Kitchen islands are often high on the priority list, as they bring invaluable amounts of storage, create the perfect set up for entertaining, and can have immense aesthetic value. Below are a few examples which challenge our thinking on kitchen island design, and inspire us to push out of our comfort zone.
Wireframe
This paired back design strips the unit down to its bare bones, creating an almost skeleton quality. It is perfect for tight spaces where solid joinery would interfere with the vistas and make the space feel smaller. The frame not only visually opens the space up, but has a lightweight quality to it and is an exciting design feature in its own right. This solution is functional, modest and yet is still a design statement – particularly when using fiery reds and contrasting teals!
Colour blocking
Here, the island is a feature in its own right, and has a very independent presence away from the rest of the kitchen. Clad in a contrasting colour to the main kitchen behind, the unit jumps out of the scene, and it takes a moment for the eyes to register it as a continuation as the same space.
Choosing a bright alternative colour such as coral, mint, acid green, lemon yellow etc, ensures this is a punchy and playful approach add a splash of colour.
Glowing
Most people will say the kitchen is the heart of the home – therefore what is more poetic than turning the metaphor into a reality, and lighting up the island from the inside to create a warm belly of space, that acts as the beating heart of the home. The soft light attracts the eye, and feels welcoming. It looks as though the island is fuelling with warm energy… another fitting metaphor for the kitchen and cooking healthy food which fuels us.
Puzzle piece
In contrast to the colour blocking method above, this strategy works to ensure the island and kitchen are read as one. To break it down… The timber surround on the back wall matches the timber finish used for the island. The terracotta laminate of the cabinetry behind the island is tonally harmonious with the timber, and echoes the shape of the island. This creates a gentle illusion with the eye as though the island is a puzzle piece which has been protruded out from the kitchen structure, leaving behind its gentle shadow.
