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Take a look at some of these inspiring ideas to revamp your kitchen island or add one into your next kitchen remodel!

Kitchen Island Ideas - Off-the-Wall Ideas for Your Kitchen

The kitchen island has become a highly sought after component of the modern-day kitchen for many reasons. Additional counter space, storage, and aesthetic value are among some of the most valuable traits of the kitchen island. Learn how you can make your kitchen island work for you!

In this post, you will learn:
  • How to expand counter space
  • How to expand storage
  • How to spread out appliances
  • Unique storage solutions
tan-island 1.

Kitchen Island Colors

Modern designers have begun to experiment with mixing colors in kitchen cabinets, specifically by changing base cabinet colors or kitchen island colors. Using several different colors in a kitchen can give the effect of greater contrast and balance of light and dark within a space. Kitchen islands can also be subject to more creative designs, as they often feature two blank side panels. Decorate them as barn doors for your farmhouse style kitchen or throw a decorative panel on the end to match your cabinets!

Beautiful butcher block countertop on an island in a customers' home. 2.

Butcher Block Kitchen Island

Butcher block countertopsare a fantastic way to give your kitchen a whole new level of utility, but what if you don’t want to have to maintain a whole kitchens’ worth of butcher block countertops? Convert your island into a giant cutting board! The contrast of the wood that you choose to have your butcher block island constructed from can provide additional contrast and aesthetic value whilst also allowing greater functionality.

l-shaped-island 3.

Kitchen Island Bar

Why not kill two birds with one stone? Kitchen islands don’t have to be for food prep only, they also make for a great place to sit and have a meal. Wider kitchen islands are best suited for bars, especially when they are capable of having an overhang. Decorative legs are a great way to give support and personality to your new or upgraded kitchen island. Click here to explore our high-quality quartz and granite countertops!

Sink and oven in kitchen island. 4.

Additional Space for Appliances

If running plumbing and electrical is no issue for you then you may consider adding some additional utility to your kitchen island. Reducing the number of appliances in your surrounding kitchen can be useful for creating additional prep space and optimizing the flow of your cooking processes.

Oven installed into kitchen island. 5.

Kitchen Island Oven

Base cabinets can also be used for microwaves. Why not move the microwave to the island? Moving your microwave closer to your refrigerator can eliminate the unnecessary running back and forth to heat up leftovers. It also can keep the flow of normal cooking and food prep activities more consistent by reducing foot traffic throughout the kitchen.

kitchen-island-microwave 6.

Kitchen Island Microwave

Kitchen island sinks are a great way to clean up after a buffet-style meal. Serve all of your food to platters on the island and then simply reach and wash one by one until everything is clean, all without having to take a step!

kitchen-island-sink 7.

Kitchen Island Sink

Kitchen island sinks are a great way to clean up after a buffet-style meal. Serve all of your food to platters on the island and then simply reach and wash one by one until everything is clean, all without having to take a step!

hidden-trash-bin 8.

Hide Your Trash Bin

Roll-out shelves can be used to create easy-access storage for many things, trash and recycling receptacles among them! Trash bins can be unsightly and smelly, which makes hiding them much more appealing than leaving them out for guests to see and smell. Discreetly storing and hiding them where they are accessible is a great way to hide the ugly, smelly garbage and clear more space for movement through your kitchen. The island is a great place to hide your garbage because it is approximately the same distance from any point you may be in the kitchen when you need it.

kitchen-island-with-shelves 9.

Open Shelves

Open shelves are a favorite of those who like easily accessing or even showcasing their things. Installing shelves into your kitchen island is great for storing cookbooks, small appliances, or even jars of spices or shelf-stable food.

kitchen-cart-on-wheels 10.

Rolling Kitchen Island

Perhaps you have a smaller kitchen and feel that you may not have space for a permanent kitchen island. Don’t rule it out entirely! A rolling kitchen island or “kitchen cart” is the perfect choice for space-saving in small kitchens. Plenty of mobile kitchen island options are available for as-needed kitchen functions. If you feel that the island is getting in the way or doesn’t have any use at the moment, then simply roll it out of the way or use it as a serving station at your dinner table!

Article by:
Dustin Blaylock

Business Development Coordinator at Wholesale Cabinets
Dustin is passionate about all things wooden, and actually crafts tables and cabinets by hand when he isn't writing articles or developing new business.