Brick Kitchen Island (18 Design Ideas)

Bricks are always a welcome feature in any design style. They add more personality to the spaces, giving them a warm, rustic feel and adding a layer of texture that will benefit the overall look of kitchens, especially modern spaces. While masonry elements are often found on wall applications, you can use them on kitchen island bases with real brick or faux materials.

To match the white theme of the design, the base for the brick kitchen island above uses lime-washed cladding. The lime wash softens the strong orange tones of the bricks and also adds to the texture of the surface. The result perfectly matches and blends with the existing finishes of the kitchen.

Brick Kitchen Island Designs

Depending on the look you are going for, there are many types of bricks you can choose from. Color and texture vary depending on its place of origin, materials, and production methods. Here are some of the common types of bricks:

• Clay brick – this is the most common brick, usually orange/red in color.
• Sand Lime bricks – these are usually white because of the sand used for this material.
• Fly ash bricks – these are made from fly ash, cement, and sand/stone dust.
• Concrete bricks – made from a mixture of cement and aggregate (typically sand.)

There are also many finishing techniques used on brick kitchen islands to help them match the look you need for your space. Some of the popular ones are:

• Painting – painting over the bricks to add a color wash or completely cover them while keeping their original texture and pattern.
• Lime-washing – this adds a white wash/tint effect to your surfaces, but compared to paint, this is much more durable and discourages molds from forming on its surface. This also produces a more natural texture.
• Plastering – also known as “wet plastering”- adds a layer of plaster to the surface and is usually used to create a “weathered” or “chipped” effect.

Aside from using actual bricks, concrete tiles, and foam boards with similar designs are also great alternatives. They could be cheaper (depending on where you are), and are easier to install. These are especially handy if you already have an existing cabinetry base and just want to add brick color/texture quickly and efficiently.

Feel free to experiment with the different materials and finishing techniques to achieve the look you want! Below are some examples of how you can apply bricks to your kitchen islands:

This kitchen island uses the same bricks as those used on the walls to create a uniform look. The island’s base sides are made from masonry for stability, but the center part of the island is still made from wood to provide storage space.

The dark red bricks add a nice texture to the clean, contemporary aesthetic of the space and give it a little more zing. The brick wall living room features the same style for a cohesive design.

Faux Brick

Another option to use for kitchen islands is faux brick tiles. In this example, the tiles use different colors and tones, which adds more depth and fun to the surface. It still maintains an earthy color palette, allowing it to blend in with the Wengue cabinets.

Faux bricks were used to clad the facade of this bar-height island ledge. The masonry helps add texture and pattern to the otherwise plain modern space, giving it more personality and adding a focal point to the open-plan layout.

Antique Brick

The kitchen island in this design is simply where the cooking hob is installed, and it is made from a solid antiqued brick base and a thick slab of quartz. With a matching hammered steel overhead vent, the result is a modern-rustic look that complements the gray cabinets and adds enough texture that doesn’t overwhelm the whole space.

The antique bricks in this kitchen island use concrete binders, giving it a grayish tone that matches the color of the floor tiles. The dark and earthy tone of the siding pulls the whole look together and adds a nice rustic touch to the design.

Terracotta Brick

By keeping the natural color of the terracotta bricks, the kitchen island definitely stands out against the all-white cabinets. The deep red color of the clay surfaces add a rustic touch to the space and gives it a warmer ambiance.

The combination of terracotta bricks and beige countertop used in this small structure helps it stand out in this contemporary kitchen design. The brick base is perfect for cooking hobs with ovens built underneath as it helps keep the heat inside and will not burn unlike wood.

Terracotta bricks combined with the natural walnut cabinets give this space a modern rustic look. The white marble countertop helps soften the warm tones of the clay and the walnut wood, helping keep balance in the kitchen’s color palette.

Lime Washed Brick

The lime-washed bricks used on islands add a bright element to a classic style design. The light color helps liven up the dark-colored cabinets and balance the overall look. The large countertop overhang provides space to pull up bar stools or other seating.

The dark red lime-washed bricks on the island’s surface add a rustic flair to the otherwise plain all-white cabinetry design. The pattern and texture of the cladding bring your eyes toward the center of the floor plan, making it the main element of the space.

White Washed Brick

White plaster was applied over the brick base to give it a stronger whitewash while still keeping the texture and pattern of the masonry. The white plaster layer helps tone down the natural color of the terracotta, allowing the island to match the all-white theme of the space.

Rustic Brick

The bricks used in this design have a deep red tone that matches the tone of the walnut cabinets. To give it a bit of accent, the center portion of the face adds a herringbone pattern application, adding a bit of variety in patterns.

This small kitchen island uses really dark red bricks for its base and tops it with old butcher’s block wood to complete the rustic look. This design also has flip-up extendable sides if you need more table surfaces to work on – perfect for saving space.

Painted Brick

You can also opt to completely paint over the bricks to give it a more modern look. In this example, the bricks were painted in a few layers of white paint, which allows their natural texture and pattern to come through but completely covers their natural color.

The result is a more contemporary look that perfectly complements the Oak wood cabinets used in this design.

Unique Brick

Instead of a simple kitchen island, this is a whole faux wall that semi-encloses the central hob and its exhaust from floor to ceiling on three sides. The built-up structure is all made from bricks with arched openings for circulation. It’s a really unique way to apply a cooking area with a range hood that keeps the smoke away from the rest of the layout, directing it upwards to the exhaust.

Brick Cladding

For this modern kitchen, only the facade of the island was installed with bricks, and the white wooden carcass was kept for the rest of the structure. The result is a lighter-looking contrast with that rustic feel from the textured finish.

If you have an existing kitchen island, you can opt to add a simple brick cladding to the facade of the island to add a little color and texture to the surface. This helps add color to all-white cabinetry while maintaining a natural, muted look that still keeps its contemporary appeal.

For more related designs, visit our gallery of brick flooring ideas.