A kitchen island will be the focal point of your room, serving as an elegant centrepiece that can help bring the overall aesthetic together. It’s evolved from a simple block into a highly sought-after feature of modern kitchens that can combine both design trends and functionality. Serving as a prep station, a casual dining spot, a storage unit, and the central gathering point in your home, designing one requires careful consideration of layout, dimensions, and aesthetic impact.
Here is your essential guide on how to plan a kitchen island that combines high-end design with flawless practicality.
Master the kitchen island layout and dimensions
The first, and arguably most crucial, step in kitchen island design is ensuring it fits your space, complements your kitchen effectively and maintains proper traffic flow. You want to ensure there’s enough space for comfortable movement, and that all your doors and drawers can be easily opened and accessed. For this, you want to maintain a minimum of 90cm on all sides of your island, and more if you’re using one side as a breakfast bar with stools.
The next step when choosing the size of your island is to consider how it will impact your space and make sure it is properly scaled to the room. For example, in smaller kitchens, consider a compact island that doesn't overpower the space. This will maintain a sense of openness while providing a practical surface for prep work or casual dining. In larger kitchens, you have more freedom to go for a substantial island, which can serve as a central hub for cooking and socialising.
Case Study: A family kitchen blending modern and traditional
Finally, determine your island’s primary use and your kitchen triangle. If your kitchen is mainly a practical space for prep and cooking, make sure your working triangle (the space between your hob, fridge and sink) is optimal. This could mean including your sink or hob on your kitchen island so you have a more seamless cooking experience. However, if your kitchen is a social hub where you entertain and host, consider how you can maximise seating space by using part of your island as a breakfast bar.
Embrace multifunctional design
Your modern kitchen island can do so much if you consider all of its potential uses at the design stage. In fact, it can be a powerhouse of utility. By integrating multiple functions, you can maximise the use of space and make your kitchen more sociable.
Integrated Appliances
Consider incorporating your appliances to maximise both space and practicality, such as a sink, hob or dishwasher. This allows you to face your guests whilst cooking and cleaning, making your kitchen feel more sociable and open. Using your island in this way can also help open up your other worktops for more preparation space or on-counter appliances, like coffee machines or food mixers.
Smart Storage
Above all, your island should be an extension of your kitchen to improve the use of the space, as well as be visually pleasing to the eye. Go beyond standard cupboards and consider open cabinets for easy-to-reach kitchen equipment, or opt for a mix of deep and shallow drawers as well as cupboards. Also, look at open shelving that can be used to display your favourite cookware or recipe books. Don’t forget small details like hidden or sunken plug sockets can make a huge difference when it comes to using your island for food prep.
Island seating (breakfast bar)
There are a few different ways to introduce seating to your kitchen island, transforming it into a versatile and sociable gathering spot for your friends and family to enjoy. One popular choice is to introduce a split-level design. This is when the main preparation area of your island is at the standard height, and an adjoining section is raised or lowered to create a dedicated breakfast bar or dining area. Not only does this add dimension and depth to your design, but it can also add interest as you layer different focal points. It’s also highly practical and gives you an option to accessorise your space with carefully chosen chairs or bar stools.
Case Study: A Camber Sands retreat by Portrait Kitchens
Alternatively, you can choose to keep your kitchen island at the same height but introduce a slight overhang on one side and use it as a breakfast bar. Consider bar stools with cushioned seats and sleek metal or wood finishes for a comfortable and modern look. These stools can complement the elegance of your worktops while providing a cosy space for dining or socialising. For a more formal touch, you can incorporate built-in banquettes or bench seating, which seamlessly blend with the island. These options provide additional storage underneath, maximising the island's functionality.
The power of contrast: choosing your island worktops
Your island worktop and cabinetry are the ultimate opportunity to make a design statement, depending on your desired aesthetic. While a continuous material scheme throughout your entire kitchen can look sleek, one design trend is using the island as an anchor by giving it a distinctly different look from the rest of your kitchen.
Contrast schemes for visual focus
The island is the natural focal point, making it the perfect place to introduce contrast to your kitchen. There are two main ways to do this, through either contrast cabinets or contrast worktops.
