It looks nice, but, I wouldnt do it. If you are having a sitting area at your island like the one above, it sure looks like a knee scraper to me.

I’m not a fan; I think it looks very contrived.

I think it takes away from the cohesive look of the rest of the kitchen

I feel like anyone sitting at that island would just get scraped knees from the stone. Some materials just don't belong in a kitchen, and stacked stone is one of them.

Agree with everyone above. There is even a recent thread where the homeowners are removing the stone from that bar location. It isn't a good idea if you actually plan to use the island for any type of seating.

How are you going to clean it when the kid drops the plate of spaghetti? I wouldn't do it.

I don't suggest it. It looks as if it doesn't belong in that kitchen at all, given how beautiful the rest of the room is.....

I think what Tony Montana means, is that he has spent SO much time perusing Houzz and watching decorating shows, that his personal taste has transcended everyone else's, and he is about to reach a higher level of existence. He is now blasting off! Good luck Tony!

I agree with Tony Montana. Don't forget grey walls

I think it looks ok, but not something I would do. There are other ways to add character to that space. Now if it was outdoor kitchen I would say YES.

Don't listen to the comments about your kitchen. Do what you want. It's ok to like the style that may people like right now. I personally would rethink the dark floors though. Headache.

Thanks for all the feedback everyone!! You all raise good points!!

Tony, actually we are doing subway tile!! And pretty pumped about it actually! But to each their own :)

Scrapped knees/shins, scuffed shoes, impossible to clean and it also happens to look ridiculous. Did they build a house and kitchen around an existing old stone wall? No? I thought not.

I don't understand the reasoning behind any material wrapped around an island. OP, if you don't mind- what is the point of it? Why would you spend budget $$ there?

Laurie, I think we’ve decided against it. I just needed more validation before I nixed it for good. It was a fleeting thought, but not practical when I really think about it. I personally DO like the look of it, but the day-to-day logistics (especially cleaning) would bother me too much. We may choose to do it around the basement bar instead—less traffic down there.

Smart, teammcguire1. Leave the kitchen to beauty + utility+ function+ comfort. Good luck on this, and keep us posted.

Yuck.

One more "nu-uh" on the stack here.

I am glad you are nixing the stone around the island. Even if you like it, I think it has the potential to go quickly from something you love to something that you want to rip out (due to inconvenience of scraped knees and increased band-aid budget, or just the look that can make it inflexible to work with - especially if you have an open plan area and you will see it all the time.).

As for the basement bar...basement bars (and basements in general) in my view are where you can have a bit more fun with more kitsch elements or even themes. Go for it!

Thank you all! We officially nixed the idea. I appreciate all the constructive feedback!!

You can use Shaker panels to face the island

or ShipLap or Board & Batten to face the island.