Decor Inspo: Top 9 Kitchen Island Freshen Ideas

A kitchen island is a great way to add extra seating to your kitchen and provide a more casual dining area. Kitchen island seating is a great way to create a sociable space and encourages people to sit and spend time gathered around the island.

Other Posts You May Also Enjoy:

15+ Designer Hall Entry Decorating Ideas

1. Add Some Wooden Accents

It's easy to capture the textured warmth of wood but without sacrificing the look of uniform cabinetry, with just a few unpainted panels. Paint your island the same color as your cabinets, but leave a few wooden details exposed.

2. Drawer Pulls: Paint Them Over

Don’t worry about pristine workmanship. Leave some of your brush strokes visible, and paint over door knobs, drawer pulls, and hinges. These imperfect touches will make the paintwork feel more homespun, adding a little handmade texture to your island.

3. Never Forget Freshly Picked Flowers

Forage for flowers in your own backyard, and fill a vase with what you find. The bouquet you end up with is bound to look rustic—and it’s sure to lend your space some welcoming, homey warmth.

4. Match Your Island With Suitable Bar Stools

Turn your island into a dining nook by lining it with bar stools, and use those selected bar stools to cement your island’s appearance.

5. Match Your Worktop To Your Furniture

For kitchen worktops, looking to the furniture for inspiration is a good idea. Synchronising the kitchen doors and work surfaces in the same material and finish.

6.Try a T-shaped Island

This unique shape is a great option when you need extra space for eating or working. This shape works best in a larger kitchen and is a great way to maximise the space and avoid the classic mistake of going too small with your island when you have a large kitchen. You can either opt for an island and dining table at the same height. If so, stools with high backs will work best. Or choose to go for the conventional dining room table height and use normal chairs.

7. Include Ample Space For Seating

Allow at least 60-70cm of space, per person, along an island so there is plenty of space for knees and enough elbow room for guests to sit comfortably. This could need adjustment depending on the style of bar stools you choose, such as bulky or thickly upholstered bar stools, while swivel stools will need extra space too.

8. Incorporate Extra Storage

Maximise every inch of a kitchen island with well-thought-out storage ideas. Just add a couple of steel rungs and the slimline space is ideal for displaying cookery books, with covers facing outwards so they're easier to identify. Here would be the perfect time to use a few kitchen organisers to tidy this space and maximise storage at the same time.

9. Contrast With Your Wall Cabinets

Kitchen colour schemes are another thing to think about. Lots of people like to use their island to inject a warming splash of on-trend colour to uplift an otherwise neutral colour scheme. If you like this idea, but are worried you may tire of your choice, ensure your cabinet is made of wood or a high-quality wood veneer that can be easily repainted down the line.