New This Week: 3 Kitchen Island Ideas You Haven’t Thought Of
See how a custom, personalized feature on an island can change your kitchen’s look, feel and function
Mitchell Parker
August 31, 2018
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis and humor.
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative... More
1. Doggone Good
Designers: John Ryan and Jensen Landers (interior design) and Jason Dorman (design consultant) of Marrokal Design & Remodeling
Location: San Diego
Size: 295 square feet (27 square meters), including a walk-in pantry and attached dining room
Homeowners’ request. A more open and inviting kitchen for entertaining and gathering. The project included knocking down a couple of walls and doorways for an airier feel.
Island idea. Customized pet-feeding station. The decision came about because the dog bowls always seemed to be in the way in their old kitchen. In addition to the food station, dog food, leashes, collars and other accessories are stored in the drawer above for easy access.
Designers: John Ryan and Jensen Landers (interior design) and Jason Dorman (design consultant) of Marrokal Design & Remodeling
Location: San Diego
Size: 295 square feet (27 square meters), including a walk-in pantry and attached dining room
Homeowners’ request. A more open and inviting kitchen for entertaining and gathering. The project included knocking down a couple of walls and doorways for an airier feel.
Island idea. Customized pet-feeding station. The decision came about because the dog bowls always seemed to be in the way in their old kitchen. In addition to the food station, dog food, leashes, collars and other accessories are stored in the drawer above for easy access.
Designer secret. Give the feeding station its own matching backsplash.
“The ledge on the opening is the same honed granite used on the island counter, and the backsplash is the same as the rest of the kitchen, which was a linear marble stack tile,” says designer Jensen Landers.
Island countertop: Honed granite in Thunder White, Daltile; perimeter countertop: honed quartz in Mercer Grey, Daltile; backsplash: Styx Arctic Blend marble, Soho Studio; wall paint: Agreeable Gray, Sherwin-Williams; floor tile: Taupe, 18 by 36 inches, Soho Studio
See more of this home | Find wall and floor tile
“The ledge on the opening is the same honed granite used on the island counter, and the backsplash is the same as the rest of the kitchen, which was a linear marble stack tile,” says designer Jensen Landers.
Island countertop: Honed granite in Thunder White, Daltile; perimeter countertop: honed quartz in Mercer Grey, Daltile; backsplash: Styx Arctic Blend marble, Soho Studio; wall paint: Agreeable Gray, Sherwin-Williams; floor tile: Taupe, 18 by 36 inches, Soho Studio
See more of this home | Find wall and floor tile
2. Double Impact
Designer: Emily Culley of Kitchen & Bath Galleries
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
Size: 224 square feet (21 square meters); 16 by 14 feet
Homeowners’ request. Open the kitchen to an adjacent living room and freshen up the aesthetic and function.
Island Idea. Two countertop materials — honed bianco olinda marble and black walnut — allow the island “to feel more like a piece of furniture,” says designer Emily Culley. “This allows for a larger island without the need for a seam in the [stone] countertop.”
Designer: Emily Culley of Kitchen & Bath Galleries
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
Size: 224 square feet (21 square meters); 16 by 14 feet
Homeowners’ request. Open the kitchen to an adjacent living room and freshen up the aesthetic and function.
Island Idea. Two countertop materials — honed bianco olinda marble and black walnut — allow the island “to feel more like a piece of furniture,” says designer Emily Culley. “This allows for a larger island without the need for a seam in the [stone] countertop.”
Other special features. Laser-cut marble backsplash and burnished brass hardware
Designer secret. Culley removed a cooktop previously in the island and added a slide-in range along the back wall with a custom hood above to create a beautiful focal point. “We [also] color-matched the house trim paint color to the cabinetry color to flow the space,” she says.
Faucet: Cassidy in Champagne Bronze, Delta; cabinets: in Frosty White and Navy colors, Crystal Cabinets; hardware: Browning Pulls, Atlas
See more of this kitchen
Designer secret. Culley removed a cooktop previously in the island and added a slide-in range along the back wall with a custom hood above to create a beautiful focal point. “We [also] color-matched the house trim paint color to the cabinetry color to flow the space,” she says.
