50 Gorgeous Kitchen Designs With Islands

This is our picture gallery of beautiful kitchen designs with islands. A kitchen island can be a useful way to maximize your home’s cooking space.

These designs feature luxury kitchens with custom islands in a variety of styles and finishes. We hope these kitchens give you plenty of ideas for inspiration for your own home.

A large traditional style kitchen which uses unique gunmetal-painted kitchen cabinets. It has a large rectangular kitchen island in the same gunmetal grey color with paneling details and is topped with white granite counter top.

The kitchen island is further emphasized from the rest of the kitchen by placing a modern crystal chandelier right above it, which also adds a more dramatic lighting effect to the space.

The first kitchen designs with islands were introduced on early television cooking shows. In 1937, Britain’s cooking show, Cook’s Night Out, made use of a kitchen island to highlight the recipe preparation and make it easier for the camera operator to film the show.

By 1963, Julia Child’s show, The French Chef, premiered and a larger, upgraded kitchen island was created for her to demonstrate her beloved recipes. Other cooking shows followed suite and attractive kitchen islands were incorporated on the sets, typically with natural stone surfaces.

Kitchen with Island Ideas

A traditional kitchen with a breakfast bar island, plain white paneled cabinet base, and wood-framed glass doors for the overhead cabinets. The beige cream granite countertop and the ceramic tiles on the backsplash add a subtle contrast to the white cabinets. Additionally, it has a rectangular kitchen island white white base cabinets connected to a built-up base painted in gray which helps supports the ledge for the bar counter.

A  gorgeous kitchen space that combines modern aesthetics with the beauty of traditional-style kitchen cabinets. You can see that the floors, walls and ceiling are very light – white ash ceramic floor tiles, white walls, and ceiling.

The main kitchen cabinets are simplified paneled cabinets in light gray with white marble countertops and marble subway tiles for backsplash. At the center is a rectangular kitchen island in Oak finish and topped with plain white solid surface, with integrated storage, sink and dining area.

The high ceiling of this traditional luxury kitchen design makes it look airy and spacious, plus there is sufficient natural light going inside the space, illuminating it well. The main cabinets are paneled solid wood in dark walnut stain finish and topped with beige granite.

It has a small square sland with solid wood butcher’s block counter top, paired with light beige painted base cabinets which contrasts with the dark stained wood of the main cabinets.

This is an open concept kitchen with a very unique island placement. While the main cabinets were kept basic – white cabinets, white subway tiles for backsplash, and white granite countertops, the rectangular island was placed diagonally and not perpendicular or parallel to any of the main cabinets.

The unique placements make the layout more dynamic and interesting. Additionally, the black-painted base of the island stands out from the pale-colored space, and is even topped with two industrial-style pendant lamps.

A very relaxed and refreshing country-style cooking space, with large full-height windows creating a bright and cozy atmosphere in the meal preparation area. A dining area is also place right across the meal crafting space, allowing you to entertain your guests while you prepare food.

The cabinets are all uniform – paneled solid wood painted in a light mint green color, giving a cool and relaxing appeal to the culinary space. The rectangular island topped with Carrara marble separates the cooking space from the dining area and also provides space for dining.

With an open floor plan style of layout, this meal crafting space looks really large and spacious. It has only one wall for the main counters with white cabinets and topped with black granite, but it does have a very large island with wengue laminated base, marble countertop top and a dining ledge able to accommodate 4 or more diners at a time.

The large island not only provides additional storage, it also functions as additional preparation area, divides/separates the culinary space from the rest of the house and also serves as an informal dining and seating area.

This decorative wood island has a built-in sink and is topped with thick beige color granite and offers under counter storage and eat-in dining. This cooking space itself has honey colored wood cabinetry with a rustic style. The open concept design has an efficient work triangle and the layout is great for entertaining friends and family.

A well-illuminated l-shaped kitchen with island showcasing lovely light gray walls which helps the off-white cabinets stand out. It has a small rectangular kitchen island made of solid vertical planks of wood in mahogany finish and topped with white granite.

