Pro Reveal: Secrets of 5 Striking Kitchen Islands
In the first of a two-part series, designers share the creative process behind creating five clients' kitchen islands
A great-looking kitchen island can be the centrepiece of your kitchen. But you’ll want it to deliver on storage, practicality and work space too. We asked five design experts to reveal how they ticked all the boxes with their clients’ island designs – and to share their insider design tricks along the way.
Image by Justin Alexander
There are drawers, doors and under-bench appliances on the cooking and food-preparation sides of the island. The other two sides have open storage to create interest and to fit with the casual living vibe of the adjacent areas.
The generous size of the kitchen island fits the proportions of the room and the large garden it opens onto. It also allows this convivial family to accommodate a large number of guests.
Tip: Include plenty of power points in your kitchen-island design – and be sure to position them where you’ll actually use them.
There are drawers, doors and under-bench appliances on the cooking and food-preparation sides of the island. The other two sides have open storage to create interest and to fit with the casual living vibe of the adjacent areas.
The generous size of the kitchen island fits the proportions of the room and the large garden it opens onto. It also allows this convivial family to accommodate a large number of guests.
Tip: Include plenty of power points in your kitchen-island design – and be sure to position them where you’ll actually use them.
2. Commentator: Danny Broe, architect and principal at Danny Broe Architect
Location: Chatswood, NSW
Set-up: An open-plan kitchen
Project architect: Fahimah Badrulhisham at Danny Broe Architect
Interior designer: Alice Pamment at Danny Broe Architect
Broe says: We sought to create a sculptural kitchen island to suit an industrial-inspired, open-plan space.
We wrapped slim, black tiles around the curved end of the island to create subtle interest and texture. We have also used these tiles on the splashback for cohesion.
The curved end of the island adds softness and playfulness to the space. It also makes it easy for traffic in this busy spot to pass through.
The island contains a dishwasher, pot drawers, a pull-out bin and power points for appliances. It also discreetly integrates an under-mounted sink.
Tip: An island should be at least 900 millimetres wide with at least one metre all the way around it for comfortable traffic flow.
Location: Chatswood, NSW
Set-up: An open-plan kitchen
Project architect: Fahimah Badrulhisham at Danny Broe Architect
Interior designer: Alice Pamment at Danny Broe Architect
Broe says: We sought to create a sculptural kitchen island to suit an industrial-inspired, open-plan space.
We wrapped slim, black tiles around the curved end of the island to create subtle interest and texture. We have also used these tiles on the splashback for cohesion.
The curved end of the island adds softness and playfulness to the space. It also makes it easy for traffic in this busy spot to pass through.
The island contains a dishwasher, pot drawers, a pull-out bin and power points for appliances. It also discreetly integrates an under-mounted sink.
Tip: An island should be at least 900 millimetres wide with at least one metre all the way around it for comfortable traffic flow.
3. Commentator: Emma Mackie, interior designer at M Interiors
Location: Marmion, WA
Set-up: A large galley kitchen for a semi-retired couple who are both passionate about cooking and entertaining
Mackie says: The kitchen is situated in the middle of a large, open-plan living/dining area with high ceilings and a calming, white colour palette. It was important that the kitchen design tied in with these two spaces, so we chose white for the island and cabinetry and used the same Shaker profile as the cabinetry throughout the rest of the house for cohesion. The result is an elegant yet relaxed kitchen.
The island was designed to accommodate comfortable stools that tuck under the benchtop to allow for casual meals.
Location: Marmion, WA
Set-up: A large galley kitchen for a semi-retired couple who are both passionate about cooking and entertaining
Mackie says: The kitchen is situated in the middle of a large, open-plan living/dining area with high ceilings and a calming, white colour palette. It was important that the kitchen design tied in with these two spaces, so we chose white for the island and cabinetry and used the same Shaker profile as the cabinetry throughout the rest of the house for cohesion. The result is an elegant yet relaxed kitchen.
The island was designed to accommodate comfortable stools that tuck under the benchtop to allow for casual meals.
The island contains pull-out recycling and waste hampers, a pull-out tea towel rack, a double sink, a mix of deep and shallow drawers, and shallow cupboards for easy access to glassware.
Tip: If you want to make your island stand out as the design piece of your kitchen, try adding some different elements to the rest of your cooking spaces, such as more detail in the cabinetry, a contrasting paint colour or a bolder benchtop.
