Waterfall kitchen island

last year

We’re remodeling our kitchen and could use some help designing our kitchen island.

My plan is to have white cabinets and white quartz countertops. The floor will be hardwood (dark with grey undertone)

I saw a beautiful black quartzite stone that I’m thinking of using for the island. How does everyone feel about a black island in contrast to the rest of the kitchen?

Second question is what side the waterfall should be on? My kitchen is in between the family room on one side and the breakfast area on the other side. The island dimensions are 80x60 inches. The longer sides (80 inches) face the family room on one side and the breakfast side on the other side. I was planning the waterfall on the side that’s facing the family room. Would it look awkward for the waterfall to be on one side, especially if it’s the bigger side and especially if it’s black/different color?

Any advice, tips, inspiration pictures would be appreciated. I’m at a loss here.

Featured Answer

PRO

Norwood Architects

last year

I tend to agree with Marinello Designs. A waterfall edge usually works well with a modern design aesthetic.

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Comments (18)

PRO
JAN MOYER
last year
Show the current kitchen as is, and the entire layout planned for the new kitchen. The flat on paper 2 dimension layout, with the cabinets. appliances, and all the feet and inches.

Show the cabinet style you plan.........Waterfall is best with flat slab, and a very modern feel.

All of this comes before stone,,,,,,and details: )

Yes of course, you can show inspo pics for your dream space.
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chispa
last year
No waterfall, unless your house and kitchen are both modern.
Mary Iverson
last year
No gray floors.

They look fake and that trend is over.
kandrewspa
last year
https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/are-gray-floors-going-out-of-style-are-they-still-trendy/

The short answer is gray floors are out of style and were never a good choice. You can still do what you're considering as far as cabinets and counters with a more natural looking wood floor, but no waterfall. In addition to its being stylistically inappropriate, it is very expensive and something not every fabricator can do right.
darbuka
last year
You’ve requested photos, but despite having been asked to provide pics to us, you haven’t. For educated advice, let us see your space.

Since all we have to go on is your wordage, the response has been uniform. No waterfall, unless your kitchen will have sleek, slab doors…and the space is ultra modern. Even then, few fabricators can pull off a waterfall properly.

As for the floors…anything beyond a medium stain, will show every spec of dust, and every scratch. Grey, in any way, even undertones, is a poor choice.
chicagoans
last year
I'm sure it's disappointing to hear feedback that cautions against your choices. Please know that people here are trying to prevent an expensive choice that you might later regret. (You might not! But at least you will, hopefully, take into consideration what people say.)

Re: waterfall islands: if you choose a stone with any movement, please look up some posts here (like this one) by folks who were disappointed that the sides didn't match up to the top. If you go this route, make sure your fabricator is able and willing to match up the slabs, and be ready to pay for however many slabs it will take.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
IMO waterfall islands work only in very contemporay kitchens and they need to be done with perfectlly matched top and sides and without pics of your space we cannot give any more advice.
PRO
Sabrina Alfin Interiors
last year
Hmm. Not sure I would do black stone for the island in an otherwise all white kitchen. I think it will be too stark a contrast. If you want a contrast for the island, I'd pick a faux marble quartz (or actual marble) so the difference is a little more subtle.

P.S. I disagree with Patricia. I think waterfall islands can work in a transitional kitchen.

Modern Farmhouse · More Info
Zalco/bring back Sophie!
last year
I like monobloc islands better. You lose the seating, though. I have a waterfall island, not my choice, PO. I think this element is overused, especially when its shoehorned into a suboptimal spot, and it will date poorly.
Jennifer Hogan
last year
last modified: last year
@Zalco/bring back Sophie! Can you explain monobloc? " made in one block or casting " To me that would mean a single slab, but not sure why that would cause you to lose seating.
Jennifer Hogan
last year
@ HU-123538052 - How will this room/renovation relate to the rest of your home?

When you say you want the waterfall on the long side of the island (80" side) You mean where I colored blue, not where I drew and "X"
Zalco/bring back Sophie!
last year
Here is one of my favorite monobloc islands.
elcieg
last year
last modified: last year
I think you should show the dark hardwood flooring you are choosing with a gray undertone. If you love it, get it. Down the line the hardwood can be refinished. It isn't as if you are doing a LVP which would have to be ripped up. I always have had hardwood floors. Your choice sounds intriguing. Like this?

Consider the dark perimeter counter top and and a dark island top, because the island is free floating on the dark floor.

No waterfall.
dan1888
last year
Here's another use of stone on the long side of the island. Waterfall ends.
HU-123538052
Original Author
last year
Thanks everyone for responding.

Unfortunately I can’t show pictures of the current space because it’s stripped bare at the moment. The drywalls aren’t even up yet.

I tend to disagree. I’ve seen many waterfall islands in transitional kitchens and have liked it. I’m just trying to decide on color and which side.

Regarding the hardwood floors, I’m just going with what’s in the family room. I have white calcatta marble in the foyer and hardwood in the family room. I decided to match the hardwood mostly so as not to deal with a third kind of flooring in the house.

I’m enclosing a picture of the current hardwood floor that I have.
HU-123538052
Original Author
last year
@jenniferhogan yes the blue part would be where the waterfall is.
Jennifer Hogan
last year
My thoughts are that your kitchen island is the size of a queen sized mattress (60x80).

I don't know the dimensions of your kitchen and living room, or the overall design, but my gut is telling me this is going to be large and heavy looking. Making the front a solid piece of granite along with the top is going to make it look even more massive and heavy. Doing it in a strongly contrasting color will further emphasize the size and draw more attention to it.

I found a picture of a kitchen with a large island, probably 48x 80 ish.

I expanded the width, took away the seating and added stone to the front.

I think your plan will overwhelm the space. It is too big and boxy.