Before and After: 3 Kitchens With Conversation-Friendly Islands
These remodels feature upgraded kitchen islands with seating layouts that promote conversation and comfort
For many households, the kitchen island is a place to eat meals and talk to family and friends. The following kitchen makeovers feature islands with seating on two or more sides instead of just one. This layout allows people to look at each other across the island while seated and hold a conversation comfortably. Check out the before-and-after photos of these three remodeled kitchens that added conversation-friendly islands, then let us know which one has you talking.
After: Curovic pushed the kitchen 5 feet into the backyard along the sink wall, helping to add 80 square feet to the space and allow for a larger island that has counter stools on two sides and plenty of storage and workspace.
The new island has Shaker-style white oak base cabinets and an ivory-colored quartz countertop. “A lot of the inspiration photos from the client included white with wood accents, which bring some nice warmth to the space,” Curovic says.
The designer opted for an expanded window along the new sink wall instead of upper cabinets to create an open feel, bring in more natural light and offer beautiful views of the backyard for those seated at the island.
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The new island has Shaker-style white oak base cabinets and an ivory-colored quartz countertop. “A lot of the inspiration photos from the client included white with wood accents, which bring some nice warmth to the space,” Curovic says.
The designer opted for an expanded window along the new sink wall instead of upper cabinets to create an open feel, bring in more natural light and offer beautiful views of the backyard for those seated at the island.
Shop for counter stools on Houzz
The backless island stools have black iron bases and oak seats that complement the white oak cabinets. “These were definitely chosen to keep the circulation around the island clear,” Curovic says. “She likes that she can tuck them underneath.”
Read more about this kitchen remodel
Read more about this kitchen remodel
2. Chic Seating for Cozy Chats
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: An empty-nest couple
Location: Broomfield, Colorado
Size: 350 square feet (33 square meters)
Designer: Jenny Murphy of J Reiko + Co.
Before: After raising their kids, this Colorado couple were ready to update their dated kitchen. The small island with an arched overhang and limited storage was a major pain point, and the couple felt it didn’t take advantage of the available square footage in the space.
They turned to designer Jenny Murphy to create something less generic and more functional. Murphy added a large island with seating options on two sides and plenty of storage.
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: An empty-nest couple
Location: Broomfield, Colorado
Size: 350 square feet (33 square meters)
Designer: Jenny Murphy of J Reiko + Co.
Before: After raising their kids, this Colorado couple were ready to update their dated kitchen. The small island with an arched overhang and limited storage was a major pain point, and the couple felt it didn’t take advantage of the available square footage in the space.
They turned to designer Jenny Murphy to create something less generic and more functional. Murphy added a large island with seating options on two sides and plenty of storage.
After: The designer created a more substantial island with wraparound seating for four contemporary gray stools with silver nailhead detailing. “It was a key move because that’s where the wasted space was,” Murphy says. “It’s about three or four times bigger, and we oriented it in the opposite direction to make better use of the space.”
The island base with furniture-style legs is made of dark stained alder that pairs well with the light marble-look quartz countertop. The orientation of the new island allows the couple to sit on one side and look directly through the windows into the backyard. The previous layout had them facing an appliance wall.
The island base with furniture-style legs is made of dark stained alder that pairs well with the light marble-look quartz countertop. The orientation of the new island allows the couple to sit on one side and look directly through the windows into the backyard. The previous layout had them facing an appliance wall.
To make the new island even more of a chic and cozy hangout, Murphy hung a pair of 12-inch, four-light pendants with an open lantern style design above it. “The homeowners have a low ceiling height, and we knew we had to pick a fixture that didn’t have solid sides, so it wouldn’t block the views,” she says. Additional lighting is provided by relocated LED recessed ceiling lights.
Read more about this kitchen remodel
Read more about this kitchen remodel
3. Table Talker
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two young kids and a dog
Location: Orange County, California
Size: About 400 square feet (37 square meters)
Designer: Lisa Rossman of LL Design
Builder: Well Done Building & Design
Before: Designer Lisa Rossman worked with this Southern California family to create a remodeled kitchen that feels warm and inviting. The highlight of the new space is the table-style island that has seating on both sides.
The previous kitchen had been renovated a few years earlier and featured granite countertops, white cabinets with soffits above the uppers, engineered wood floors and an island that seated just two.
“There was nothing wrong with the previous kitchen, but it was pretty uninspiring,” Rossman says. “And the island wasn’t large enough for the whole family to use for informal meals.”
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two young kids and a dog
Location: Orange County, California
Size: About 400 square feet (37 square meters)
Designer: Lisa Rossman of LL Design
Builder: Well Done Building & Design
Before: Designer Lisa Rossman worked with this Southern California family to create a remodeled kitchen that feels warm and inviting. The highlight of the new space is the table-style island that has seating on both sides.
The previous kitchen had been renovated a few years earlier and featured granite countertops, white cabinets with soffits above the uppers, engineered wood floors and an island that seated just two.
“There was nothing wrong with the previous kitchen, but it was pretty uninspiring,” Rossman says. “And the island wasn’t large enough for the whole family to use for informal meals.”
After: The engineered wood floors remain, but nearly every other surface is new. Marble-look engineered quartz now features on the countertops, backsplash and island. The custom island has cabinets on one end and an integrated table on the other that comfortably seats the couple and their two children.
A pair of terra-cotta pendant lights above the island and four counter stools with leather seats bring in warm earth tones.
A pair of terra-cotta pendant lights above the island and four counter stools with leather seats bring in warm earth tones.
When the couple want to open up a bottle of wine at their new table-style island, they don’t have to go far. Rossman ripped out the pantry closet to make room for more upper cabinets, a built-in wine refrigerator and custom wine storage. “Having so many doors in the kitchen made the space feel too fussy,” she says.
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple with three young children
Location: Bergen County, New Jersey
Size: 270 square feet (25 square meters)
Designer: Ioana Curovic of Z+ Interiors
Before: This New Jersey couple wanted a remodeled kitchen that felt more open and bright, with a larger island and better views of the backyard. The previous kitchen’s standard maple cabinets, beige backsplash tile, granite countertops and tile flooring didn’t fit the style they wanted, and the small island didn’t offer the kind of function they needed for a family of five.
The couple hired designer Ioana Curovic to help, and they looked at inspiration photos on Houzz to determine the right style direction and which features would best accommodate their vision. They arrived at a layout with a more open feel and a soothing white-and-wood palette that makes the space feel bright, warm and inviting.
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