Kitchen Confidential: 11 Islands With Furniture Style

Generally located smack in the middle of the kitchen, islands are hot spots for attracting family and friends. By repurposing a piece of furniture as an island — or giving an island some furniture details — you can add style, warmth and character to everyone’s favorite gathering place.

Here are 11 ideas to get you started. Take a look, then tell us about your own furniture-style kitchen island.

1. Antique buffet. Glancing at this Seattle kitchen is like peeking into a time capsule. It took a collaborative effort by the architect, designer and homeowner to find the charming antique buffet island that is the centerpiece in this French Victorian design.

While the original doors, hardware and finish were left untouched, a custom piece was built to cover the unfinished back side of the buffet. Architect Carol Sundstrom of Rom architecture studio says they made the granite countertop removable to preserve the integrity of the piece.

More ways with vintage kitchen islands


2. Haberdashery cabinet. Designer Egon Walesch likes to design with furniture pieces that tell a story. The old department store haberdashery cabinet he selected for this eclectic London kitchen is a tale of storage spots galore.

Walesch had the 6-foot-long piece shortened by a cabinetmaker and fitted with a tough glass top. The 16 pullout drawers offer easy access to utensils and dishware. “It’s a very practical solution for a kitchen island,” Walesch says.


3. Farmhouse table. The concept for this traditional kitchen was versatility and variety, architect Hugh Randolph says. The farmhouse table from Crate & Barrel is just that. Here it substitutes for a traditional island, providing the option to eat in or use the tabletop for food prep and workspace.

Take a Seat at the New Kitchen-Table Island


4. Work island. Currey & Co.’s Sullivan work island gave designer Gwen DeBruyn of Bayberry Cottage the casual yet upscale look she wanted for her kitchen. “We knew we wanted a furniture piece and had purposefully stayed away from the typical kitchen island,” she says.

DeBruyn says she overcame the piece’s lack of cabinets with mindful planning throughout the rest of her cottage-style kitchen. She used the shelf on the turned-leg base for colorful accessories that contrast the kitchen’s white cabinets and backsplash.


5. Table extension. Merge your island with your kitchen table for a seamless and functional focal point. The extended island-table combo in this eat-in kitchen isn’t short on seating. The thick square table base and low-to-the-ground chairs pay homage to midcentury furniture pieces.


6. Table encasement. The swanky blue island in this transitional London kitchen is completely encased by a large three-part classic dining table. With seating at both ends and an extended countertop, the island strikes a fine balance between form and function.


7. Wine storage. When a client who had a knack for entertaining requested large serving areas, designer Ivee Fromkin decided to increase the depth of her traditional island to 44 inches (about 111 centimeters), which created an extended space for trays and platters. Fromkin then turned the extra space into an undercounter wine rack with built-in cubbyholes to display a small wine collection.

How much room do you need for a kitchen island?


8. Open-ended shelves. They create a pristine finish at one end of this modern island. Display isn’t the island’s only furniture-style function. The countertop overhang also allows for table-style seating, a high-function feature that’s well-suited to a modern kitchen design.


9. Compartmentalized shelves. This contemporary Atlanta kitchen features an island with 12 compartmentalized shelves housed in concrete. They establish plenty of opportunities for either storage or display but don’t compromise the island’s workspace.


10. Lab table. This minimalist kitchen experiments with an old science-lab table; the piece has been repurposed as a dining table and an industrial island. Look closely enough and you can see the original Bunsen burner fittings on the base beam.


11. Furniture-inspired. If you can’t find a piece that fits into your kitchen’s design scheme, design a furniture-inspired island yourself. One trick is to dress it up with detail. This embellished island includes decorative legs, raised-panel doors, ornate molding and an antique glaze that mimic classic furniture features. They complement the kitchen’s vintage aesthetics.

More: Lessons from 4 workhorse kitchen islands

Does your kitchen island have furniture style? We’d love to see a photo in the Comments.

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