen island on wheels fit beautifully in this small but open floor plan.
Stretch It Out
Most kitchen islands fit two to four stools. If you have the space, however, you can double the length of the island and the amount of seating.
Channel Coastal Energy With a Blue Island and Cabinetry
This blue kitchen island takes the place of a conference table inside the headquarters of LuckyChap Entertainment , Margot Robbie’s production company. The space exudes coastal vibes thanks to the blue cabinetry, Restoration Hardware pendants, white Big Chill appliances, and cushy striped Wayfair stools.
Try an Antique Table
There's no limit to what kind of table you can use as your kitchen island. Here, a 19th-century French silk trader’s table is used.
Use Wood and Brass for a Rustic Feel
This wood-topped kitchen island, lined with Blackman Cruz barstools, features a custom brass island base—it's the perfect fit for this rustic lake house owned by Instagram cofounder Kevin Systrom .
Use Wood
This 1960s Portland A-frame uses formaldehyde-free plywood for its surfaces, including the kitchen island.
Mix White and Marble
Marble countertops and white cabinetry: a combination that always works. So fresh and clean!
Brighten Things Up With Orange Lacquer
Looking for unique and bright kitchen island ideas? Then consider a bold-hued option like this one.
Less Can Be More
Bigger isn't always better. The best kitchen island ideas suit your space and your vibes, like this compact butcher-block-topped island with green hydrangeas in a North London home.
