I know I'm in the minority here, but I view the island as a functional space and adhere to the philosophy "less is better" so mine remains bare. I like the clean look. My island is 36 x 68 (we even got rid of the island sink since it took valuable space). I'll be curious to see what others say & what I may be missing. Perhaps I'll get inspired.

I always keep a fruit bowl or basket on my island. I like to produce shop once a week and I refill it, this way when my kids say they want a snack, I say have a banana, or apple or whatever is in there, and it's easy access for them. We go through A LOT of fruit, so I actually have another bowl on the dining room table.

When it's not full of clutter, I have a potted peace lily on it, but my plan is to keep a bowl of fruit on it. I just haven't found the right one yet. I'm leaning towards this one from pier1:

{{!gwi}}

I'm with hilltop.
I need the counter space, and when the kitchen is idle, the sight of clean, almost empty space is so soothing that I can't bear the thought of adding anything just for looks.
I do keep a stack of four bamboo placemats (which we use every day) and my large wooden salad bowl in the center of the island, but that's just because I don't have any better place to keep them. And then I spend half my life taking out the stuff I tossed in there all day...

My island is 48X92 and my cooktop is on it. I try to keep it clear of clutter but that's a daily battle and I'm the lone warrior in my family. I do have 2 of those pier 1 bowls like pattyk64 posted above on my island filled with fresh fruit year round. Go for it pattyk64, they're a great price and extremely verstatile.

Fruit bowl and since December a small snifter with a beta fish my son brought home from college.

I couldn't get anyone to take the fish, so I'm stuck with it. It won't die!!!

Right now, it is being graced by my tortoise shell cat. She is doing her odalisque thing on the marble, but will probably relocate to the granite side when she tires of her current position. It all depends upon whether she is in the mood for contrast or camouflage, although one of the DSes believes she is completing experiments regarding the relative specific heats of limestones and migmatites.

my new "island" is too small to keep anything on it. I am using a black metal open shelving unit 18" square with a wood piece on top which I covered in blue glass tiles. I placed red storage boxes on two of the lower shelves.

I like the idea of a bowl of fresh fruit on the island.

Nope, I keep mine clean and clear.

Flowers, fruits, tableware, plants- I think it's fun to keep changing the island's decoration.
Here I saved for you a few beautiful inspiring photos.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ideas for Island decoration

Thanks everyone. I guess I've been obsessing unnecessarily, LOL. I might have to head over to Pier 1 for one of those beautiful bowls, too.

I like my fruit refrigerated except for bananas which I keep in a bag in a cupboard. I do have a 3 tiered stand that I use for tomatoes, garlic and my car keys but the island has a large wooden bowl that is mostly decorative. I usually remove it when I start to seriously cook. Not sure of the islands dimensions but 40" x 60" seems about right.

I am with Hilltop on this one. I keep my island completely bare. I would keep on trying to put something on there but because we use the island so much everything would always just be in the way so we keep it free of any times right now.
Perhaps when my kids are a little older this may change but for now it is easier to have nothing on it.

always clean and clear also. I am with the soothing no clutter group :) c

My island is 6' x 3'. I have two apothecary jars on one side and a fruit bowl on the other.

I use to have a Murano Glass Decanter on mine along with a white ironstone bowl which held either apples or pears (apples in the winter, pears in the summer). Because I like stuff and probably use more than I should, I removed both items and am keeping it bare for now. My other counter space more than makes up for the empty space now.

Thanks everyone! I appreciate all of your thoughts.