Decorating
10 Decorative Ideas for Your Kitchen Island Facade
Make a feature of your kitchen island with these clever and creative looks
A kitchen island solves many functional and spatial issues: it anchors a rooms, provides a surface for preparation, cooking and eating, and may offer space for storage or display. But as these stunning examples demonstrate, your island unit can also be a standout feature in your kitchen, adding colour, texture, warmth or tactility to the space.
2. Patterned tiles
Tiles can also add bold pattern to a space, which can be particularly effective in an otherwise plain kitchen.
Here, black-and-white patterned tiles – Palm Cove Encaustic-Look tiles from Tile Cloud – add punch to the fresh, white kitchen and are very much the star of the show. The colour of the pattern on the tiles is also cleverly reversed for the splashback in the butler’s pantry behind.
Hot tile trends
Tiles can also add bold pattern to a space, which can be particularly effective in an otherwise plain kitchen.
Here, black-and-white patterned tiles – Palm Cove Encaustic-Look tiles from Tile Cloud – add punch to the fresh, white kitchen and are very much the star of the show. The colour of the pattern on the tiles is also cleverly reversed for the splashback in the butler’s pantry behind.
Hot tile trends
3. Graphic tiles
These tiles similarly add interest to an all-white kitchen, but with a more abstract effect. Mutina’s Puzzle collection by Barber & Osgerby offers tiles featuring plain colours and different geometries that can be laid any number of ways.
“Our client wanted something unique,” says Illan Elberg of GIA Bathroom and Kitchen Renovations. “With these tiles you can customise the pattern, which the client did for the tiler to install. It’s a funky, personal touch.”
These tiles similarly add interest to an all-white kitchen, but with a more abstract effect. Mutina’s Puzzle collection by Barber & Osgerby offers tiles featuring plain colours and different geometries that can be laid any number of ways.
“Our client wanted something unique,” says Illan Elberg of GIA Bathroom and Kitchen Renovations. “With these tiles you can customise the pattern, which the client did for the tiler to install. It’s a funky, personal touch.”
The owners also used the same tile on the front of the stairs for consistency throughout the home.
4. Breeze block
Everyday breeze blocks have been used to add bold, geometric pattern to this kitchen, while their open design keeps the kitchen feeling airy and light. The breeze-block front on this kitchen island adds a decorative touch to this clean-lined and minimalist space.
“Our client came to us with a love of textiles and the Palm Springs influence, and they asked us to work this breeze block into the addition,” says Sally Wilson of SW-Architects. “Breeze blocks are a fantastic masonry element to work with.” Because internal masonry doesn’t need the same large mortar joints as external masonry, she recommends keeping the detailing thin and crisp to avoid too much bulk.
Everyday breeze blocks have been used to add bold, geometric pattern to this kitchen, while their open design keeps the kitchen feeling airy and light. The breeze-block front on this kitchen island adds a decorative touch to this clean-lined and minimalist space.
“Our client came to us with a love of textiles and the Palm Springs influence, and they asked us to work this breeze block into the addition,” says Sally Wilson of SW-Architects. “Breeze blocks are a fantastic masonry element to work with.” Because internal masonry doesn’t need the same large mortar joints as external masonry, she recommends keeping the detailing thin and crisp to avoid too much bulk.
5. Oak dowel
This kitchen island is clad in vertical half-round Tasmanian oak dowel with a white-wash finish, which adds tactility and rhythmic texture to this Scandinavian-style kitchen. The pinkish colour of the cladding also warms up the cool, polished-concrete benchtop and the pale grey-painted joinery done in Dulux’s ‘Unforgettable’.
This kitchen island is clad in vertical half-round Tasmanian oak dowel with a white-wash finish, which adds tactility and rhythmic texture to this Scandinavian-style kitchen. The pinkish colour of the cladding also warms up the cool, polished-concrete benchtop and the pale grey-painted joinery done in Dulux’s ‘Unforgettable’.
