Most all of our designs include a kitchen island, because in addition to being flawlessly functional, they’re also beautiful. Whether you’re opting for custom millwork, natural stone, or even a repurposed vintage piece for your kitchen’s center workspace, creating a beautiful space to gather and collaborate in the heart of the home is something special. Once you’ve built yours, here’s how to style your kitchen island!
DON’T OVER DO IT
Whether we’re styling for a photoshoot or for our home, our philosophy is almost always not too much. Over-styling is a fast track to your space looking and feeling overwhelming, cluttered, and detracting from whatever design elements already exist within the room. Keep everything a simple as possible, either in volume or in style. If you’re bringing in a colorful ceramic or book, keep your wash station minimal. If you’re going to have smaller knick-knacks, keep them more neutral in color. Try to find balance somewhere between the two.
CREATE A SPACE TO GATHER & COLLABORATE
The addition of kitchen islands into modern design was largely inspired by shift away from formal dining. Food is no longer prepared in seclusion and presented in a secondary dining space. Guests and hosts gather together in kitchens, make meals together, and congregate around the chef as food is prepared. This shift made islands the perfect addition to modern kitchens, providing a prep space where hosts could face their guests, especially if a hob stove is integrated into the design.
We encourage you to lean into this when styling your kitchen island, and provide spaces for guests to sit (we love these stools from Lulu & Georgia), have a drink, snack board, or even help with the food prep.
