Setting up two islands in your kitchen is useful for getting additional storage, a second sink, a built-in cooktop/range, or breakfast bar style eat-in dining. Not only do two islands in the kitchen look luxurious and make a great conversation piece, they also give you much needed counter space and storage.
In the image above a fairly spacious classic-themed kitchen showcases a gorgeous all-white palette. It uses classic panel cabinetry in antique white finish and tops it with a thick slab of Damasco white marble-counters to complete the look.
This kitchen uses two kitchen islands: one serves mostly for storage and for the built-in oven, and the other is mainly for additional preparation area and as a small bar/breakfast table with seating for two. See more kitchen island ideas at out gallery here.
Double Kitchen Island Designs
An extra island also allows you to install a sink, stove, or dishwasher without losing any counter space for serving guests. Offering enough seating for a large gathering in the kitchen can eliminate the need for a formal dining table.
There are a few ways you can arrange double islands that make the most sense for an efficient and attractive layout in the kitchen.
The first option is to have one island parallel to the kitchen counters and another parallel to that one, a distance away. The island closest to the kitchen would be the cook’s prep space, and the farthest island is where guests would sit and face the kitchen.
You can also rotate the islands to be side by side and perpendicular to the kitchen cabinets, with three and a half to four feet between them. This option may take up more space, so a larger kitchen is necessary. However, this orientation allows the cook to face guests while preparing food and efficiently serve between the two islands.
You can create a T-shaped design with the islands opposite each other with space between and one is longer than the other to create the shape. This design allows the cook to work at one island and easily interact with guests sitting at the other.
A unique orientation of double islands connects them in an L-shape, with the outer corner facing the kitchen. This option allows the cook to quickly move around the middle of the kitchen, and one side of the L-shape can be used for work while the other is used for seating.
Double islands can be oriented in any way that makes sense for the flow of the space. How you place the islands often depends on your specific needs and where the current kitchen is lacking. For instance, perhaps you want an island, but a singular large island would block access to the sink or appliances.
The solution is to create a divide between the island and separate them into two. Double islands are a unique show-stopper in the kitchen, and although you need a large space for this design to work, it can solve your kitchen design dilemmas.
Below you’ll find pictures of beautiful kitchen island ideas and plans you can use for your own layouts and remodel projects.
Double island kitchen with seating for 3
The kitchen itself is spacious with a generous ceiling space which is very helpful for air circulation, helping keep a comfortable temperature in the kitchen. Due to its size, it is able to fit in two large kitchen islands, both equipped with a built-in sink and storage drawers & cabinets.
The white wooden base is topped with gray soapstone for a soft contrast and accentuated with modern pendant lamps.
French country kitchen island with one painted white and one with a stained brown finish
Two kitchen islands are in this design, the one at the center of the kitchen uses solid Mahogany base and the other is simply painted in white.
The center kitchen island also as an irregular shape following the contour of the kitchen layout. The other kitchen island functions as a low divider separating the kitchen from the other parts of the house, and as a bar counter.
Butcher block kitchen island and white quartz island
The main cabinets uses basic paneled cabinets in white topped with white quartz. There are two kitchen islands in the layout, the larger one has the same style and finish as the main cabinets, has a built-in sink and bar counter space.
On the other hand, the smaller of the two kitchen islands in the middle of the kitchen and while it uses the same style paneled cabinets, it uses gunmetal gray for its base and tops it with maple butcher’s block instead.
Wood kitchen islands with granite countertops
One island is fixed with a built-in sink and functions mostly as a food preparation area, while the other kitchen island is used as a bar counter and a small dining area.
Despite the heavy wood finish in the kitchen cabinets and the redwood flooring, the plain off-white finish of the walls and ceiling helps balance the heavy-looking finishes creating a clean and bright ambiance.
Gray kitchen islands with hardwood floors
The open-plan kitchen uses white paint for the main kitchen cabinets and charcoal gray for the its two kitchen islands.
The central kitchen island uses white solid surface to contrast with its dark gray base, while the outer kitchen island, which also serves as the kitchen ‘divider’, uses black soapstone with prominent white grains.
Custom kitchen islands with rounded corner countertops
The rectangular kitchen island is placed diagonally and has two rounded outer corners, while the other kitchen island has a more organic kidney-like shape. High ceilings makes this kitchen look big and also helps in air circulation.
U shaped kitchen with double islands and breakfast bar
The center kitchen island is a basic rectangular kitchen island with built-in sink and storage, while the outer kitchen island is a bar counter type kitchen island, also fixed with a built in sink. The bar counter also serves as a divided which separates the kitchen from the other parts of the floorplan.
Huge kitchen islands with under counter cabinet storage
The high ceiling is maximized with the use of overhead cabinets which reaches the ceiling, and it uses two massive kitchen islands which provides lots of storage and preparation space. You will also see a dedicated storage shelf for wines, and a nice mixture of open shelves and closed cabinets for the base cabinet storage.
Since the basic finish of the kitchen is on the neutral side (gray walls, white ceiling and pale ash floors), it used a brighter maple wood finish for the kitchen cabinets for that much-needed natural warm tone.
2 level kitchen islands in one wall kitchen
The main kitchen cabinets are modern modular, with white base and teak wood laminated overhead cabinets. Parallel to the main counters is the kitchen island with simple white paneled base with white solid surface countertop. This kitchen island also serves as a bar counter/breakfast table, and uses industrial style stools and a nice industrial lamp.