6. Timber lining
Grey ironbark timber warms and anchors this light and open space. Positioned at the far end of an open-plan area, the kitchen has been designed so as not to dominate the overall simplicity and clean lines of the interior. Grey ironbark ranges in colour from dark chocolate to reddish brown, and here it provides a simple and effective way to add character to the space without overwhelming it.
Read about 9 Australian timbers and their characters
Grey ironbark timber warms and anchors this light and open space. Positioned at the far end of an open-plan area, the kitchen has been designed so as not to dominate the overall simplicity and clean lines of the interior. Grey ironbark ranges in colour from dark chocolate to reddish brown, and here it provides a simple and effective way to add character to the space without overwhelming it.
Read about 9 Australian timbers and their characters
7. Vertical panelling
For years, wood panelling – also known as shiplap – has been seen in country kitchens, giving them a warm, homey appeal. But in recent years, wood panelling has shaken off its rustic reputation and become synonymous with laid-back elegance. It now brings a casual yet sophisticated appeal to both country and contemporary kitchens.
Here, vertical panelling is used on the kitchen island front and joinery for a cool, calm and consistent look throughout the kitchen.
For years, wood panelling – also known as shiplap – has been seen in country kitchens, giving them a warm, homey appeal. But in recent years, wood panelling has shaken off its rustic reputation and become synonymous with laid-back elegance. It now brings a casual yet sophisticated appeal to both country and contemporary kitchens.
Here, vertical panelling is used on the kitchen island front and joinery for a cool, calm and consistent look throughout the kitchen.
Similarly, cool blue panelling wraps around the base of this kitchen island, creating a laid-back, beach-house vibe and injecting colour into the all-white kitchen. The proximity of the house to the ocean (just a five-minute walk) influenced the choice of colour – ‘Miles’ by Dulux.
Read more kitchen stories
Read more kitchen stories
8. Storage and display
By adding in a display shelf at the top of this kitchen island and cupboards with sliding doors below it, the designers have boosted the style and functionality of this kitchen in one smooth move. The matt lacquer joinery is painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Down Pipe‘, a dark grey with blue undertones.
By adding in a display shelf at the top of this kitchen island and cupboards with sliding doors below it, the designers have boosted the style and functionality of this kitchen in one smooth move. The matt lacquer joinery is painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Down Pipe‘, a dark grey with blue undertones.
9. Bookshelf
Books and magazines take the spotlight in this sleek white kitchen, where the front of the island has been transformed into shelving. It’s easily accessible and adds colour and interest to a plain white kitchen. But since it’s always on view, this look is best for those who are tidy and organised.
Books and magazines take the spotlight in this sleek white kitchen, where the front of the island has been transformed into shelving. It’s easily accessible and adds colour and interest to a plain white kitchen. But since it’s always on view, this look is best for those who are tidy and organised.
10. Cupboards
The copper detailing on these old-fashioned cupboards steals the show in this warm and sophisticated kitchen. Pale blue adds a touch of colour against the pale grey and white marble-look Caesarstone benchtop and splashback, while the cupboards provide storage for kitchen appliances and cookware.
The copper detailing on these old-fashioned cupboards steals the show in this warm and sophisticated kitchen. Pale blue adds a touch of colour against the pale grey and white marble-look Caesarstone benchtop and splashback, while the cupboards provide storage for kitchen appliances and cookware.
Tell us
Which one of these kitchens is your favourite? Tell us in the Comments section below. And if you found this story useful, don’t forget to like it, bookmark or share it.
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Browse more gorgeous contemporary kitchens
Which one of these kitchens is your favourite? Tell us in the Comments section below. And if you found this story useful, don’t forget to like it, bookmark or share it.
More
Browse more gorgeous contemporary kitchens
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Tiles come in such a vast array of colours, patterns and sizes, allowing you to create endless looks on your kitchen island.
The island in this Perth kitchen is lined with Kit Kat Mosaic tiles from Academy Tiles. The mottled bronze adds colour, texture and depth to the space, all beautifully framed by the unit’s timber top and sides. Laying the tiles in a vertical formation emphasises the horizontal bands and highlights the generous length of the kitchen island.