I have a very small island - 45" total. At first we were going to put false doors on the back and two sides, but I was afraid to have it look like all doors. We're going to put the false doors on the two short ends and beadboard on the backside. The island will be in a rubbed heirloom black.

Don't know what style your kitchen will be, but beadboard is an option. We have it on the back of both our island and peninsula, both in natural cherry and painted. Ours goes all the way to the floor. I know I've seen some kitchens here that have molding at the bottom. Depends on the look you're trying to achieve.

We have seating in both areas, but you'll get the idea.

Our peninsula

Our island

My kitchen is 12 x 17 (89" ceiling height) with half of it being an eating area. I do not have a dining room. Between the longer of the L wall and the peninsula is the back door (single) to my deck. On the other side of the peninsula is my kitchen table (42" round). The cabinets I'm ordering are kraftmaid solid maple raised panel in praline, 30", with filler and crown molding going to the ceiling. The peninsula is going to be the same cabinet but in honey spice or bisque (still not sure). I plan on using the same counter for both. I thought about the bead board, but the kraftmaid beadboard is wide, not like the pictures posted here. I wish I had enough space to extend the counter so that I could have a couple of stools, but right now with a 42" round table with 4 chairs its just enough space.

nhbaskets - Is your island beadboard an off white glazed? Its very pretty!

Thanks cindyinct! I'm really glad we chose a different finish for the island. Otherwise, it would have been too much of the same. Our island is white antiqued distressed on cherry.

Here is a link that might be useful: Island finish

Does anyone else have any suggestions on how to dress up an island or peninsula? Your pics would be greatly appreciated!

There are two unusual treatments I have done to the back of exposed cabinets. However, they were both situations where only the back was exposed, and the cabinets were bracketed by wall on each side. I don't know how this would look in your application.

In one application we ran the flooring, in the same direction, up the exposed cabinetry. It is a very modern look because the cabinetry actually disappears a bit and the counter seems to be suspended between the walls. (There is seating there so it is also durable)

In the other application we ran the same white subway tile on the back of the cabinetry that was used in the backsplash. However the back wall of the kitchen has tile to the ceiling including the window jambs and sills. The cabinetry in question parallels this. Again, there is seating there so it is durable. This was influenced by commercial kitchens and by certain types of French bistros that are tile-heavy.

We also did KM cabinets. KM has lots of additional pieces listed in a large book that the KDs have. I don't know the names of all the extra pieces we got to finish the back of our peninsula, but I'll describe them and you can ask your KD.

We got a 4x8' thin sheet (a skin?) for the back. At the top of this and down the sides, we put KM 1"x3" boards (same size as fillers, I think). We used another 2 pieces the same size in the middle parallel to the side pieces to divide the "skin" into 3 sections. Each section is about 30" wide. A 1"x5" piece of KM wood was put across the bottom. Sorry I can't post a picture or draw it out. Your KD probably could figure out what I'm describing!

Anne

Hi JimandAnne,

Thanks for the description of your island. I think I know what you mean. I thought about false doors, but I might like your idea better. If you have a picture to send, you can email me at spellmancj@msn.com. Thanks!

I think it was pharaoh's kitchen that has a backlit onyx return to the floor. It might be one of the prettiest things I've ever seen.