6 Creative New Kitchen Island Features to Consider
Embrace one of these design details to give personality and functionality to a kitchen island
More than half of homeowners who renovate a kitchen either update or add a kitchen island, according to Houzz research data. That’s a lot of islands. But few kitchen islands are the same. Homeowner preferences, and to some extent the kitchen layout, dictate an island’s shape, size, style and special features. To get an idea of some of the possibilities, consider the following kitchen island details shared by pros.
2. Rounded Countertop and Open Storage
Designer: Manuel G. Mergal of Mergal Architecture & Design
Location: New York City
Size: 370 square feet (34 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “This kitchen dates to 1932 and the clients approached us to make it beautiful and useful and to bring it up to 21st-century standards,” architect Manuel Mergal says. “They requested the use of stainless steel cabinets for durability and ease of cleaning. We suggested keeping the stainless to the lower cabinets and using wood upper cabinets to maintain a residential look.
“We simplified the ceilings and unified the walls by strategically designing the cabinets and counters in ways that masked the nooks and crannies. The color scheme transitions from dark floors to light upper cabinets and ceilings. Our design is a homage to the Art Moderne design language for its appropriateness with stainless steel counters and appliances, as well as its comfortable relation to the restrained classicism of the rest of the building.”
Kitchen island details. “The round island Carrara-marble-look quartz countertop accommodates stools when needed, such as when the cooks are preparing particularly time-consuming tasks such as peeling potatoes or cutting vegetables,” Mergal says. “Also, it allows for ease of circulation between the refrigerators, sinks and range.”
Open storage below creates easy access to pots and pans.
Other special features. “The materials are environmentally friendly and green, which adds to their durability,” Mergal says. “The floors are a dark gray glazed porcelain antimicrobial tile made of recycled content. The backsplash is a gray-and-white highly figured encaustic tile that complements the use of dark floor tiles and stainless steel counters and appliances. The lighting is simple and includes decorative surface-mounted lights for better overall light distribution, undercabinet lights for the counters and a decorative pendant centered over the island.”
Designer tip. “It is hard to see this, but if you look closely at the backsplash you will notice that the wall plane is not consistent,” Mergal says. “It’s very uneven, jumping 6 inches or more in various places without any consistency. So we used the highly figured backsplash tile as a way to hide this. The upper cabinets also vary in depth so that when your eye looks at the ceiling it makes you believe that the room has a regular, simple shape.”
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Designer: Manuel G. Mergal of Mergal Architecture & Design
Location: New York City
Size: 370 square feet (34 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “This kitchen dates to 1932 and the clients approached us to make it beautiful and useful and to bring it up to 21st-century standards,” architect Manuel Mergal says. “They requested the use of stainless steel cabinets for durability and ease of cleaning. We suggested keeping the stainless to the lower cabinets and using wood upper cabinets to maintain a residential look.
“We simplified the ceilings and unified the walls by strategically designing the cabinets and counters in ways that masked the nooks and crannies. The color scheme transitions from dark floors to light upper cabinets and ceilings. Our design is a homage to the Art Moderne design language for its appropriateness with stainless steel counters and appliances, as well as its comfortable relation to the restrained classicism of the rest of the building.”
Kitchen island details. “The round island Carrara-marble-look quartz countertop accommodates stools when needed, such as when the cooks are preparing particularly time-consuming tasks such as peeling potatoes or cutting vegetables,” Mergal says. “Also, it allows for ease of circulation between the refrigerators, sinks and range.”
Open storage below creates easy access to pots and pans.
Other special features. “The materials are environmentally friendly and green, which adds to their durability,” Mergal says. “The floors are a dark gray glazed porcelain antimicrobial tile made of recycled content. The backsplash is a gray-and-white highly figured encaustic tile that complements the use of dark floor tiles and stainless steel counters and appliances. The lighting is simple and includes decorative surface-mounted lights for better overall light distribution, undercabinet lights for the counters and a decorative pendant centered over the island.”
Designer tip. “It is hard to see this, but if you look closely at the backsplash you will notice that the wall plane is not consistent,” Mergal says. “It’s very uneven, jumping 6 inches or more in various places without any consistency. So we used the highly figured backsplash tile as a way to hide this. The upper cabinets also vary in depth so that when your eye looks at the ceiling it makes you believe that the room has a regular, simple shape.”
