Stylish Islands for Traditional Kitchens

Written and produced by Debra Steilen and Lucy Fitzgerald

An island is not only a handy place for food preparation and a gathering spot for friends and family, but also affords an opportunity to create a focal point and make a stylish statement.

In this stunning kitchen, burnished copper brightened with shimmering surfaces gives the space a sophisticated palette. The spacious cherrywood center island allows the owners of this kitchen to entertain large groups, accommodate caterers, and have a place for the family to gather comfortably. Twin warming drawers are built in for convenience. Pendant lights above are wired with dimmers, so the mood of the space can be adjusted.

 

Repurposed Vintage Island

Blanched wooden beams and cabinetry lets this sunny kitchen glow. A vintage French cabinet forms a kitchen countertop and adds a charming patina to the space. French limestone countertops and white accessories, like the large bowl atop the island, lend clean and artful elegance.

 

Stainless Steel Island

This center island was a stainless steel pharmacist’s cabinet before it was topped with honed blue limestone and put to use in this charcoal-colored kitchen. The limestone is slightly larger than the island to allow for the stools to pull up underneath.

 

Bright White Marble Island

Designer Mick De Giulio combined the durable with the divine in this light and lovely kitchen. A trio of counter stools tucks into the large center island, which is topped with Calcutta Gold marble with an elegant satin brush finish. Polished stainless steel throughout adds an element of glamour to the bright space.

See the entire kitchen.

 

Ornate Oak Island

This beautiful oak island makes an ideal spot for cocktails with company. It is topped with a thick slab top of Arctic Cream granite, finished with double-rolled edges. Two oak corbels with burl inlays support each of the four corners. Note the mix of painted and natural finishes, which harmonize for a lovely effect.

 

Large-Scale Focal Point Island

It’s clear that the enormous island is this kitchen's nerve center. The vaulted ceiling and gargantuan chimney hood add dramatic scale to the space. Maple cabinets, concrete countertops, and stainless-steel appliances stand out beautifully without detracting from the lush landscape outside the wall of windows.

 

Clean-Lined and Contemporary Island

Sleek lines in this kitchen give the space a contemporary feel. The center island dominates the room and provides most of the counterspace. Light oak cabinets match the island’s base, which is packed with hidden storage. Black concrete covers the top as a counterpoint to the warm, clean-lined cabinetry.

 

Clean-Lined and Contemporary Island

Sleek lines in this kitchen give the space a contemporary feel. The center island dominates the room and provides most of the counterspace. Light oak cabinets match the island’s base, which is packed with hidden storage. Black concrete covers the top as a counterpoint to the warm, clean-lined cabinetry.

 

Square Island

An island is not only a handy place for food preparation and a gathering spot for friends and family, but also affords an opportunity to create a focal point and make a stylish statement.

Earth tones in tile and marble make this kitchen relaxing; the focal point is the 6-foot-square island with a cherrywood base stained a dark espresso. Two facing island sinks—one a trough and the other a deep farmhouse style—create dual work zones for busy families and for entertaining.

Carrara Marble-Topped Island

A carrara marble-topped island takes center stage here, with French reproduction bar stools pulled fetchingly up to it. An 18th-century Provençal carved étagère mounted on the wall above the built-in desk displays a collection of French faience plates.

Island With Niches for Trays

Walnut serving trays tucked into the vertical niches of the center island add dark contrast to an otherwise all-white kitchen. Other noteworthy accents include sleek hardware, functional cabinetry, and simple lighting.

Farmhouse Table-Style Island

This oversized island was designed to emulate a tall farmhouse table, with mahogany turned legs and a custom beadboard base. Red pendant lights are a bold accent.

English-Inspired Island

The impressive island in this kitchen is a nearly 5x10-foot walnut cabinet inspired by 18th- and 19th-century English furniture styles. Introducing furniture gives the space a period feel.

Casually Elegant Island

The wood-based island is part of a mix of woods that give this kitchen its warm feel. Instead of seating at the island, casually elegant steel café chairs pull up to a long dining table that runs perpendicular to it.

Dark and Handsome Island

A dark-stained walnut island stands out against white painted cabinets. Whimsical stools add modern snap, harmonizing with the wood countertop.

Gleaming White Island

This bright, white island works well with limestone flooring that has the patina of old tile. It does double duty for food prep and as a perch for relaxing or checking email or recipes on a laptop.

Stone-Topped Island
Topped with stone, this gray-painted island complements the French attitude expressed through the kitchen's tiled walls, limestone floor, and wrought-iron shelves. The island's spacious overhang easily accommodates casual diners.

Classic White Island
A traditionally styled island with a honed white marble countertop pops against dark-stained Brazilian cherry floors. Keeping the island sink-free allows plenty of room for prepping food, laying out a buffet, serving up a dinner, and feeding the family.

Rustic Kitchen Island
Transforming an antique parlor table into a functional island suits a kitchen with a vintage personality. Small but hardworking, this simple island is topped with marble to create a handy surface for rolling out dough or to use as a food station. Below, a lower shelf stores mixing bowls and baskets within easy reach.

Furniture-Style Island
Sophisticated details--gently curved drawers, turned legs, and beaded drawers--give this kitchen island the look and feel of fine furniture. This elegant attitude makes the island stand out against the more contemporary styled perimeter cabinetry. Comfortable dining stools tuck under the island's granite countertop when not being used.

Island for Entertaining
Lipstick-red and elliptically shaped, this French cooking island adds a "wow" factor to a kitchen designed for entertaining. Accessible from all sides, the island encourages socialization with its refrigerated sink, two refrigerator drawers, and built-in grill (among other features).

Antique Butcher Block Island
Adding both design interest and function, an antique French butcher-block table doubles as an island in a kitchen furnished with both vintage and contemporary items.

Twin Kitchen Islands
Two identical islands add ease and functionality to a light and airy kitchen with their granite countertops, deep storage drawers, and practical stainless-steel kick plates.

Wood-Topped Island
Antique ceramics in blue and white get a warm foundation from the kitchen island's richly grained wood countertop. Beneath, the island's refined detailing complements intricate molding used in the kitchen and elsewhere through the Georgian Revival home.

Classically Curved Island
Simple and serene, this creamy white-painted island boasts a curvilinear marble countertop that overhangs a display area for favorite pottery. As part of the kitchen's neutral color scheme, the island lets the vibrant hues of flowers and furniture in an adjoining room stand out.

Elegant Island
A marble countertop and creamy painted exterior gives this island a clean, elegant style that integrates well with the rest of the kitchen. Comfy seating at the counter encourages conversation with the cooks.

Island with Vintage Appeal
Simple Shaker-style doors and pewter cup pulls add an air of antiquity to a kitchen island set against classic white cabinetry and subway tiles. An elegant gray-and-white marble countertop is supported by elaborate corbels on either end.

All-Wood Island
Massive turned legs and an all-wood construction provide a powerful counterpoint to a beamed ceiling and rustic plank floor. Adding a prep sink on the range side of the island creates an efficient work zone while leaving plenty of dining space at the opposite edge.

Dramatic Island
Chinoiserie chests unite to create a dramatic design statement in the form of a kitchen island. An oval-shape marble slab unites the two chests with a center cabinet that was stained and painted to match.