Kitchen Island Ideas & Inspiration

 

Many people tend to ask the question, “How do I design a kitchen island?” Well, to tell you the truth, there is no one size fits all kitchen island design, as you can make it exactly how you want, so that it fits in with the shape of your room and even add appliances where you want them to make the island completely unique!

The shape and design of your kitchen island can be whatever your imagination dreams up!

kitchen-island-3665 kitchen-island-3666 kitchen-island-3661

Island Examples

Can hobs and sinks be placed in a kitchen island?

Yes, hobs and sinks can be placed in a kitchen island but you may not have room for both, unless it’s a pretty big island. The considerations that you need to pay close attention to are getting gas, electricity and drainage under the flooring as most islands are positioning in the middle of the room, with no wall to run cables and pipes along or behind. You can see some examples of hobs and sinks installed in kitchen islands below.

Kitchen Island With Sink

Island- with sink
Island With Hob

Island With Hob & Sink

Island with hob

Wine coolers & ovens

As well as sinks and hobs, you could even put a wine cooler in your island, and oven or even a microwave. See the examples below to see how these could look in your own home.

Island with wine cooler

Island with wine cooler

Kitchen island with oven

Downdraft extractors

If you want to be fancy, why not include a downdraft extractor into your kitchen island to take away all the cooking smells and steam. They are very functional, look great and disappear back into your worktop when not in use.

Kitchen island with downdraft extractor

Kitchen island with downdraft extractor

 

Bolt on a breakfast bar

If you’ve got the space and there is room in your budget then why not bolt on a breakfast bar to your kitchen island and create an additional seating area in your kitchen, away from the main dining table. Very convenient for fly by visits to the fridge or midnight snacks! Check out the images below to see some examples.

Kitchen island with breakfast bar

Kitchen island with breakfast barKitchen island with breakfast barKitchen Island

Worktop considerations

When it comes to worktops, you can use any worktop that you like but there are limitations when it comes to laminate and solid wood worktops. So, when deciding on the width of your kitchen island, please ensure that you know which worktop you intend on using first, as this may change the design of your island a little, unless you join 2 pieces of worktop together.

Kitchen island with breakfast bar and large worktopKitchen island with breakfast bar

Split Level Islands

Your kitchen island does not have to be completely flat like your kitchen worksurface. You can create a split level island, which is very useful if you want to incorporate a breakfast bar with tall stools or lower one end and use it more as a display feature for ornaments or for serving food away from the main island area.

Split Level Island-1903

Split level kitchen islandSplit level kitchen islandSplit level kitchen island

60 Second Kitchen Island Showcase

Take a look at the video below to get some more kitchen island design inspiration.

 
 
 


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20 thoughts on “Kitchen Island Ideas & Inspiration”
  • Lynda says:

    Hi what are the dimensions of the kitchen islands please? We are looking at the Linwood kitchen units and are wanting an island. We don’t want a sink or cooker hob in it, just a work surface but with plenty of storage underneath including wide drawers but we need to know what dimensions the islands are. Thank you

     
    January 15, 2021 at 5:40 pm
    • Diy Kitchens says:

      Hi, islands are made from worktops & kitchen units from any of the door styles on our website and are designed by the customer. There is no set design for an island and it can’t be bought as an item i’m afraid. The pages below on our advice site, will offer some advice on how to design one

       
      January 17, 2021 at 9:05 am
  • Juila Lang says:

    Hello,
    On the 3rd Kitchen Island 60 Second Showcase video the 3rd picture shows an island with a curved built-in banquet. How would I create that?

     
    January 10, 2020 at 1:22 pm
    • Diy Kitchens says:

      Hi Julia, there are quite a few island videos and the one below rotates through them. Could you let me know the number of the video, shown right at the start of it? Thanks.

       
      January 13, 2020 at 10:36 am
  • john says:

    Hi – I’m looking to order from you and I’m having a small peninsular, but I don’t understand the difference between your base units and your peninsular base units. Why would I need a peninsular unit instead of a regular base unit. And what goes at the back of the unit?

     
    November 18, 2018 at 6:24 pm
    • Diy Kitchens says:

      Hi John, a peninsular base unit looks very similar to a normal base unit but the difference is, there are doors on both sides of the unit, so that it can be accessed from either side of the peninsular. Our peninsular base units can be seen here.