This island serves as additional preparation area for the small kitchens, as well as a small bar counter for dining. The mismatched bar stools adds an industrial and casual feel to the space which also matches the look of the pendant lamps placed right above it.

A modern culinary space that uses traditional style cabinets to add a touch of personality to the space. The walls have a white-painted brick finish, giving it a rough finish and adding pattern to the surface.

This is paired with simple white paneled cabinets, with glass doors for the overhead cabinets and topped with black galaxy granite. There is a rectangular island in the middle which houses a convection oven, as well as additional storage and dining area.

A traditional culinary space gives off that classic cozy, and warm atmosphere. The solid chestnut wood kitchen cabinets give a natural, elegant appeal to the space. This is paired with gray salt & pepper (Perla) granite counters and textured ceramic tile floors which adds texture to the space.

It has a large rectangular island with a curved ledge for the bar counter surface and three Tiffany pendant lamps, adding a romantic touch to the space.

This traditional meal preparation area is bright and cozy, with a full room dedicated for the culinary spaceand storage area. The main cabinets are white in traditional style paneled doors with brown granite counter top. At the center is a very large island with a solid mahogany-stained base. This is used for additional dining area, and storage, and also has an integrated sink.

Another traditional cooking space design with a golden glow mostly due to its choice of colors and finishes. As you can see, the walls and ceiling are painted in a light beige color, and the culinary space also has a large iron chandelier with warm white lights illuminating the space.

Additionally, the main cabinets are in solid Antique teak wood paired with orange toned granite countertop with matching brass finish faucets. For the island, the base cabinets were instead painted white, making it stand out from the heavy wooden main cabinets.

A gorgeous modern culinary space with a rustic industrial appeal. It uses wengue laminated base cabinets topped with stainless steel countertops. The backsplash finish is a bit unique, using pebbles instead for tiles or glass. It has a very large irregularly-shaped island in the same finish as the main counters but is instead topped with white soapstone.

Hanging above the island is a rustic iron-framed pans rack that perfectly matches the bar counter, which uses weathered solid wood and industrial-style bar stools with black iron legs.

This open-plan kitchen is placed across the living area, giving it a spacious feel despite its smaller size. The whole house has Natural Hickory wood floors with gray-painted walls. The kitchen cabinets are painted white with a marble countertop and unique hexagonal backsplash tiles in gray.

There’s a rectangular kitchen island a the center with warm gray-painted base cabinets and a marble countertop. The marble extends a bit to form a ledge to serve as a bar counter, allowing space for 3 bar stools for dining purposes.

This quaint rustic-style kitchen has unique sage green walls and ceilings combined with solid Oak floors. Because of the bold color of the walls and ceiling, the kitchen cabinets were kept white, with vertical beadboard wood slats, adding pattern and texture. The countertop of the main cabinets is red granite, while the small kitchen island in the center uses a more elegant-looking marble countertop.

Using modern modular cabinets, this space is able to use a pleasing combination of white and wood tones, creating a balanced feel to the kitchen space. As you can see, the base cabinets are laminated in a colonial maple wood finish, giving it a soft and subtle wood tone, while the overhead cabinets use plain white high gloss laminated, giving that modern appeal.

For the countertop, a white solid surface was used, and the same was used on the rectangular kitchen island where the cooking hob was placed.

Bright windows, light gray walls, a plastered ceiling, and dark walnut floors give this kitchen a nice background that has a balance of dark and bright colors. Similarly, the kitchen cabinets used balanced light and dark colors as well. It uses white painted cabinets combined with dark gray salt & pepper granite countertop, adding a visual texture to the space.

The small kitchen also fits a small square kitchen island which serves as additional storage, work top and, of course, a dining area that is able to accommodate two bar stools.

Despite the modern appeal of this kitchen, it is able to give that rustic feel to it with its choice of wood finishes. While the walls are painted in a neutral light gray color, the solid wood floors give a rustic appeal as it uses rustic oak wood floors. The kitchen cabinets are simply laminated in white, with black solid surface counter top and a unique backsplash panel with abstract textures in white.

