Here’s our gallery of brick kitchen island designs with antique, modern white washed, terracotta, cladding and faux brick ideas.
Bricks are always a welcome feature in any kitchen styles. They add more personality to the spaces, gives it a warm, rustic feel and adds a layer of texture that will definitely benefit the over-all look of kitchens, especially modern kitchens. While bricks elements are often found on wall applications, you can also use them on the kitchen island bases, real brick or otherwise.
To match the white theme of the kitchen design, the base for the brick kitchen island above uses lime-washed bricks. 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.
Depending on the look you are going for, there are many types of bricks you can choose from. Color and texture varies 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, 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 it 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 to completely cover the bricks while keeping its original texture and pattern
- Lime-washing – this adds a white wash/tint effect to your bricks, 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”, this technique adds a layer of plaster to the brick, and is usually used to create a “weathered” or “chipped” effect
Aside from using actual bricks, concrete tiles and foam boards with brick 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 existing kitchen island bases and just want to add brick color/texture, quickly and efficiently. Feel free to experiment on the different materials and finishing techniques to achieve the look you want! Below are some examples on 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 kitchen island’s base sides are made from bricks for stability, but the center part of the island is still made from wood to provide storage space. The dark red bricks adds a nice texture to the clean, contemporary aesthetic of the space and gives it a little more zing. The brick wall living room features the same style for a cohesive design.
Faux Brick Kitchen Island
Another option to use for kitchen islands are faux brick tiles. In this example, the brick tiles uses different colors and tones which adds more depth and fun element to the surface. It still maintains an earthy color palette though, allowing it to blend in with the Wengue kitchen cabinets.
Faux bricks were used to clad the facade of this bar height kitchen island ledge. The bricks help add texture and pattern to the otherwise plain modern space, giving it more personality and adding a focal-point to the open plan kitchen space.
Antique Brick Kitchen Island
The kitchen island in this design is simply where the kitchen cooking hob is installed, and it is made from solid antiqued brick base and a thick slab of quartz. With a matching hammered steel overhead vent, the result is modern-rustic look that complements the gray kitchen cabinets and adds enough texture that doesn’t overwhelm the whole space.
The antique bricks in this kitchen island uses concrete binders, giving it a grayish tone that matches the color of the floor tiles. The dark and earthy tone of the kitchen islands pulls the whole look together and adds a nice rustic touch to the modern kitchen design.
Terracotta Brick Island
By keeping the natural color of the terracotta bricks, the kitchen island definitely stands out against the all-white kitchen cabinets. The deep red color of the bricks adds a rustic touch to the space and gives it a warmer ambiance.
The combination of terracotta bricks and beige countertop used in this small kitchen island helps it stand out in this contemporary kitchen design. The brick base is perfect for cooking hobs with ovens built underneath as it helps with keeping the heat inside, and will not burn unlike wood.
Terracotta bricks combined with the natural walnut kitchen cabinets gives this space a modern rustic look. The white marble coutnertop helps soften the warm tones of the brick and the walnut wood, helping keep balance in the kitchen’s color palette.
Kitchen with Lime Washed Brick Island
The lime-washed bricks used on the kitchen islands adds a bright element in this classic style kitchen. The light color of the brick island helps liven up the dark-colored kitchen cabinets and balance the overall look.
The dark red lime-washed bricks used on the kitchen islands adds a rustic flair to the otherwise plain all-white kitchen design. The pattern and texture of the bricks brings your eyes towards the kitchen island, making it the main element of the space.
White Washed Brick Island
White plaster was applied over the brick base of this kitchen island to give it a stronger white wash while still keeping the texture and pattern of the bricks. The white plaster layer helps tone down the natural color of the terracotta bricks, allowing the island to match the all-white theme of the space.
Rustic Brick Kitchen Island
The bricks used in this kitchen island has a deep red tone that matches the tone of the walnut kitchen cabinets. To give it a bit of accent, the center portion of the kitchen island 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 kitchen island also has flip-up extendable sides if you need more table surface to work on – perfect for saving space.
Painted Brick Kitchen Island
You can also opt to completely paint over the bricks of your kitchen island to give it a more modern look. In this example, the bricks were painted in a few layers of white paint, which allows the natural texture and pattern of the bricks to come thru, but completely covering the natural color of the bricks. The result is a more contemporary look that perfectly complements the Oak wood cabinets used in this kitchen.
Unique Brick Kitchen Island
Instead of a simple kitchen island, this is a whole faux wall that semi-encloses the kitchen hob and its exhaust from floor to ceiling on 3 sides. The built-up structure is all made from bricks with arched openings for circulation. A really unique way to apply bricks on kitchen islands, that also helps keep the smoke away from the rest of the kitchen, directing it upwards to the exhaust.
Brick Cladding Kitchen Island
For this modern kitchen, only the facade of the kitchen island was installed with bricks, and keeps the white wooden carcase for the rest of the kitchen island. The result is a lighter-looking kitchen island that still has that rustic feel coming from the brick 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 kitchens, while maintaining a natural muted look that still keeps its contemporary appeal.
For more related designs visit our gallery of brick flooring ideas.