Our Top 10 Kitchen Islands

The kitchen island is almost an essential part of a kitchen these days.  We see them in kitchens of all sizes and styles.  They are so practical plus we love they way they look - they offer us storage options, serving and prepping space and even a dining area.

Here are some of our favourite kitchen islands.



We love any over sized kitchen island - it is perfect for anyone who loves to cook and entertain.  This is also a beautiful piece  in this kitchen.  Look at the seating for 4 and those lantern pendants really make this island look and feel like a dining space.  The sink makes this island a great working area too. We love the storage and the serving space this island offers. This is a perfect addition to a dream kitchen!



Pot and pan drawers are a must in your kitchen island.  Look at all of this storage! This oversized island is almost a complete kitchen it's self.  Storage for days, prep space, cooking space a sink and so much more. 



Just because something serves a purpose doesn't mean it can't also look good! We love a pop of colour so why not add one to your kitchen? When your kitchen island is in a different stain or paint colour it really looks custom and it looks like a piece of furniture.  This island offers so much closed storage but it's a great hang out with 2 stools at the end plus it's just perfect for serving an prepping look at the over sized flat surface.



Looking to make a statement with your kitchen island? Think about going 'live edge'. This live-edge walnut kitchen island counter top is a show stopper! It adds an organic element to this sleek and streamlined modern kitchen.  We love the wood grain and knots - so much character and uniqueness. 



We love a butcher block kitchen island but how cute is this dog bowl feature? If you have dogs at home incorporate them into your decor and design.  These stainless steel bowls can be removed for easy cleaning but when in place they are out of the way with no risk of being knocked over and making a mess. 



 We love the rustic look of this farmhouse kitchen island.  The grey stain softens the look of the wood plus it works with the veining in the marble back splash.  The open shelving is very convenient when plating and we like the look of these clean, smooth white dishes (and white cabinets) with the rustic wood grain - we love the mix of textures.  This island has so much character!



We love this 'beverage station' in this kitchen island - it's perfect if you love to entertain! A wine rack, ice maker and beer/soda fridge in the island is such a great idea! Easy access and it won't take up space in your main fridge.  With it tucked away in the island it won't take away from the beauty of your kitchen.



We don't see this often - but we love it!  A round kitchen island : this is perfect for a smaller kitchen -the circular shape really softens up the look in a kitchen and appears to not take up as much space; a circular shape offers great flow (that's why a circular table is often a great choice for a small space). This still has great storage a surface space.  We also love the soft tones in this kitchen - the cream, taupe and wood - timeless with a bit of a country feel.



This island has it all -  seating, storage, open shelving, surface space and a stove top.  this modern sleek look kitchen island offers so much for this kitchen design. We love the mix of black, wood and grey waterfall quartz counter top.  The pendant lighting is beautiful and we love how the hood fan is built in so it doesn't visually block in the kitchen and obstruct the view. 




 

Take some inspiration from this kitchen with a commercial restaurant design.  This T-shaped island is perfect for parties - so much space for prepping, serving and let your guests watch while you create! the mix of stainless steel and wood grain is a great balance of modern and organic, warm and cool.  So clean and streamlined in every way.

Which kitchen island is your favourite?

We Answer Wednesday - How to Include Metal stools in My Decor style

“I LOVE the look of metal stools in the kitchen when I am flipping through magazines. For my own home, I worry that they will be cold, and won’t fit with my décor style. Are metal stools only for industrial décor?”

 

Great question!! Metal stools are definitely everywhere these days and for good reason! They are stylish, easy to clean and super versatile. The great thing about metal stools is that there isn’t just one kind.. they come in many different colours, styles, dimensions and go with a variety of décor. They are not limited to one décor style.

 

Decorating with the “unexpected” is often a welcome addition to your space.. having every single piece resemble one another can look boring and typical. By adding in metal stools in your mostly wood home, or into a mostly white room, or adding a pop of colour in another wise monochromatic space keeps your home looking interesting, and most importantly, personalized. You are the one who lives there, so its important that you love what you have inside. This should be a reflection of your personality.

 

Remember, you don’t have to do ‘full’ metal. If you like the look of metal, but are nervous how it will blend into your home, then buy something with another texture. Maybe some wood detailing.. or a fabric seat with metal legs. Be creative! Buy what you love.

