Here we share the most popular types of kitchen islands including pros & cons and design styles. A kitchen island is a countertop and usually cabinet that is freestanding from all the other pieces in the kitchen. Kitchen islands are often places of gathering and provide additional workspace, storage, and seating for meals or casual dining.
An island is also a great additional space for sinks, cooktops, and built-in appliances, and does not typically include overhead cabinetry. There are many different shapes and sizes that these islands come in, and some of the most popular are described below.
Rectangular Kitchen Island
A rectangular shaped island is also referred to as a galley kitchen island. This type is pretty to the point and just adds a simple counter with cabinets below for some added space for cooking and seating. This is great for relatively smaller kitchens as it uses as much storage space as possible by not having any inaccessible corners.
Unfortunately these types of kitchen island designs are not that suitable for adding sinks or appliances unless it is extremely long (which could cause disproportion) and is generally unspectacular, and used more for function than style.
L-shaped Island
Not to be confused with an l-shaped kitchen with an island, an L shaped counter is exactly how it sounds, it is in the shape of an L. This can be a great addition to a kitchen with a lot of free space, where the island can utilize the otherwise dead space and create a separation between cooking space and dining space.
L shaped islands are typically spacious for cooking, seating and storage. For those with a small kitchen space, or not need for many users or space, the L shape may not be the ideal as it could mean things are too spread out. With the L shape in particular it does have one sharp corner that does not particularly use the space in the best way, as accessing some things in the corner could be difficult.
Circular Kitchen Island
The vast major of kitchen islands come in one shape, which is rectangular. You’ll have a hard time finding many completely round kitchen islands in new home construction. However, you find many custom kitchen island designs with with circular ends and elongated curves.
A circular kitchen island adds some elegance to a kitchen, but also takes up a lot of space. They help add visual interest and bring focus to your beautiful countertops. These types of kitchen islands have a abundance of preparation and serving space as well as storage and seating.
While it is not the most efficient use of space, a rounded island design is an extremely creative and visual choice for a kitchen island.
Double Island Kitchen
A two island kitchen can cramp the space if your layout is not large enough. In addition one would need to constantly walk-around and between the islands which could inhibit work flow while cooking meals.
Contrasting Kitchen Island
A different color island can be paired to match flooring or other accent pieces such as a table, built-in cabinet or decor with great results. When considering a different color island its important to think about how it ties in to the overall room design. For best results think about how the island could be paired with something else in the space.
U-shaped Island
These types of islands are often fully functional (which we go over a little later in the article) and have a ton of seating, storage and working areas.
A u-shaped island design is not for everyone though, some do not need this much space and it can be a hassle to have to move from one side of the kitchen to the other and clean a great deal of surface. This type also is expensive and takes a lot of room in the kitchen, which is not ideal for every kitchen design.
Portable Kitchen Island
Portable islands are also extremely cost effective compared to built in casework. Plus, they are easily moved from the kitchen to the dining or living room for serving, or into storage after finished use. Portable islands offer under counter storage which can be used for pots and pans. Some even offer room to store your bottles of wine.
Unfortunately something freestanding is not always the best solution. Sometimes it can be a pain to store and take out every time you need it depending on the size. On top of that, they do not typically offer a lot of storage, if any. Anything on wheels is going to be a little less sturdy than something built in, so you do need to beware of the portable island accidentally moving or not being able to perform certain tasks, depending on the material used.
Kitchen Island Table (Furniture Style)
These pieces are typically small and open, allowing for a bright and light space versus a typical bulkier island. Unfortunately these are not as practical as they are visually appealing. Furniture style island tables are not built for cooking and preparation, meaning they do not possess very durable surfaces for the kinds of wear and tear or the liquids and such that are used on a kitchen surface.
On top of that, there is not really any storage that can be utilizes for anything besides a few decorative items. If the item is older, it may not be able to withstand the beating that it takes from the motions of cooking and prepping, which could be a great downfall.
Full Function Kitchen Island (Water, Electricity &/ or Gas)
A fully functioning space can be a kitchen island with a stove, cooktop, microwave drawer or refrigerator. They are often used as a focal point in modern kitchens and are popular additions to both large and small spaces for gathering.
This is almost like having an additional kitchen, and is great for multiple people using the space. The only real downside to this is that it is an expensive add to a kitchen and it requires a great deal of space and work for it to be completed.
Sink Island
The dishwasher is about 24 inches, but still has usable counter space and the sink needs about 36 inches. You will need the island to be larger to accommodate the mentioned items.
Cooktop Island
Storage Island
Custom Kitchen Island
The cost of remodeling your space with a custom island design may be the thing that hold one back. While a standard kitchen island costs about $3000 to $5000 to install a custom model can easily cost in excess of $10,000.
Two Tiered Breakfast Bar
This is especially great for islands that include a cook top, so that the people sitting at the counter do not accidentally come into contact with the hot surface. This is also good for ergonomics as ideal cooking height and bar height is different. Unfortunately this does take some of the prep space, as you cannot use the raised part of counter.
Dining Island
These types are usually extended 10 inches to 12 inches to create enough space for a person to sit comfortably. However, it’s important to maintain plenty of space between the island and main cabinets so the chairs do not interfere with your path.
I was interested in the idea of storage islands and how they can have drawers and cabinets directly built into them. I’m a home chef who loves to try out several different recipes at a time, and this ends up with me having a lot of ingredients being stored away that I need to use some other time of the week. To help better store them, I’ll look for any kitchen remodeling contractors that can help me get an island like this as part of my project.
My favorite example from your article was definitely the storage island. Since I’m the kind of person who loves collecting and using different cookware, I figured I should find a better way to organize everything I have easier. An island like this can really help us do that, so I’ll look around for any remodeling contractors that can help me install an island like this.