25 Kitchen Islands That Think Outside the Box
For these asymmetrical, rounded, split-level, wedge-like and otherwise unconventional islands, it’s hip not to be cuboid
The typical built-in kitchen island has a base that resembles a box with a flat, rectangular countertop that either fits, cantilevers from or waterfalls over it. But while that simple shape works for many layouts (and budgets), some kitchens call for more distinctive designs. Check out these islands recently uploaded to Houzz that break the mold with multiple levels, combined shapes, unusual angles and curves.
2. In a contemporary waterfront home near Seattle by architect Tim James Rhodes of Rhodes Architecture + Light, a stone- or quartz-topped wooden counter horizontally bisects a wood-and-quartz island at an angle to create an asymmetrical table-height eating surface — and a funky 3D form.
Shop for kitchen island seating
Shop for kitchen island seating
3. Aulik Design Build took a different angle with this Minneapolis kitchen island, which has a mix of emerald green glass and wood cabinet doors and a white waterfall quartzite countertop. The black cuboid (which is open at one end for storage) vertically bisects the rhombohedron-shaped island to create a shape straight out of a geometry textbook.
15 Ways to Kick Your Kitchen Island Up a Notch
15 Ways to Kick Your Kitchen Island Up a Notch
Photo by Nick Vasilopoulos
4. Some islands look more old-fashioned than futuristic but are just as creative. The wood base of this island in a circa 1873 San Francisco Victorian by Eileen Gordon Design seems to pop up through the center of its countertop to create an island-upon-an-island, complete with marble-and-metal baker’s rack.
4. Some islands look more old-fashioned than futuristic but are just as creative. The wood base of this island in a circa 1873 San Francisco Victorian by Eileen Gordon Design seems to pop up through the center of its countertop to create an island-upon-an-island, complete with marble-and-metal baker’s rack.
Raised Bars
5. An island with a raised bar is fairly common, especially since the bar does double duty as a backsplash for the counter-height worktop. But pros keep coming up with fresh aesthetic iterations on the theme. This island by Design Therapy in Charlottesville, Virginia, for example, appears to have a separate, freestanding bar recessed into it.
5. An island with a raised bar is fairly common, especially since the bar does double duty as a backsplash for the counter-height worktop. But pros keep coming up with fresh aesthetic iterations on the theme. This island by Design Therapy in Charlottesville, Virginia, for example, appears to have a separate, freestanding bar recessed into it.
6. MAK Design + Build created this island in a midcentury modern home in California with a raised bar that looks like a chunky wood beam. The island’s countertop wraps around the end of it, with a drinks fridge conveniently installed underneath.
10 Kitchen Island Features Pros Always Recommend
10 Kitchen Island Features Pros Always Recommend
7. In a two-island kitchen in Salt Lake City, PureHaven Homes contrasted a black backless bar with a wood island base and stone countertop. The design makes it look like the former sliced right into the latter.
8. This suburban Minneapolis kitchen by Vintage Elements gets its organic-modern vibe in part from a live-edge wood slab set atop a corner of the heavily veined countertop. Open storage at the other end visually balances out the design.
How Much Room Do You Need for a Kitchen Island?
How Much Room Do You Need for a Kitchen Island?
Wedges
9. A wedge-shaped island is often a good fit for an L-shaped kitchen, especially when a rectangular island’s corner would jut into a path of travel. In this San Francisco kitchen designed by Courtney Heaton, a wedge with a raised bar eases traffic passing through the exterior doors.
9. A wedge-shaped island is often a good fit for an L-shaped kitchen, especially when a rectangular island’s corner would jut into a path of travel. In this San Francisco kitchen designed by Courtney Heaton, a wedge with a raised bar eases traffic passing through the exterior doors.
10. This wedge-shaped island, in a Seattle-area kitchen by XACT Interiors, has a truncated tip instead of a sharp corner, which lets it comfortably accommodate a corner sink. Across from it, a wood breakfast bar adds warmth to the gray base cabinetry and quartz countertop.
Photo by Nico Arellano
11. This New York City kitchen was designed by Daniel Popescu of Bilotta Kitchen and Home in collaboration with MeldNYC. The five-sided, quartz-topped island’s tapered end points not to the kitchen’s back corner, like the previous examples, but rather toward the living space, following the unusual wedge-shaped footprint of the room.
11. This New York City kitchen was designed by Daniel Popescu of Bilotta Kitchen and Home in collaboration with MeldNYC. The five-sided, quartz-topped island’s tapered end points not to the kitchen’s back corner, like the previous examples, but rather toward the living space, following the unusual wedge-shaped footprint of the room.