On the opposite wall, there’s another kitchen island made up from built-up gypsum and topped with white marble, serving has a bar counter area with industrial style high bar stools.
Painted blue kitchen islands with butcher block counter and white marble counter
As a result, the two kitchen islands were given a new look with a slate gray paint and white marble top. To add more variety, the kitchen dining counter replaces the marble top with solid Mahogany butcher’s block counter to match the finish of the floors.
Beadboard kitchen islands with white cabinets and chandeliers
Because of the massive scaling of the two kitchen islands in the middle of the kitchen, it has a bit of an intimidating feel to it, but is a bit toned down because the base is painted in white, therefore making them look a bit lighter.
The two kitchen islands allow an efficient workflow in the kitchen, and allows lots of space even if there are multiple people using the kitchen at the same time.
Painted kitchen islands with white and dark green color cabinets
It also uses a variety of antique and refurbished furniture pieces, adding more personality to the space. The kitchen is located in one big corner. It mainly uses white paneled cabinets with emerald green granite counters and a rustic gray kitchen island with solid Walnut butcher’s block countertop at the center.
Aside from these, there’s also a corner kitchen island which helps separate the kitchen from the rest of the house without resorting on using a partition, allowing you to keep that bright open look of the layout.
White kitchen islands with overhang counter breakfast bar
Since the kitchen is quite spacious, it allows the addition of two small kitchen islands, one of which has a gray cabinet base, and the other has white base with open shelves paired with industrial style metal bar stools.
Mint green kitchen island with legs and white island with chandelier lighting
It uses sage green granite counter and has an additional freestanding kitchen island with sage green paint on its base to match the color the of other counters.
Luxury cherry wood kitchen islands
As such, the spacious kitchen area opted to use a combination of Cherry wood finish and dark Mahogany for a bolder look. The paneled cabinets uses cherry finish on its inner panels, while the outer panels and carcass uses dark Mahogany.
The finish of the kitchen cabinets also matches the wood cladding used on the coffer ceiling. Since this kitchen is adjacent to the living area, the bar kitchen island serves as a divider which separates he two areas without having to close it of.
Natural wood kitchen islands with two tiered breakfast bar dining island
It also features two kitchen islands: one at the center with a rectangular shape and one chamfered corner, while the outer side has a free-standing corner kitchen island breakfast bar helping separate the area from the rest of the house.
Kitchen island with seating for six people
Cabinets are all solid redwood with a paneled design, topped with cream-colored granite, and black granite for the central kitchen island. The marbled yellow wall paint and the masonry cladding on walls also help add a subtle variety of texture to the space, giving it more dimension.
Classic French style antique kitchen island with butcher block counter and cream color island
The ceiling has large weathered wooden beams which gives the space a rustic appeal and provides a perfect support for the wrought iron chandeliers which sets the ambiance of this kitchen.
Additionally, this kitchen has an antique free-standing kitchen island (aside from its main kitchen island), made from solid Teak and topped with yellow amber granite with metal details to match the retro/vintage style metal bar stools.
Country kitchen islands with dark and white wood
Main kitchen cabinets are all made from solid golden walnut for that warm natural wood tone that matches the over-all mood of the space, while the center of the kitchen experiments a bit with 2 kitchen islands.
One kitchen island has antiqued black base with cream granite countertop, and another rectangular free-standing kitchen island with antiqued white paint finish and golden walnut butcher’s block countertop.
Barnwood kitchen island combined with rustic butcher block island
This kitchen as a rolling free-standing kitchen island as well, which has a antiqued black base and solid butcher’s block top, as well as an L-shaped kitchen island which serves as the divider between the kitchen and the other parts of the house.
Kitchen island with sink and microwave and second dining island
The French-style cabinets are all in white, and despite the limited space, the layout manages to fit in two kitchen islands, one of which serves more as a bar counter area, while the other has a built-in sink and oven.
L shaped kitchen with islands
The nice light background colors help the wengue finished kitchen cabinets stand out from the walls, while the two kitchen islands which uses white and oatmeal finishes looks as if they’re part of the interior architectural finishes.
Two level kitchen island with glass door cabinet and marble counters
It also features glass cabinet doors for a more modern feel, as well as double kitchen islands for a more efficient workflow in the kitchen.
Granite kitchen islands with breakfast bar and narrow food prep island
This design is characterized by clean straight lines, light warm-toned finishes, lots of natural light and plenty of ceiling space. The kitchen uses only one uniform finish for its cabinets – a light taupe color topped with light beige granite, for that soft classic look.
The limited space meant a more narrow central kitchen island, a very simple bar counter for the secondary kitchen island. Vintage pendant lamps also add a touch of industrial feel to the space to complete the over-all look.
White breakfast bar kitchen islands with stools
The warm basic finishes, like the yellow walls and teakwood flooring, also help the white kitchen cabinets stand-out, creating a balanced look. This kitchen also features two kitchen islands, both of which provides space for barstools, creating a very flexible kitchen layout.
Two tone double island kitchen with seating for 6
Offering contrasting kitchen islands the design features a central island with a built in sink and appliances with a white cabinet, and another island for dining that seats up to six guests with a dark wood cabinet.
Exposed wood beams, stone surfaces and hardwood flooring throughout gives this room a luxurious appeal.
Beautiful white marble kitchen island with seating for 5 and island oven
The kitchen island with seating in this design provides the much-needed preparation areas/surfaces due to its lack of wall kitchen counters.