It has a very long kitchen island with a white quartz countertop and sides, while the face of the bar counter uses horizontal planks of reclaimed wood veneer in silver oak. The gray color of the kitchen island base adds to the rustic appeal of the space and adds a nice contrast against the white quartz counters.

A full-sized kitchen maximizes the available space by occupying most walls with kitchen cabinets and storage. Despite the small space, this kitchen is well-illuminated, with white walls and pearwood floors, giving it a nice subtle warmth. The kitchen cabinet style is simplified paneled doors in a dark gray finish, topped with a white solid surface, and paired with white subway backsplash tiles, giving it a more modern look.

In the middle of the kitchen is a small kitchen island with the same base cabinets and quartz countertop, used mostly for additional storage and as an additional preparation area, creating a smoother workflow in the kitchen.

Kitchen designs with islands are often used for spaces with larger layouts. The small size of this kitchen did not deter the use of an island with breakfast bar seating.  Darker wood tones are used for its base kitchen cabinets, as the space is very well-illuminated and has nice light gray walls as a background.

The kitchen cabinets are solid mahogany topped with gray salt & pepper (Snowfall) granite. It has a small kitchen island with white base cabinets but has the same salt & pepper granite countertop.

The ebony laminated panels of the kitchen cabinets give a nice stark contrast against the white walls of the kitchen. This is topped with a white solid surface and paired with white subway tiles for the backsplash.

To give the space a more open feeling, there is no overhead cabinet, but just open overhead shelves. In the middle is a large kitchen island with the same ebony laminated base cabinet and white solid surface counters.

This kitchen really looks bright as it goes for the pure white color scheme and places it against dark walnut flooring. As you can see, the whole kitchen space is fully utilized for both storage and work area, using white-painted kitchen cabinets topped with white marble and white subway backsplash tiles. The kitchen island also uses the same materials and finishes as the main cabinets and allows up to 3 users to sit & dine together.

Situated at the center of the house, this kitchen is pocket-sized, having a very limited space in this open-plan home. Despite its small size, the open plan helps it look big and bright, but the size also means that space should be utilized effectively; that is why the main kitchen cabinets are full storage walls, with built-in ovens and cabinets to maximize the wall space.

The kitchen island separating the kitchen from the rest of the house holds the cooking hob and the sink, as well as provides additional dining area to the house. The island has a poured beige concrete countertop that contrasts well with the white cabinetry.

With a clean white modern kitchen white plain white walls and pale maple flooring, this space looks big and bright, especially due to its high gabled ceiling. This is even more enhanced due to the fact that the kitchen cabinets are also all white.

The gray solid surfaces countertop adds a bit of contrast, as well as the iron base of the bar stools. It has a rectangular kitchen island at the center, a white base, and white solid surface counters decorated by flowers and blown glass pendant lamps.

Culinary space designs with islands that have two types of countertops can evoke interest and drama. While most kitchens go for a warmer look, this cooking space uses cooler color tones for its palette.

As you can see, all cabinets are simply white, topped with salt & pepper granite counter top, but the use of blue pearl granite for the island and the glass mosaic tiles on the backsplash with grays and blues gives a cooler over-all tone to the cooking space.

Island colors

This large modern culinary space uses uniform-style cabinets. All were laminated in a slate gray color with a rough industrial-style texture which complements the perfectly smooth and seamless surface of the white solid surface quartz countertop used. This culinary space also has a large square kitchen island which is mostly used as a preparation area, and a bar counter for dining, able to sit 4 people at once.

Kitchen designs with islands aren’t commonplace in many apartments. This is an open-layout culinary space in an apartment building with an island with cushioned stools for seating. The kitchen cabinets are traditional in style, painted in a refreshing green color, giving a fun pop of color to the space without being too bold. It has a small rectangular counter which also doubles as a bar counter or dining area topped with a very elegant Carrara marble.

This cooking space has a dark masculine appeal as it foes for a gray-and-white color scheme. The floors of the whole space is black with brown texture and combined with light gray walls. For the cabinets, traditional paneled style doors were used and have a dark gray paint finish.

