Kitchen Islands

Kitchen Islands Ideas: Adding Beauty, Function and Value to the Heart of Your Home

Since the 1980s when builders first began plopping blocks of wood in the middle of a floor the island has been one of the most popular models of kitchen design. Through the years the function and look continues to evolve from the early days of added storage space, to the next incarnation when appliances were added, to the addition of multiple levels to accommodate seating and visual interest. The latest trend is for the island to more closely resemble furniture so they look less like a part of the kitchen and more of a seamless blend with the adjoining room’s decor.

Despite their huge popularity, an island cannot and should not be a part of every kitchen, most designers agree. They work best in an L-shaped kitchen that is at least 12 to 14 feet wide. The barest minimum of walk space should be 36 inches, but the National Kitchen and Bath Association prefers at least 42 inches clearance for a one-cook kitchen and 48 for multiple cooks or high traffic kitchens. The most popular island width is roughly three feet.


Like all kitchen design it is best to determine the island’s function. They work well as secondary workspaces with prep sinks and can hold auxiliary appliances like wine coolers or warming trays. One pitfall in adding a prep sink is not allowing enough adjacent counter space to make it truly functional. Guidelines call for a minimum of 36 inches on at least one side of a secondary sink. If a cooktop is on an island allow for a minimum of 12 inches on side of a cooking surface and 15 inches on the other.

To add a punch of color or create a focal point, consider using a different wood for the base or a different countertop. Also think about varying the height of the island to break up the wide expanse and create interest. A typical countertop height is 36 inches high but you can add a lip to make a breakfast bar of 42 inches or lower a portion to table height of 30 inches.

Islands work well in today’s open concept living spaces to keep people connected but there can be drawbacks, too. Dirty dishes are often in full view and there can be safety issues if people are sitting too near a cooktop. A buffer of at least nine inches should separate a cooktop or sink. Consider also rounding the edges of an island as sharp corners can be a hazard.

Italian Kitchen Designs

If there were an olympics for design, the Italians would surely take the kitchen category. The country has been producing cutting-edge kitchens since as far back as I can remember (and I’m old). Pedini began designing modern kitchens in 1965, focusing on functionality as much as on form. The company researches the way people use their kitchens, careful to design their cabinets as to minimize stress to the body. Cooking, for those of you who don’t do it, requires repeated motions—a well-designed kitchen should acknowledge this. Any Pedini kitchen pays close attention to ergonmics, and they all look good doing it.
But the Outline Collection, designed by Domenico Paolucci (a name someone should steal if the Sopranos ever comes back to HBO) is particularly striking. With a horizontally-oriented profile, Outline turns the kitchen on its side—and with good reason; while many of us have been married to vertically-oriented cabinetry, it is not the best use of space. Good cooks know that everything should be within reach, and a shelf that’s six feet high is good for very few people. You can further emphasize Outline’s orientation by choosing their grooved drawer fronts, which also feature horizontal lines. If you prefer to keep it minimalist, face the drawers with smooth lacquer or lacquered glass. Any of these materials is available in one of Pedini’s signature “chromatic personalizations,” in other words, “significant flexibility in color choice, innumerable tones of laminate, many shining colors of glass, and wooden doors with different colors and veining.”

All of these materials are 20 mm thick, medium-density balance panels, making them resistant to denting and warping. The finishes also resist fading, so you’ll never lose any of those brilliant colors. The strong lines of Outline are complemented well by contrasting accessories, such as the playful area rug featured on the Pedini website—a composition of circles of varying sizes that brings to mind plates and bubbles (two things one must have in the kitchen).

Heart of the Home

I love this elegant look of a bistro kitchen. The only thing I would add is a great rug with black and splashes of color.

Quiet, peaceful yet fun.

Here I created a traditional breakfast room for my client by adding the elegance of vintage style pillows with lots of trim and fringe and added a coordinating mini print on the bench seat for the total custom look. I selected the fabric to bring out the wood floor, toned it down with a light and airy feel using a glass table to create the feel of a garden room taking advantage of the beautiful window view. My client loved this and we carried the vintage look throughout other rooms in her home. On the walls we selected a faux finish bringing out the lighter shades as a contrast to the floor and darker tones in the fabric. Simply elegant yet functional.

Clean and crisp!!! More my style!!! Love this.

I can see hanging ferns in the window here, otherwise, a great look!!


This is my sister's home, where she tied in the turquoise, beige and reds, GREAT JOB Sis!!!!! No help from me, she did this on her own.

A little country flair going on here!!

Love the clean fresh feel in this country style kitchen.

Getting fun and funky in this one !!!!!

Where are the plants????

Crafty and fun kitchen, love the antique look on the cabinets!!! A great rug will always warm up any kitchen. Check out selections at rugs USA.
We call this the heart of the home. Where everyone loves to hang out and help the chef. We love to add color and personality to our kitchen designs. We create delicious recipes for great kitchens and a sweet life! I hope the ideas have inspired you.