Shop for kitchen island lighting
3. Beverage Fridge
Designer: Jessica Davis of JL Design
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Size: 168 square feet (16 square meters); 12 by 14 feet
Homeowner’s request. “The client really wanted a space that felt light, bright and timeless,” says designer Jessica Davis, whose client used Houzz ideabooks to communicate design preferences. “The color, style and additions of glass-front cabinets all lent themselves to the desired aesthetic. By maximizing the cabinet heights and planning which items would be effectively stored in cabinets or drawers, we were able to accommodate all of the client’s storage needs, as well as offer a larger island surface for prepping and serving.”
Kitchen island detail. A beverage fridge on the island end gives quick access to drinks without disrupting someone who might be working in the kitchen. “The kitchen opens to a small informal den space where the television is kept,” Davis says. “For lounging on the couch or in a reading chair, it is much more accessible to grab a beverage from this space rather than the refrigerator.”
Other special features. The cabinets are painted Greek Villa by Sherwin-Williams. A pantry cabinet with rollouts stands to the right of the main fridge. “For consistency and cleanability we opted for Carrara-marble-look quartz countertops with a continuous backsplash to keep from cleaning those pesky grout lines that come along with tile,” Davis says. “ The kitchen has undercabinet and in-cabinet lighting to add to ambiance and functionality.”
Designer tip. “Keep a kitchen simple for a space that will stand the test of time,” Davis says.
“Uh-oh” moment. “The wrong color countertops were installed and my client was hosting a big party and we were freaking out,” Davis says. “Luckily, we were able to convince the countertop company to a much quicker turnaround time and we pulled it off.”
Project photography: Reagen Taylor
10 Ways to Dress Up Your Kitchen Island
Designer: Jessica Davis of JL Design
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Size: 168 square feet (16 square meters); 12 by 14 feet
Homeowner’s request. “The client really wanted a space that felt light, bright and timeless,” says designer Jessica Davis, whose client used Houzz ideabooks to communicate design preferences. “The color, style and additions of glass-front cabinets all lent themselves to the desired aesthetic. By maximizing the cabinet heights and planning which items would be effectively stored in cabinets or drawers, we were able to accommodate all of the client’s storage needs, as well as offer a larger island surface for prepping and serving.”
Kitchen island detail. A beverage fridge on the island end gives quick access to drinks without disrupting someone who might be working in the kitchen. “The kitchen opens to a small informal den space where the television is kept,” Davis says. “For lounging on the couch or in a reading chair, it is much more accessible to grab a beverage from this space rather than the refrigerator.”
Other special features. The cabinets are painted Greek Villa by Sherwin-Williams. A pantry cabinet with rollouts stands to the right of the main fridge. “For consistency and cleanability we opted for Carrara-marble-look quartz countertops with a continuous backsplash to keep from cleaning those pesky grout lines that come along with tile,” Davis says. “ The kitchen has undercabinet and in-cabinet lighting to add to ambiance and functionality.”
Designer tip. “Keep a kitchen simple for a space that will stand the test of time,” Davis says.
“Uh-oh” moment. “The wrong color countertops were installed and my client was hosting a big party and we were freaking out,” Davis says. “Luckily, we were able to convince the countertop company to a much quicker turnaround time and we pulled it off.”
Project photography: Reagen Taylor
10 Ways to Dress Up Your Kitchen Island
4. Bold Countertop With Waterfall Edges
Designer and general contractor: Krisanna Sanders of Recast Homes
Location: Portland, Oregon
Size: 280 square feet (26 square meters); 14 by 20 feet
Homeowners’ request. “The clients purchased their dream home and wanted a kitchen that could be used for entertaining their large extended family for holidays, pool parties and special events,” designer and general contractor Krisanna Sanders says. “They really wanted a large island but didn’t know if it was possible with the shape of the room. We were able to open up the wall between the kitchen and the dining room and steal some square feet from the garage to be able to enlarge the kitchen to ensure the large island was possible.”
Kitchen island detail. “The clients said they weren’t scared to be bold, so when I saw this quartz countertop from Cambria (Rose Bay style), I knew it was a great option to provide the drama of marble but with the practicality of quartz,” Sanders says. “The idea of a waterfall edge was to balance the design between some traditional and modern elements. We didn’t want to go too traditional, because the home is a gorgeous 1960s ranch, so leaving some modern lines helped keep one foot of the design in the midcentury roots of the home.”