 

Another positive of using metal in your home.. is that it is super easy to keep clean. Just wipe and go. If you are a busy family with children, you don’t have to worry about them staining any upholstery. Metal is fantastic for kitchen chairs as well, for the same reasons.

 

Having metal stools in fun colours is another fabulous and family friendly look. Children typically love colour, adding different colours into your space is a fantastic way to freshen up your space.

 

Blending styles is easier than you think! Of course, there are definitely styles that don’t jive as well together. Modern and Traditional pieces don’t typically go as well as say country and rustic. Adding some rustic pieces to your contemporary décor is an easy transition. Having an eclectic space is another easy style to blend pieces together. If you add in metal, add some elsewhere as well. Even just adding a metal accessory to tie the textures together will make it look planned and on purpose.  the image below is a great example of tying in some common threads, the metal legs on the stool pair beautifully with the metallic back splash tiles and with the metal pitcher on the counter. Having some commonality in your space always helps to give that ‘designer look’ you see in magazines.

 

We Answer Wednesday - Pendant Predicament

"What size and how many pendants should I hang over my kitchen island?"

The ideal number of lights depends on the style and scale of fixtures you choose, and how hardworking your island is.  Here's a guide to help you decide which solution is best for your kitchen.

One Large Pendant
Make a modern move by centering one over sized fixture above the island.  A large pendant with a translucent shade can offer both ambient and task lighting. This works very well if your kitchen island is also your dining space, which is something we have seen in recent years in condos.  This light fixture would act as your island lighting and dining fixture



 Two Medium Pendants
Hang a pair of lights evenly spaced over the island to illuminate the workspace.  These lantern style pendants add great light to the whole space and have a timeless look that work with the kitchen.  This is a more current look that we are seeing a lot of in single family homes with large kitchens but also in smaller condo or apartment size kitchens.  It's a clean balanced look and works with any style of decor.





Three Small Pendants
A trip of shapely lights will work together to brighten three different areas along the island.  Clear glass fixtures are visually light and mix well with the other style sin the home.  This is probably the most common kitchen island pendant arrangement, light the 2 medium pendant arrangement it works with all styles of decor.




 Other important points with kitchen island lighting...
1. Size and Scale. One thing to really, really take into consideration is scale and proportion of lighting to island. Over sized lighting has been very on trend for the past few years but it is possible to be too big, so watch out!  Not sure what to do, start with the size of your island, we are seeing over sized (and super handy) kitchen island in homes of all sizes. For example, we had a client would installed a 10 ft island so we were able to install 3 medium sized pendants (equally spaced) and it looks perfect.

2. Mood lighting. As with any lighting fixture, think about putting these pendants on a dimmer switch.  It is a really nice effect when you are entertaining and using the island for serving drinks and appetizers it really creates a warm and cozy vibe

3. Right height.  The bottom rims of your pendant lights should hang about 30 inches above the surface of your kitchen island counter. An alternate way to determine the proper height is to measure from the floor upward. With this method, the bottom rims of the lighting fixtures should be positioned 60 to 66 inches above the floor. If the ceilings in your kitchen are higher than 8 feet, light from the fixtures will be dispersed more evenly if you increase the height of the pendant lights 3 inches for every extra foot of ceiling height. In addition, if you have tall family members, it's a good idea to raise the lights a couple of extra inches to allow more head room.

Ideally, the bottom rims of your pendant lights should hang about 30 inches above the surface of your kitchen island counter. An alternate way to determine the proper height is to measure from the floor upward. With this method, the bottom rims of the lighting fixtures should be positioned 60 to 66 inches above the floor. If the ceilings in your kitchen are higher than 8 feet, light from the fixtures will be dispersed more evenly if you increase the height of the pendant lights 3 inches for every extra foot of ceiling height. In addition, if you have tall family members, it's a good idea to raise the lights a couple of extra inches to allow more head room.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/way_5842703_high-lights-above-kitchen-island.html

 

Ideally, the bottom rims of your pendant lights should hang about 30 inches above the surface of your kitchen island counter. An alternate way to determine the proper height is to measure from the floor upward. With this method, the bottom rims of the lighting fixtures should be positioned 60 to 66 inches above the floor. If the ceilings in your kitchen are higher than 8 feet, light from the fixtures will be dispersed more evenly if you increase the height of the pendant lights 3 inches for every extra foot of ceiling height. In addition, if you have tall family members, it's a good idea to raise the lights a couple of extra inches to allow more head room.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/way_5842703_high-lights-above-kitchen-island.html