There’s a rectangular island with a built-in sink and dishwasher placed against a built-up bar counter with sandstone cladding and beige (Fantasy Ivory) granite countertop. Right above the bar counter/ledge are 4 blown glass pendant lamps, completing the masculine appeal of the space.

This modern culinary space is a bit more adventurous with its combination of colors and finishes. The cabinets are laminated in a metallic blue color and is paired with a black quartz countertop and backsplash, which goes up to the ceiling of the cookery nook. There is no overhead cabinet but maple wooden ledges for additional overhead storage.

The same colors were used on the modern kitchen island – metallic blue base cabinets with black quartz counter and lower open shelves laminated in light maple wood. Accentuating the island are two industrial-style stainless steel pendant lamps.

This eclectic cooking space looks clean, crisp and simple, with its white painted walls and cabinets and high ceiling. The main cabinets use a black solid surface and have white vertical wood planks for its backsplash.

The island used is quite unique. Instead of using fixed base cabinets with a stone countertop, the island here is a rustic movable table counter with an open base and weathered paint finish. This adds more personality to the space, as well as adds a nice pop of color to the otherwise plain cooking area.

Narrow Islands

A full-sized culinary space featuring all white paneled cabinets with white marble countertop. This was paired with white glass subway tiles for the backsplash and stainless steel hardware and faucets.

The white cabinets come out nicely against the light gray walls and the solid cherry wood floors. Since the space is quite narrow, the island is narrow as well, with the same white base cabinets and an extended countertop to serve as a ledge/bar counter area.

This is a full-sized culinary space with sage green walls and light oak wood floors. The main cabinets used are painted in cream and topped with salt & pepper granite. This is paired with glass mosaic backsplash tiles which adds more browns and greens, as well as pattern and texture to the space. At the center, is a smallcentral island with oak base and salt & pepper granite countertop, with a small under mount sink.

As this culinary space fully takes up most of the wall space for cabinets and pantry storage, it can only fit a small rectangular island with a small sink in the middle. The cabinets are traditional paneled cabinet doors painted in a very light cream color and paired with light beige color Andino White granite counters, giving this cooking area a soft, warm glow.

The walls of this small culinary space are painted in a gray color, and this is paired with some portions of the wall and the dropped ceiling painted in a yellow cream color. Because of the dark background surface, the cabinets used are white and topped with Black Pearl granite.

Despite the small space, the planning is efficient. It even has a small  island which provides additional storage, as well as two pull-out cutting boards.

The slate blue walls give a refreshing vibe to the space without being to bold. This color also complements the white cabinets well. Due to the limited space, the culinary space has an open layout, with an L-shaped island to separate it from the rest of the house. The island has a higher bar counter with two black-stained bar stools which matches the dining set used.

A very large traditional style culinary space which uses pale warm colors, giving a nostalgic feel to the space. The whole place looks large as it has a very high gabled ceiling with natural maple wood slats and solid wood beams.

For larger kitchens, the U-shaped design is optimal as it consists of cabinetry along three adjacent walls which allows for multiple users to work at the same time and efficient workflow. – Fundamentals of Innovative Sustainable Homes Design and Construction, Avi Friedman

The cabinets are in rustic oak as well in a rough matte finish, giving it that antique and weather appeal matching the rest of the space. This is stopped with smooth green granite counters. The white painted bar stools have an antiqued finish as well to match the overall look.

Painted Islands

This modern culinary space adds a touch of Asian Contemporary aesthetic in its design by using hard contrasts of white and dark wood finishes. The walls were painted in a light oatmeal color which helps bring out the wood tones of the solid mahogany cabinets.

At the center of the culinary space is a unique elliptical-shaped contrasting kitchen island with a built-up base painted in the same oatmeal color as the walls and topped with white granite. This island also accommodates 3 barstools with wengue-stained legs and white leather upholstery.

Soft yellow tones from the color of the walls give a subtle pop of color to this full-sized culinary space. The walls complement the red oak wood floors of the kitchen nicely, as well as the Roman blinds with yellow print patterns used on the windows.

For the cabinets, more subtle colors were used – white for the main cabinets combined with a light cream granite countertop. For the island, the base was painted in an oatmeal color, topped with the same granite stone, and has a pair of bar stools upholstered in beige velvet fabric.