       
      November 19, 2018 at 7:52 am
  • Jono says:

    What is the minimum recommended distance between a kitchen run and the placement of an island, so that there is enough space to walk and open units?

     
    September 26, 2018 at 2:21 pm
    • Diy Kitchens says:

      Hi Jono, the recommended space for a comfortable walk way around an island is 1000mm.

       
      September 26, 2018 at 2:22 pm
  • sana says:

    in the second picture (hague blue island with sink) the base end panel is not flat, it has two square panels. this is the look i am going for in my helmsley island, but I can’t seem to find this as an option. can you help?

     
    March 30, 2018 at 11:34 pm
    • Diy Kitchens says:

      Hi Sana, this is because we have used the doors on the side of the units to continue the door effect the whole way around the unit, in the inframe range, the only doors they are able to order loose are the appliance doors which, are either 600mm wide or 450mm wide.

       
      April 3, 2018 at 1:18 pm
      • Claire says:

        I would like to use doors instead of a back panel on my Stanbury bespoke island. The island will be 600 x 2400mm. There is not a large enough back panel available to cover this length. The island will consist of (L to R) 1 integrated dishwasher, 1 600mm highline sink unit, a 600mm space for freestanding washer and a 600mm space for freestanding tumble dryer. I was planning to separate the spaces for the freestanding washer & dryer with end panels (door materiel) so that the visible faces match the door and plinth and to provide support for the worktop.

        What size doors will I need to use as back panels? Also, how would you advise to attach these?

         
        April 28, 2018 at 9:11 pm
      • Diy Kitchens says:

        Hi Claire, for the back of this 2400mm island I would recommend using 5x 715mm X 497mm doors. These would be attached to the back of the units or to the end panels using L brackets and then running the plinth underneath the doors to match the other side. With two of the units being free standing appliances and needing the extra panels for these the actual length of the island will be 2480mm leaving room to use 5x 497mm doors.

         
        April 30, 2018 at 1:43 pm
  • Bella Procktor says:

    Hi, please can you advise how do I include a downdraft extractor on my kitchen plan? I want to have a hob and one of these extractors in an island. I am using your kitchen planner to design the kitchen. Do I create a void behind the hob and then add a shallow depth cupboard in front of the void? Thanks for any tips, advise you can give me.

     
    January 19, 2018 at 9:22 pm
  • Jill Morris says:

    Hi,

    So it’s the 900mm wall units that are used to create the higher level not the 1250mm high base units, what about legs on the 900mm wall units?

    Many thanks

    Jill

     
    November 6, 2017 at 11:33 am
    • Diy Kitchens says:

      Hi, wall units were used in the example on the other page, without legs.

       
      November 6, 2017 at 11:59 am
      • Jill Morris says:

        Hi,

        Sorry for the questions, just a little confused now.

        You say that the split level on the other page was created using wall units without legs and that you have to request not to have leg bosses fitted when ordering, but I thought all wall units came without legs anyway?

        Also, as these units are going to be used on the floor don’t they need legs fitting for the purpose of creating an island?

        Many thanks

        Jill

         
        November 6, 2017 at 12:50 pm
      • Diy Kitchens says:

        Hi, the comment about requesting no legs on the unit was in reference to the 1250mm base unit, all our wall units are supplied without legs.

        The legs on base units are used to get the units levels. There are no legs on the wall units, so if you were going to use these then you would get these units into position first, on a flat floor then position the other units afterwards and adjust the feet on the other base units as necessary.

        With regards to kitchen islands, there is no right or wrong way to make them. It’s all down to your imagination and playing around with ideas, until you get something that fits and suits your kitchen.

        I hope this helps. You can call our sales team on 01977 608 418 if you have any questions about creating your kitchen order and adding your island items to it.

         
        November 6, 2017 at 1:11 pm
  • Jill Morris says:

    Hi,

    How do I create a split level island with breakfast bar, like the one in the image below the text split level islands above?
    What units, end panels and worktops would it require?
    Can a standard width wood or laminate work top be used on this kind of island without a join?

    Many thanks

    Jill

     
    November 5, 2017 at 11:20 am
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