Case Study: A heartfelt home transformation in West Yorkshire
When designing a kitchen with contrast cabinetry, many people will choose wall cabinets and base units along the perimeter that are a neutral tone, such as white or pale grey. They’ll then use to use a bold statement colour for their island’s cabinetry, such as deep navy blue, forest green or even a dark veneer. This helps to inject their personality into the space and add contrast to appliances, tiles and flooring. Or, for a more subtle statement, add in colour blocks with playful furniture and accessories. This adds something extra to your kitchen island and gives a cool retro vibe to your interior that can be easily updated over time.
Instead of contrasting your cabinetry, consider how you could mix and match your kitchen worktop. Using different colours or materials on the island compared to the rest of your kitchen can make it a statement feature of the space. For instance, you could pair a lighter coloured worktop, such as 507 Marbannova, with traditional natural wood cabinetry, or pair a beautiful copper sink and tap with a dark kitchen worktop, such as 5820 Darcrest, to bring contrast to your island. This mix of materials not only adds visual interest but also highlights the island as a unique design element.
Case Study: An Industrial Kitchen in Kent
As well as units and accessories, combining different worktop designs can also produce beautiful results. For example, in Kent, this stunning industrial kitchen pairs Caesarstone 4033 Rugged Concrete and 5031 Statuario Maximus worktops to create a modern and eye-catching combination that instantly brings an outstanding period property into the 21st century.
No matter the contrasting scheme you choose for your kitchen, just make sure the chosen hues of your island and other cabinets harmonise with the natural elegance of your chosen worktop to create a cohesive and visually pleasing design.
The Caesarstone advantage: durability meets design
When selecting kitchen island worktops, durability is paramount, especially for a high-traffic area. Caesarstone surfaces are the ideal choice, combining beautiful worktops with superior performance. We have a range of worktops to help you achieve the aesthetic you desire, from a timeless look with a luxurious marble aesthetic (like 5143 White Attica) or embracing the industrial trend with a concrete finish (such as 4033 Rugged Concrete). All of our worktops are backed by our lifetime warranty as well, so you can have peace of mind that your worktop will look just as wonderful in years to come as it did the same day it was installed.
Finishing touches: lighting and form
Finally, elevate your kitchen island design with form and illumination.
Unique shapes
While rectangular islands are classic, don't be afraid to explore. Consider unique and unconventional island shapes to make a bold design statement. While rectangular islands are classic and versatile, there's no rule against embracing more distinctive forms.
Caesarstone surfaces chosen for Art-Deco style kitchen in Notting Hill
Circular or oval islands, such as in Dianthus, a sustainable family home, or Art-Deco style kitchen in Notting Hill, can create a sense of flow, elegance and continuity in your kitchen. They encourage interaction and provide a central focal point. Alternatively, consider an asymmetrical or irregularly shaped island, which can add an artistic and personalised touch to your kitchen.
Feature lighting
Clever use of stylised lighting can bring drama and impact to a space. Positioned above an island, pendant lights will help zone and draw attention to this focal point of your kitchen. It goes without saying that the extra illumination will be a huge additional benefit when cooking, aside from the impressive visuals.
Waterfall ends
Round off the edge of your island design with a sleek and seamless waterfall end: a continuation of your worktops at a 90-degree angle to the floor. This gives a clean, uniform look and can transform your island into a real showstopping centrepiece, highlighting the beautiful intricacies and design of your worktop.
It’s even possible to ‘wrap’ your entire kitchen island with your chosen worktop material, covering the top, front, back and sides. Fully cladding your island creates a monolithic, sculptural focal point to your space that adds incredible visual impact and drama. It also showcases the beauty of your chosen worktop and enhances the durability of your island.
Ready to create your own kitchen island?
By carefully planning your kitchen with an island layout and leveraging contrast in your materials, you can create a high-functioning, stunning centrepiece that will serve your home for years to come.
We hope you now feel fuelled with inspiration to style your dream kitchen island. To help you decide on the perfect kitchen worktop for your space, request a sample from Caesarstone to visualise it in your home.