A double-line modern culinary space that maximizes the full height of the wall available for storage. The contemporary paneled cabinets are painted in a gunmetal color with simple stainless steel pulls, paired with a white solid surface countertop and white & gray mosaic backsplash tiles.

It has a rectangular island in the middle with a light gray painted base and is topped with the same solid white surface material as the main cabinets. This island has an under-mount sink, as well as space to accommodate 3 bar stools.

A modern home with an open floor plan places this small culinary space on a raised area from the main floor. Due to the open floor plan and plain white walls, the space appears to be bigger, allowing you to experiment with darker colors and various textures without weighing down the space.

The main cabinets are in solid mahogany, topped with River White granite solid surface, and matched with white subway tiles for the backsplash. It has a large rectangular  island white white-painted base cabinets, a built-in ceramic sink, and a solid white travertine countertop.

Culinary space designs with islands that have an open layout can be great for large families and those who like to entertain. This traditional cooking area, with massive doors and windows, looks bright, spacious, and inviting.

The floors are engineered wood in a light oak color, which goes well with the solid red mahogany kitchen cabinet doors. This is paired with brown granite used on both the counter top and the full backsplash wall. The simplecooking area setup is perfect for entertaining guests and a nice venue for dining as well.

Island With Columns

This design has a mix of Italian and French style elements with dark beige walls paired with clean white-painted cabinets. It has a large rectangular island used for an additional prep area,  but instead of using the white base to match the main cabinets, it uses a wenge stain finish and tops with beige granite. The island also has integrated storage, a wine rack, as well as dining counter space.

This is another grand-looking traditional-style design that uses a combination of solid walnut finish cabinets with beige-painted cabinets. The beige-painted parts of the cooking space are all situated at the center, putting emphasis on the cooking area, as well as the island attached to the two columns. This central island with a beige-painted base also functions as a bar counter, creating a perfect culinary space for entertaining guests.

This room has a very elegant classical style. The cabinets are traditional paneled cabinets with detailed carving details topped with beige granite countertops. At the center of the culinary spaceis a rectangular island with a Mahogany stained base and the same granite countertop, with two small pendant crystal chandeliers hanging right above it, completing that elegant appeal.

The natural beauty of solid wood is emphasized in this simple country-style culinary space. The oatmeal walls and wooden floors already set a warm background to this culinary space, but its use of natural oak finish cabinets adds to the natural warmth of the space.

Its texture gives a natural rustic feel to it. The main counters use granite for the countertop, but for the island with solid wood-turned legs, the countertop is a wooden butcher’s block as well.

Cherry Wood Island

This open concept design has a simple yet elegant appeal to it. The main cabinets are basic white-painted cabinets topped with beige granite and use white subway tiles. The large island, however, has a solid cherry wood base and beige granite counter, with a built-in sink and space for 3 upholstered bar stools. The dark wood of the island contrasts nicely with the white cabinets, making it the culinary space’s main focus.

This room looks bright and spacious thanks to its light choice of colors for its floors and walls. This allowed the use of bold solid cherry wood cabinets on both the main cabinets and the rectangular island.

To help tone down the orange of the solid wood cabinets, a solid white surface paired with bone-colored ceramic tiles for the backsplash was used. The same material was used on the small island. The overhanging island countertop allows stools to be pulled up for eat-in dining.

A large traditional space which uses gorgeous solid wood paneled cabinet doors in cherry wood. This is topped with light cream color Bordeaux Dream granite counters and even has a rectangular island in the middle with its edges cut off into angles. This provides additional storage, additional sink area as well as preparation area making the flow of the culinary space smooth and efficient.

This modern kitchen design has a dark industrial feel to it but has a cleaner & more elegant appeal to it. The cabinets are laminated in dark walnut, giving an elegant yet rustic look to the cabinets, and use a stainless steel counter and backsplash.

The combination works surprisingly well together. The large island uses the same laminates for the base cabinets, but the countertop is solid cherry wood, giving a nice contrast with the cold feel of the stainless steel counters.