A slab of the same material forms the backsplash behind the range.
Other special features. The perimeter cabinets are Classic Gray by Benjamin Moore. The island and hood are Newburg Green by Benjamin Moore. “The clients love to entertain, so we chose a few add-ons that aren’t standard for most kitchens, such as two dishwashers, two double trash and recycling pullouts and a home bar area with a wine fridge and glass uppers to display their barware,” Sanders says. “Because the ceilings are pretty low — just under 8 feet — we kept the uppers to a minimum and left the area to the right and left of the stove open with clean lines.”
Designer tip. “Scale was really important in this project,” Sanders says. “While the island is very large, the ceilings are quite low, so choosing pendants that could stand up to the scale of the island but not take up too much visual space was important, which is why we ended up choosing these beautiful, wide, yet low-profile pendants.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “We unfortunately ended up mounting the hood too low,” Sanders says. “We followed the hood manufacturer’s height recommendations for efficiency, which were not in line with local mechanical code. We took the hood apart, reordered a new piece of slab for the backsplash and raised it all up about 6 inches. It was a painful lesson but one that we’ll never make again. Luckily, it all turned out beautifully and as I always tell my clients, everything is fixable.”
Project photography: Christopher Dibble
Designer and general contractor: Krisanna Sanders of Recast Homes
Location: Portland, Oregon
Size: 280 square feet (26 square meters); 14 by 20 feet
Homeowners’ request. “The clients purchased their dream home and wanted a kitchen that could be used for entertaining their large extended family for holidays, pool parties and special events,” designer and general contractor Krisanna Sanders says. “They really wanted a large island but didn’t know if it was possible with the shape of the room. We were able to open up the wall between the kitchen and the dining room and steal some square feet from the garage to be able to enlarge the kitchen to ensure the large island was possible.”
Kitchen island detail. “The clients said they weren’t scared to be bold, so when I saw this quartz countertop from Cambria (Rose Bay style), I knew it was a great option to provide the drama of marble but with the practicality of quartz,” Sanders says. “The idea of a waterfall edge was to balance the design between some traditional and modern elements. We didn’t want to go too traditional, because the home is a gorgeous 1960s ranch, so leaving some modern lines helped keep one foot of the design in the midcentury roots of the home.”
A slab of the same material forms the backsplash behind the range.
Other special features. The perimeter cabinets are Classic Gray by Benjamin Moore. The island and hood are Newburg Green by Benjamin Moore. “The clients love to entertain, so we chose a few add-ons that aren’t standard for most kitchens, such as two dishwashers, two double trash and recycling pullouts and a home bar area with a wine fridge and glass uppers to display their barware,” Sanders says. “Because the ceilings are pretty low — just under 8 feet — we kept the uppers to a minimum and left the area to the right and left of the stove open with clean lines.”
Designer tip. “Scale was really important in this project,” Sanders says. “While the island is very large, the ceilings are quite low, so choosing pendants that could stand up to the scale of the island but not take up too much visual space was important, which is why we ended up choosing these beautiful, wide, yet low-profile pendants.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “We unfortunately ended up mounting the hood too low,” Sanders says. “We followed the hood manufacturer’s height recommendations for efficiency, which were not in line with local mechanical code. We took the hood apart, reordered a new piece of slab for the backsplash and raised it all up about 6 inches. It was a painful lesson but one that we’ll never make again. Luckily, it all turned out beautifully and as I always tell my clients, everything is fixable.”
Project photography: Christopher Dibble
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5. Microwave Drawer
Designer: Whitney Nelson of Granite State Cabinetry
Location: Derry, New Hampshire
Size: 325 square feet (30 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “These homeowners are both doctors with busy lives and two young boys, but they love to cook,” designer Whitney Nelson says. “First, they wanted to update the finishes, as this kitchen was 30 years old and felt dated. They wanted a clean, simple aesthetic and they knew they wanted to incorporate blue. They wanted some changes to their layout to open the space and provide them with a big island. Like many of our clients say, their biggest pain point was the lack of storage.”
Kitchen island detail. “To achieve their desire for a big 48-inch gas range and hood, we found putting the microwave in the island to be the most suitable placement,” Nelson says. “Not only does this option give the homeowners more counter space for prep work, but they also loved the discreet, built-in look. When walking into the space, the microwave isn’t the first thing you see anymore. It’s a win-win. Plus, it’s a drawer-style mechanism, so it’s ergonomically comfortable.”