Faucet: Cassidy in Champagne Bronze, Delta; cabinets: in Frosty White and Navy colors, Crystal Cabinets; hardware: Browning Pulls, Atlas
See more of this kitchen
3. Nice Vise
Designers: Paulette Gambacorta of Bilotta Kitchens, Reza Nouranian of Reza Nouranian Design (interior designer) and Rich Granoff of Granoff Architects
Location: Bedford, New York
Size: 385 square feet (36 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. A casual barn feel in “keeping with the spirit of the horse farm property, complete with a brand-new horse barn adjacent to the house,” says designer Paulette Gambacorta.
Island idea. An old carpenter’s workbench, complete with vise. The homeowner bought it in an antiques store. Its origin is unknown.
Designers: Paulette Gambacorta of Bilotta Kitchens, Reza Nouranian of Reza Nouranian Design (interior designer) and Rich Granoff of Granoff Architects
Location: Bedford, New York
Size: 385 square feet (36 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. A casual barn feel in “keeping with the spirit of the horse farm property, complete with a brand-new horse barn adjacent to the house,” says designer Paulette Gambacorta.
Island idea. An old carpenter’s workbench, complete with vise. The homeowner bought it in an antiques store. Its origin is unknown.
Other special features. Light green cabinets (matched to Grassland by Sherwin-Williams) with a charcoal glaze on maple. Reclaimed-wood shelves on iron brackets in place of the upper cabinets. Marble countertops with a hand-cut edge detail to resemble the look of when the stone was first quarried.
Designer secret. “Because the existing window in the corner of the room was so much smaller than the new window, the interior designer decided to basically ignore the window and run the reclaimed-wood open shelving right across that window,” says Gambacorta. “Unconventional, yes, but brilliant.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “When the decision was made to use a 60-inch range (a monster!) on the 13-foot wall, and then the homeowner wanted an extra-large fridge to be on that same wall, it really didn’t leave much room for countertop space on either side of the range,” Gambacorta says. “Since they’re avid cooks, that was a must-have. So, a compromise was made to separate the fridge and the freezer. They cook mostly fresh foods on a daily basis and don’t use a freezer much at all. So, a paneled 30-inch all-refrigerator was placed on the range wall, and a separate 24-inch stainless all-freezer was placed in the pantry with open shelves, giving it the feel of an English larder. This room is totally open to the kitchen area.”
Cabinets: flush flat panel in custom green paint, Bilotta Collection; hardware: iron; builder: Doug Slater of D.A.S. Custom Builders; project photos: Peter Krupenye
See more of this kitchen
More
How to Design a Kitchen Island
How Much Room Do You Need for a Kitchen Island?
New This Week: 5 Kitchen Island Shapes You Haven’t Thought Of
Other Resources on Houzz
Get kitchen design ideas
Find a kitchen designer
Browse kitchen products
Designer secret. “Because the existing window in the corner of the room was so much smaller than the new window, the interior designer decided to basically ignore the window and run the reclaimed-wood open shelving right across that window,” says Gambacorta. “Unconventional, yes, but brilliant.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “When the decision was made to use a 60-inch range (a monster!) on the 13-foot wall, and then the homeowner wanted an extra-large fridge to be on that same wall, it really didn’t leave much room for countertop space on either side of the range,” Gambacorta says. “Since they’re avid cooks, that was a must-have. So, a compromise was made to separate the fridge and the freezer. They cook mostly fresh foods on a daily basis and don’t use a freezer much at all. So, a paneled 30-inch all-refrigerator was placed on the range wall, and a separate 24-inch stainless all-freezer was placed in the pantry with open shelves, giving it the feel of an English larder. This room is totally open to the kitchen area.”
Cabinets: flush flat panel in custom green paint, Bilotta Collection; hardware: iron; builder: Doug Slater of D.A.S. Custom Builders; project photos: Peter Krupenye
See more of this kitchen
More
How to Design a Kitchen Island
How Much Room Do You Need for a Kitchen Island?
New This Week: 5 Kitchen Island Shapes You Haven’t Thought Of
Other Resources on Houzz
Get kitchen design ideas
Find a kitchen designer
Browse kitchen products
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Our kitchen island is an old flame mahogany bar. We are currently working with our cabinet maker on how to integrate it into the cabinetry and function more efficiently. Every tradie (tradesman) that comes through our home comments on it (positively).
I LOVE the workbench! It's distinctive and has a presence of its own, yet seems perfectly placed with the rest of the kitchen. Bravo!
I too love the workbench. I wanted to shorten the legs on one and use it as a coffee table, but was outvoted. I would get one for an island but too many people like them, no bargains!