73 Kitchen Island Ideas That Combine Form and Function

“The clients are basically modernists, but they wanted the warmth and coziness of a traditional house,” says designer Ellie Cullman of Cullman & Kravis Associates. Though not typically associated with modernism, red is the clients’ favorite color, and its elemental strength lends a kind of grounded clarity to the public rooms of the newly built house overlooking Long Island Sound. The kitchen island is paneled in red-painted wood (Uriu Nuance) amid white oak millwork. Counter stools, Harbinger

For Birmingham, Alabama, newlyweds, architect James Carter and interior designer Katie Ridder created a more functional cook’s kitchen in their beloved early 1990s home. Its heart pine-topped island provides plenty of prep space, complete with its own sink and illuminated by lacquered brass pendants (The Urban Electric Co.).

The tonal faux-bois cabinetry finish on the kitchen island in interior and product designer Laura Kirar’s 17th-century Mexican hacienda echoes the bottle green hue in the checkerboard backsplash. The ceramic tile was crafted in the town of Dolores Hidalgo.

Once a retreat from Savannah’s summer heat, this grand mid-19th-century home has been restored to its past glory and updated for present-day living with a new kitchen. Decked out in soapstone, the space takes a contemporary turn featuring a family-size island with seating for five. Barstools, Vanguard Furniture

Designer Raúl Cabra envisioned an island of exposed metal and wood cabinetry, deconstructing the antique trastero, or grocery store shelf, in the reimagined kitchen of his Oaxaca home. Local artisans brought his idea to life and topped it with a hand-hammered zinc counter. Stools, La Embajada

For newly minted empty nesters in Charlotte, North Carolina, the kitchen has become more of a jewel box space than a serious cooking destination. The wife loves all things gardening, so the garden’s colors informed Barrie Benson’s design with eggplant purple setting off the island. Light fixture, Jamb. Faucet, House of Rohl

Atlanta’s Villa Juanita boasts a breakfast room reminiscent of a restaurant on the Amalfi coast with colorful hand-painted floor tiles. The sky blue faux leather (Pindler) covering the steel counter stools (R Hughes) around the island serves as a subtle transition to the adjoining white-on-white kitchen. Cabinetry and island paint color, White Dove by Benjamin Moore. Countertops, Ciot