Other special features. “This kitchen is two-toned, which we find most people like but aren’t always daring enough to order when it comes time to make final selections,” Nelson says. “All the lower cabinets are in Cabico’s Hickory wood-stained Angora. The backsplash is another eye-catching element of this kitchen. It’s Glazzio Tiles’ New England series mosaic in the color Maritime Blue and is meticulously applied all the way up to the ceiling.”
The flooring is wood-look porcelain tile.
“Uh-oh” moment. “The biggest challenge was solving their lack-of-storage crisis while keeping the kitchen breathable for two cooks at a time,” Nelson says. “When going from a 30-inch range to a 48-inch range, some clients panic realizing they’ll be losing 18 precious inches in the cabinet run, which is a lot in our world. Luckily, they had the space for the island of their dreams to overcompensate for that concern.”
Wall paint: Stonington Gray, Benjamin Moore
Designer: Whitney Nelson of Granite State Cabinetry
Location: Derry, New Hampshire
Size: 325 square feet (30 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “These homeowners are both doctors with busy lives and two young boys, but they love to cook,” designer Whitney Nelson says. “First, they wanted to update the finishes, as this kitchen was 30 years old and felt dated. They wanted a clean, simple aesthetic and they knew they wanted to incorporate blue. They wanted some changes to their layout to open the space and provide them with a big island. Like many of our clients say, their biggest pain point was the lack of storage.”
Kitchen island detail. “To achieve their desire for a big 48-inch gas range and hood, we found putting the microwave in the island to be the most suitable placement,” Nelson says. “Not only does this option give the homeowners more counter space for prep work, but they also loved the discreet, built-in look. When walking into the space, the microwave isn’t the first thing you see anymore. It’s a win-win. Plus, it’s a drawer-style mechanism, so it’s ergonomically comfortable.”
Other special features. “This kitchen is two-toned, which we find most people like but aren’t always daring enough to order when it comes time to make final selections,” Nelson says. “All the lower cabinets are in Cabico’s Hickory wood-stained Angora. The backsplash is another eye-catching element of this kitchen. It’s Glazzio Tiles’ New England series mosaic in the color Maritime Blue and is meticulously applied all the way up to the ceiling.”
The flooring is wood-look porcelain tile.
“Uh-oh” moment. “The biggest challenge was solving their lack-of-storage crisis while keeping the kitchen breathable for two cooks at a time,” Nelson says. “When going from a 30-inch range to a 48-inch range, some clients panic realizing they’ll be losing 18 precious inches in the cabinet run, which is a lot in our world. Luckily, they had the space for the island of their dreams to overcompensate for that concern.”
Wall paint: Stonington Gray, Benjamin Moore
6. Angled Design
Designer: Rick Glickman and Melinda Gyorgy of Dream Kitchens
Location: Glencoe, Illinois
Size: 337½ square feet (31 square meters); 13½ by 25 feet
Homeowners’ request. “The clients are a young couple who love to cook and have a large extended family and circle of friends,” says designer Rick Glickman, who collaborated with his clients using Houzz ideabooks. “The goal was to open this early-20th-century home’s small kitchen and create a welcoming entertainment and family gathering space.”
Kitchen island detail. “The island needed to have four functions: food prep, scullery duties, buffet and seating,” Glickman says. “The seating was to replace the dining table and visually needed to be in the center of the former dining room. The large ‘rectangular table’ doubles as a three-sided buffet for entertaining. On the other side of the island, we have prep space opposite the stove and the large workstation sink in the middle. The angle came about to allow an adequate aisle in front of the coffee and baking area in the newfound space under the stairs.”
Other special features. Pull-down shelves in the upper cabinets bring high-up items within easy reach. Glickman aligned the upper cabinet to the right of the stove in a way to allow for the structural ceiling beam to rest between the hood and cabinets, eliminating the need for custom cabinetry. White geometric backsplash tile adds interest without being distracting.
Designer tip. “Be open to change,” Glickman says. “Homeowners live in their space and get used to the way it is. They don’t realize that moving or changing a doorway or window can totally change the possibilities of a space.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “It had to be when removing a load-bearing wall,” Glickman says. “We discovered hot water heating pipes that were going up two stories to supply radiators in the finished attic. We had planned to replace the kitchen radiator with toe-kick heaters but thought the piping terminated in that wall. We were able to use electric baseboard heating in the attic and continue the project.”
