Country Living editors select each product featured. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Why Trust Us?
71 Stylish Kitchen Island Ideas for Kitchens Large and Small
Because you don’t have to sacrifice beauty for function.
The right kitchen island can add so much functionality to the heart of your home. Need more prep space in a small kitchen? A rolling cart will do the trick. Have a bit more room or an open-concept kitchen? An island with cabinets, drawers, and shelving can provide a ton of extra storage so you can keep all your pretty-and-only-sometimes-used pieces out on your perfectly styled open shelves. Or, use the extra space to accommodate a small appliance like a microwave or refrigerator drawer.
Being that the kitchen is the heart of the home, an island can also serve as so much more than extra cook space. In need of a quick family dinner all together and don’t feel like setting the table? Pull up some stools and dig in. Love casual entertaining? A roomy island paired with comfy seating means you can be a part of the party while you’re cooking.
Islands are also a great way to add personality to a kitchen, whether adding color or character to a modern all-white kitchen or bringing vintage charm to a farmhouse kitchen. Below, we’ve gathered our best kitchen island ideas for rooms of all styles, large and small.
Here are more kitchen decorating ideas to help you achieve the space of your dreams:
Mark It With an X
There’s no rule that says an island has to be a rectangular box. Consider adorning your standard kitchen island with a dash of personality. In this Texas kitchen designed by Shannon Bowers, X-brace detailing on each end adds a simple layer of farmhouse feel.
Rethink Your Storage
Kitchen islands might easily lend themselves to a simple cabinet storage solution, but have you thought about drawers? In this kitchen, a trio of drawers faces the dining area making buffet-style serving or grab-and-go entertaining a breeze.
RELATED: These 40+ Kitchen Lighting Ideas Will Brighten Your Space in Style
Add a Storage Rack
Take a cue from farmhouse-favorite plate racks and install cross beams to the end of your island to corral mugs, spices, and other go-to kitchen needs like textile designer Heather Taylor did here in her California cabin. This is a great fix for a kitchen with little to no pantry space.
Find a Weathered Table with Storage
A weathered console table with shelves below makes a great open-concept kitchen island in this Texas Hill Country farmhouse. In a white kitchen, choose blonde-hued woods for a light touch of texture.
Keep It Simple with Wood
In a kitchen full of wood tones, lean into the mood! Try to match wood types and stain colors throughout the space for a more streamlined look, but also feel free to mix-and-match to add a collected-over-time flair.
Add a Drainboard
If you’re going for a marble or stone-topped island, think outside the box when if comes to your final design. A plain island countertop is perfectly useful, but why not take a note from this kitchen island, designed by Alexis Garrett, and have them cut drain lines in it!
Go Long & Skinny
In a galley kitchen, opt for a long rectangular island over a bulky square piece to help the flow of the kitchen and maximize work room.
Add a Hanging Basket
A simple farmhouse table can serve as a small kitchen island, especially if you need something narrow and budget friendly. Try finding a counter-height piece and hang a metal basket underneath, as was done in this kitchen, to maximize storage space.
RELATED: Beautiful Blue Kitchen Cabinet Ideas to Elevate Your Home
Mix Modern with Rustic
A simple, streamlined island helps a rustic kitchen feel more modern. Rather than stark white cabinetry, choose a muted color like this watery blue as a nice complement to warm wood tones.
Get The Look:
Island Paint Color: Blue Toile by Benjamin Moore
Add Hardworking “Drawers”
Snacks and drinks are kept at the ready in refrigerated drawers on the back side of this kitchen island. If you do decide to install appliances, take a cue from designer Hadley Wiggins and hide them by going with paneled drawer fronts that match the rest of your cabinetry.
Make it All-Purpose
For a kitchen that gets a lot of traffic all day long, design a multi-functional island with various work stations. Here, in this airy lake cottage kitchen, the large light blue island includes a sink and food prep area on one side and lots of closed and open storage on the other. Cutting out the corner allows for two stools to tuck in at the ready for homework sessions, family chats, or casual meal times.
Get the Look:
Blue Cabinet Paint Color: Rhine River by Benjamin Moore
RELATED: See more of this cottage-style lake house that is the vacation home of our dreams.
Go Custom Using Older Materials
If your island dreams are bigger than what you’re finding in stores or online, create a custom island using reclaimed wood to make sure it still feels at home in your rustic farmhouse.
RELATED: See more of this rustic mountain cabin that is filled with an eclectic mix of antiques.
Play Up the Color
If you’re going for a dark and moody look, be sure to temper your dark paint colors with brighter, happier decor. In this Wisconsin summer cabin, colorful chairs upholstered in a vintage blanket pop against the island, while a bright yellow lantern above adds more color.
RELATED: See more of this Wisconsin summer cabin that feels like happy hour.
Make It Modern
In a rustic kitchen filled with texture, an all-white, marbled-topped island adds just a bit of edge.
Match Your Counters
This circa-1875 loft in Columbia, Tennessee, renovated by Mike Wolfe from American Pickers, includes an expansive kitchen island with black marble atop black-painted cabinets. The island’s sleek vibe is mellowed by exposed brick walls, perfectly rusted signs, and leather barstools.
RELATED: Mike Wolfe’s Top 8 Secrets for Smart Vintage Shopping
Bring in Vintage Patina
This weathered blue-gray piece is an antique table given a second life as a kitchen island that’s truly unique. The deep bottom shelf fits baskets to hold everything from produce to kitchen linens. Pairing it with rustic tripod stools for seating creates contrast with the more modern finishes in the space. If you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for at an antiques shop, consider commissioning a custom-built island made from reclaimed wood.
Try a Waterfall Counter
Make your island standout from the rest of your kitchen by adding a dramatic flair with stone installed in a waterfall style, as shown here.
Pair Strong Lines with Softness
For a classic, strong-lined kitchen island without any frills, such as the marble-topped table shown here, be sure to bring some softness to your kitchen for balance. Here, a skirt runs along the length of the back wall.
Sink a Sink
Make your island work extra hard and install a sink into the island!
Repurpose Furniture
This one-of-a-kind kitchen island is an old printing press worktable. The drawers, which once held type pages, are now home to cooking utensils, freeing up space on the countertops.
RELATED: Get inspired by these beautiful and inspiring kitchen makeovers.
Anna Logan is the Senior Homes & Style Editor at Country Living, where she covers design and decorating trends, home features, and gift guides. She also produces home features and styles content for the print magazine. When she isn’t working, can often be found digging around antique shops for the perfect find. Follow her adventures on Instagram!
Watch Next
Timeless Ideas from a Gingham Kitchen
Best Blue Paint Colors for Kitchen Cabinets
Charming Breakfast Nook Design Ideas for Any Space
Our Very Best Kitchen Design Ideas for Every Style