L Shapes
12. Similar to the wedge shape, an L-shaped island generally fits best in an L-shaped kitchen. This midcentury-modern-style example by Lindy Design Build in Pomona Lake, Colorado, has a table-height wood breakfast bar wrapped around one side and a thin band of tile as an accent and backsplash.
12. Similar to the wedge shape, an L-shaped island generally fits best in an L-shaped kitchen. This midcentury-modern-style example by Lindy Design Build in Pomona Lake, Colorado, has a table-height wood breakfast bar wrapped around one side and a thin band of tile as an accent and backsplash.
13. In this San Diego-area kitchen, Design Studio West also added seating, but it did so by narrowing one side of the island base to allow the counter to overhang and chairs to tuck in. On the other side of the L, the stone countertop waterfalls over the side and a lighted niche displays decorative items.
T Shapes
14. In this long South Carolina kitchen, Ryan Miller Builders added a long, slim, counter-height extension perpendicular to a shorter island, creating a T shape with seating for seven.
14. In this long South Carolina kitchen, Ryan Miller Builders added a long, slim, counter-height extension perpendicular to a shorter island, creating a T shape with seating for seven.
15. This shorter and wider T-shaped island, which is in a New Jersey project by Michael Robert Construction and Ellie Mroz Design, also has one contiguous countertop, but the extension has a contrasting wood base with table legs, giving it a furniture-like feel.
Curves, Circles and Arches
16. The recent trend toward curvilinear forms in furniture design has extended to kitchen islands too, resulting in examples like this pill-shaped San Diego kitchen island by Savvy Interiors. Tambour (thin wood slats connected by fabric) rounds the bend at either end.
16. The recent trend toward curvilinear forms in furniture design has extended to kitchen islands too, resulting in examples like this pill-shaped San Diego kitchen island by Savvy Interiors. Tambour (thin wood slats connected by fabric) rounds the bend at either end.
17. In this suburban Denver kitchen by Sienna Custom Homes, the stone countertop of the large island is essentially a right triangle with a curved hypotenuse. The base follows the same curve.
Photo by Chase Daniel
18. Breathe Design Studio mixed a pale Scandinavian palette and midcentury modern style in this Austin, Texas, kitchen, creating a unique island with a rounded table base centered on the long side of a rectangular island. A shared arched countertop allows for 180 degrees of conversation-friendly seating.
18. Breathe Design Studio mixed a pale Scandinavian palette and midcentury modern style in this Austin, Texas, kitchen, creating a unique island with a rounded table base centered on the long side of a rectangular island. A shared arched countertop allows for 180 degrees of conversation-friendly seating.
19. This dramatic blue-and-gold kitchen in Tampa, Florida, by One Piece at a Time Design features another example of an island with an arched countertop, this time with an L-shaped base.
20. In this midcentury-modern-style kitchen by Build Nashville, the tambour-wrapped island resembles the symbol for a flat in music — an appropriate shape given its Music City locale.
21. K&H Custom Home Solutions created this Orinda, California, island with a semicircular, table-height extension in a contrasting countertop material. If you look closely, you’ll see black outlets camouflaged between the two elevations.
More smart ideas for the end of a kitchen island
More smart ideas for the end of a kitchen island
Counterpoints
22. After all those curves, the sharp angles of the island in this Toronto kitchen by Yorkville Design Center are palate cleansers.
22. After all those curves, the sharp angles of the island in this Toronto kitchen by Yorkville Design Center are palate cleansers.
Attached Booths
23. An L-shaped island can be a cozy, casual spot for meals with the addition of a built-in banquette, as illustrated by this Boulder, Colorado, kitchen by Pruett & Co.
23. An L-shaped island can be a cozy, casual spot for meals with the addition of a built-in banquette, as illustrated by this Boulder, Colorado, kitchen by Pruett & Co.
24. In this kitchen by Los Angeles-based scw/d studio, a bench built onto the back of a wide, rectangular island makes good use of the relatively narrow space between the kitchen and family room. Also worth admiring is the end-grain butcher block counter along the inner side of the island.
Shape Shifters
25. Cathie Hong Interiors added an ingenious nesting island to the kitchen of this San Francisco Bay Area pool house and ADU. The wood section is on casters so it can be tucked in or pulled out as needed.
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25. Cathie Hong Interiors added an ingenious nesting island to the kitchen of this San Francisco Bay Area pool house and ADU. The wood section is on casters so it can be tucked in or pulled out as needed.
More on Houzz
See more kitchen photos
Read more kitchen island stories
Shop for kitchen storage and organization
Find a kitchen remodeling pro
1. This Ann Arbor, Michigan, kitchen island by Meadowlark Design+Build has what appears to be a thin, wooden table-height countertop sandwiched by a counter-height island and extending out across a narrow pedestal to form a dining table at one end. The rich wood acts as a decorative detail circling the island and lining a bookshelf on one side.
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