Browse more beautifully designed kitchens on Houzz
Tip: If you want to make your island stand out as the design piece of your kitchen, try adding some different elements to the rest of your cooking spaces, such as more detail in the cabinetry, a contrasting paint colour or a bolder benchtop.
Browse more beautifully designed kitchens on Houzz
4. Commentators: Jacinta Woods and Sonia Warner, interior designers at Woods & Warner
Location: Cammeray, NSW
Set-up: A large family kitchen that opens onto a deck
Architect: Clare Carter at Contemporary Architecture
Woods and Warner say: The client wanted a family friendly, functional kitchen that doubled as a casual dining hub for family meals and a buffet area when they are entertaining. The island needed to be unique, functional and durable. They asked us to incorporate recycled marri timber into the design.
The client’s love of industrial and contemporary aesthetics has been expressed by combining the rustic timber with two-pack polyurethane MDF joinery.
The island incorporates cupboards for special occasion glassware in the area under the bar stools, cutlery and plates drawers on the kitchen side, and a brass foot rest.
The slatted, inky-navy cabinetry finish gives the kitchen an industrial, New York-loft feel.
Location: Cammeray, NSW
Set-up: A large family kitchen that opens onto a deck
Architect: Clare Carter at Contemporary Architecture
Woods and Warner say: The client wanted a family friendly, functional kitchen that doubled as a casual dining hub for family meals and a buffet area when they are entertaining. The island needed to be unique, functional and durable. They asked us to incorporate recycled marri timber into the design.
The client’s love of industrial and contemporary aesthetics has been expressed by combining the rustic timber with two-pack polyurethane MDF joinery.
The island incorporates cupboards for special occasion glassware in the area under the bar stools, cutlery and plates drawers on the kitchen side, and a brass foot rest.
The slatted, inky-navy cabinetry finish gives the kitchen an industrial, New York-loft feel.
5. Commentator: Roland Henkel, director at Juro Design
Location: Shelly Beach, Queensland
Set-up: A busy kitchen for a family of four
Henkel says: We integrated a seating area at dining height to accommodate family meals.
We added solid blackbutt timber to the island to soften the concrete and imbue the space with texture. We tied it into the rest of the kitchen by incorporating solid timber handles and detailing elsewhere.
The angled section of the island bench adds drama.
Location: Shelly Beach, Queensland
Set-up: A busy kitchen for a family of four
Henkel says: We integrated a seating area at dining height to accommodate family meals.
We added solid blackbutt timber to the island to soften the concrete and imbue the space with texture. We tied it into the rest of the kitchen by incorporating solid timber handles and detailing elsewhere.
The angled section of the island bench adds drama.
We integrated the sink for a clean, contemporary finish. It also eliminates any joins for dirt and grime to collect, reducing cleaning. We included a moulded drainer to the right of the sink for any water run-off.
The island contains a dishwasher, sink, cupboards, double pull-out bin, and a seating area at dining height.
Your turn
Which of these kitchen islands catches your eye? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
Want more expert kitchen insights? Don’t miss the second story in this two-part series, Pro Reveal: 4 Designer Kitchen Islands With Ideas to Steal
The island contains a dishwasher, sink, cupboards, double pull-out bin, and a seating area at dining height.
Your turn
Which of these kitchen islands catches your eye? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
Want more expert kitchen insights? Don’t miss the second story in this two-part series, Pro Reveal: 4 Designer Kitchen Islands With Ideas to Steal
1. Commentator: Luigi Rosselli, architect and principal at Luigi Rosselli Architects
Location: North Sydney, NSW
Set-up: An open-plan kitchen that opens to a garden
Design architect: Luigi Rosselli at Luigi Rosselli Architects
Project architects: Simon Hassall
Interior designers: Alexandra Donohoe Church of Decus Interiors
Rosselli says: The husband in this home is a great cook and his wife wanted a gathering point for their three teenage children and friends, so the island needed to be a place for them to stand around, sit and enjoy informal share-plate meals – all while keeping the cooking areas free.
The island boasts a separate bookcase unit on castors, which can be pulled out to add more bench seating space when the family has guests.
The island has two sinks, heated and chilled water, a dishwasher, under-bench storage, a pull-out recipe book shelf, breakfast bar space and a wine fridge.
Planning your own kitchen makeover? Find a local kitchen designer on Houzz and start the conversation