Kitchen islands - a guide to different styles and ways to use them

Get it right, and your kitchen island will quickly become your favourite thing in the house. To inspire you, here are some expert ideas for creating the perfect bespoke island for your life…

Who doesn’t love a kitchen island? Not only do they give you extra workspace, storage and seating, they can provide a massive wow factor – and very often they become the hub of home life.

On a practical level, an island provides plenty of additional worktop space for preparing and cooking food, plus lots of different storage options. You can use them for eating, drinking, and socialising – but also for homework, games, arts and crafts – which is why they always end up being the living hub of the home, whether it’s friends grabbing a drink together, or chaotic family breakfasts before the school run.

And let’s not forget style… Because they’re so prominent and central, islands really do set the visual tone not just for your kitchen but for your entire home’s interior design.

So with all that in mind, it makes sense to think carefully about what kind of island will work best for you – for how you live now, and how you will live in the future. Here are some ideas for different kinds of kitchen island, with lots of examples to inspire you…

What are the main types of kitchen island?

Kitchen islands are available in a range of different styles, and they come with a range of different features. Some of the most popular styles of kitchen island include:

• Classic kitchen islands – the classic kitchen island is rectangular in shape and features fixed base cabinets and a fitted worktop, offering plenty of space for preparation and storage. A rectangular island suits most types of kitchen.
• Kitchen islands with bar seating – a kitchen island with an extended worktop can create a great breakfast bar. Ideal for snacking and socialising with friends and family, and a good option for smaller spaces where there may not be room for a full table.
• Split level kitchen islands – a split level kitchen island features two different levels, allowing you to separate the eating area from the working area, as well as creating a great design feature. Great for family living and entertaining.
• Waterfall kitchen islands – a waterfall kitchen island has worktops that flow over the edge of the island all the way to the floor, making a fabulous style statement. Perfect for creating the wow factor in a contemporary kitchen.
• L-shaped islands – An L-shaped island is a great way to create a special zone in your kitchen, such as a dedicated cooking area or a bar.
• Peninsulas – a peninsula island is a kitchen island that’s connected to a wall on one end, rather than being entirely freestanding. Peninsula islands can be a good choice for smaller or open plan kitchens.
• Mobile islands – Rolling islands on casters are great for smaller kitchens, giving you the convenience of all that additional worktop and storage space, but with extra flexibility.

Kitchen islands: ideas and inspiration

Whether you’re a budding chef, have a busy family or love entertaining (or all three), with a bespoke design you can create the perfect kitchen island to suit your needs and your space. When choosing your kitchen island, it’s important to think about how you want to use the space, how much storage and worktop space you need, and the kind of look and feel you want to create. Here are some of the different ways you can use a kitchen island, including some lovely examples from the Naked Kitchens portfolio…

1) Islands with bar seating

A kitchen island can double up as a useful seating area for friends and family. The Hertfordshire Manor kitchen (above) features an extended worktop at one end, allowing for comfortable seating for two.

2) Split level kitchen islands – beautiful and practical

The St Giles kitchen features a split level kitchen island with a lower breakfast bar

A split level kitchen island allows you to create a practical division between the cooking and eating areas – and also the opportunity to make a style statement, by introducing different shapes, colours and materials.

In the St Giles kitchen (above) the lower tier helps to break up the island and define the two zones, and the warm oak of the breakfast bar creates a depth and contrast set against the dark green of the Sandringham Pine panelling, making the kitchen island a focal point of the space.

3) Kitchen islands as social hubs

A kitchen island can be a fabulous social hub for friends and family to gather while cooking or sharing a meal. The Surrey Malthouse kitchen (above) features a large kitchen island in the heart of the room, which offers plenty of working space as well as ample seating. The deep blue and warm oak colour scheme echoes the wider design theme, while the white marble waterfall worktop really elevates the space, and the trio of blue pendant lights ties the look together.

5) Islands with built-in appliances (a cook’s dream)

Kitchen islands are an excellent resource for keen chefs, providing plenty of additional preparation and cooking space. Locating the hob on the kitchen island provides a practical, convenient and sociable space for cooking, while also adding a sense of luxury.

A kitchen island can also be customised to include a range of other built-in features, from prep sinks to hot water taps, pot filler taps and wine coolers.

6) Islands with open shelving – for storage and showing off

A bespoke kitchen island offers a huge range of options when it comes to storage. From open shelving and glazed cabinets, to utensil drawers with integral spice racks, and deep drawers for housing pots and pans, with the right storage solutions you can have everything you need close to hand. In the Stanhoe kitchen (above), the bespoke kitchen island features open shelving displaying the crockery and cookware that's too good-looking to hide away.

7) Butcher’s blocks islands

Hard-wearing and durable, a butcher’s block worktop crafted from high quality timber gives you acres of space for food prep – and they look amazing too. The Georgian Hall kitchen (above) features a stunning kitchen island with beautiful walnut worktops, glazed mesh doors and fabulous butcher’s block ends, offering a real sense of luxury.

8) Waterfall islands – for a visual feast

A waterfall island is one where the worktop material cascades seamlessly all the way down to the floor – usually down the sides of the island or onto a second peninsula. It’s a perfect way to bring material, colour and visual drama into your kitchen design.

The Henley kitchen (above) combines rich Sandringham Pine cabinets and beautiful white marble waterfall worktops to create a stunning contemporary kitchen island. As featured on George Clarke’s Remarkable Renovations, the kitchen was designed by Dawn Scargill, who wanted to create a spacious island that would be the ‘family heart of the home’.

9) L-shaped islands – for a special kitchen zone

If you want to create a special zone in your kitchen – such as a bar or a separated cooking area – then an L-shaped island can be a great option. The Ryburgh kitchen (above) makes use of an L-shaped island to create a dream utility room with oodles of storage.

10) Mobile islands – for maximum flexibility in small spaces

Small space? No problem… Mobile islands that can be moved about on castors provide all the good things about an island in terms of extra storage and worktop space, and if you go the bespoke route there’s no need to compromise on quality and style.

At Naked Kitchens, we can make the bespoke kitchen island for your life, precisely tailored to your needs and your space. Get started on creating your dream kitchen.

Kitchen islands: Frequently Asked Questions

Why choose a kitchen island?

A kitchen island is a multipurpose space, which offers useful additional working and storage space, as well as being a fabulous central hub for family and friends to eat and socialise together – and a stylish bespoke kitchen island can add a real wow factor to your kitchen.

What features can be included with a kitchen island?

Kitchen islands come with a range of different features, including integral hobs, prep sinks, hot taps, wine fridges, butcher blocks and bar seating: with a bespoke kitchen island, you can create something that suits your exact needs.

What kind of storage does a kitchen island offer?

A kitchen island offers a huge choice of different storage options, from open shelving to elegant glazed cabinets, pull-out trays, drawers with integral spice racks, cutlery trays and wine racks; whatever your storage needs, our bespoke kitchen islands are tailored to your life.

See also:

Kitchen zones – an alternative to the kitchen work triangle

Unusual kitchen colours – tips, ideas and inspiration

Choosing colours for your kitchen – an expert guide

What is a bespoke kitchen?