Cabinets: Ridgecrest door in Simply White and Blue Ash, UltraCraft; countertops: Portrush, Cambria
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Designer: Rick Glickman and Melinda Gyorgy of Dream Kitchens
Location: Glencoe, Illinois
Size: 337½ square feet (31 square meters); 13½ by 25 feet
Homeowners’ request. “The clients are a young couple who love to cook and have a large extended family and circle of friends,” says designer Rick Glickman, who collaborated with his clients using Houzz ideabooks. “The goal was to open this early-20th-century home’s small kitchen and create a welcoming entertainment and family gathering space.”
Kitchen island detail. “The island needed to have four functions: food prep, scullery duties, buffet and seating,” Glickman says. “The seating was to replace the dining table and visually needed to be in the center of the former dining room. The large ‘rectangular table’ doubles as a three-sided buffet for entertaining. On the other side of the island, we have prep space opposite the stove and the large workstation sink in the middle. The angle came about to allow an adequate aisle in front of the coffee and baking area in the newfound space under the stairs.”
Other special features. Pull-down shelves in the upper cabinets bring high-up items within easy reach. Glickman aligned the upper cabinet to the right of the stove in a way to allow for the structural ceiling beam to rest between the hood and cabinets, eliminating the need for custom cabinetry. White geometric backsplash tile adds interest without being distracting.
Designer tip. “Be open to change,” Glickman says. “Homeowners live in their space and get used to the way it is. They don’t realize that moving or changing a doorway or window can totally change the possibilities of a space.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “It had to be when removing a load-bearing wall,” Glickman says. “We discovered hot water heating pipes that were going up two stories to supply radiators in the finished attic. We had planned to replace the kitchen radiator with toe-kick heaters but thought the piping terminated in that wall. We were able to use electric baseboard heating in the attic and continue the project.”
Cabinets: Ridgecrest door in Simply White and Blue Ash, UltraCraft; countertops: Portrush, Cambria
More on Houzz
Read more stories about kitchen island design
Browse kitchen photos
Hire a kitchen remodeler
Designer and homeowner: Megan Tennant of Forte Design Studios
Location: Fort Collins, Colorado
Size: 308 square feet (29 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “We wanted to design and build a sustainable yet stunning escape from daily stresses, using sustainable materials while maintaining a higher-end design impact,” designer and homeowner Megan Tennant says. “My husband and I, being a design-build team, searched for over four years for the perfect open lot in a highly coveted location. We found a 3-acre lot on a private cul-de-sac, 3 miles north of town, and it became our beautiful, blank canvas. Our primary objective was to create an energetic jolt of passion, emphasizing the heart of this home, the kitchen.”
Kitchen island details. Underlit Patagonia quartzite countertop and walnut slab raised live-edge bar top with a waterfall detail. “The two materials completely hugged and complemented one another,” Tennant says. “I love blending natural materials together, so the idea of waterfalling the natural edge of a walnut slab over cabinets just seemed amazing to me. I wanted to have varying heights to this island to provide more visual dimension, so we raised the walnut 1½ inches above the Patagonia quartzite so the side seating could be bar height that was adjacent to the dining room, promoting social entertaining between the two spaces.”
Other special features. “Walnut is near and dear to our hearts due to my husband growing up on a walnut farm as a child,” Tennant says. “We wanted it everywhere. I incorporated a locally sourced walnut slab for the island, as well as walnut cabinets, mixing with a high-end, contemporary look of textured European oak cabinets that were painted low-VOC black. We wanted the contemporary twist of black cabinets, concrete floors and rock-like features without it feeling cold. The glass ‘rock crystals’ cascading down from the island pendant, the luxury Dacor appliances with smart integration, as well as contemporary open shelving, were all engaging higher-end impacts for this kitchen.”
Designer tip. “I believe that we as designers and industry professionals should design sustainably in all of our projects, and homeowners can do this too,” Tennant says. “Take a little bit of time and research your materials, appliances and fixtures and see how they were made. How were they distributed? Designing green used to be quite expensive, but there are really great ways to find sustainable materials. Look locally. Talk to your community and see who is providing what and I guarantee that you can find some absolute treasures that are good for our environment and look stunning.”
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