7 Ways To Make Your Kitchen Island Pop!

Having a kitchen island can be quite convenient, especially if you spend a lot of time in the kitchen. From providing much-needed countertop space to extra storage room, your kitchen island is made to make your life easier. However, it might be a little tricky trying to figure out ways to make your kitchen island stand out aesthetically. If you’re looking for ways to turn your utilitarian kitchen island into an attractive, eye-catching centerpiece, here are seven ways to do so!

Give It Some Legs

If you have a little extra room, this is a brilliant way to not only improve the look of your kitchen island, but it can also allow you to create more sitting space. By extending the countertop past the kitchen cabinets and using legs to prop it up, your kitchen island can serve an additional purpose: extra seating.

Not only does this increase your countertop space, but it also creates room to invite your closest friends and loved ones into the kitchen, allowing mealtime to once again become a family affair.

Of course, this is much easier to do during the design phase of your kitchen remodel, but if you have a bit of money to spend on a makeover, it may be worth paying to have a larger countertop manufactured for you.

Utilize A Waterfall Countertop

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One gorgeous way to incorporate both extra countertop space and seating with deep leg room into your kitchen island is to add a waterfall countertop. This countertop  design extends over the top of the cabinets, down to the floor on both sides.

Not only is this a great look for modern and contemporary designs, but by having the countertop hang off the cabinets slightly, you create accessible seating space for high chairs or bar stools. This creates a unique and sleek streamlined aesthetic that’s sure to be impressive.

Add Some Corbels

If you want to add dramatic flair to your traditional kitchen design, then corbels are definitely the way to go. The embellished curlicue design of a corbel is an inexpensive way to add a classic touch to any traditional kitchen.

Corbels can also work in more contemporary designs. If you purchase stock cabinets, the corbel that matches your particular cabinet will be designed to match your intended kitchen style. More traditional doors will have more decorative corbels while contemporary doors are accompanied by simpler, less embellished corbel designs.

Go For A Two-Tone Design

If you’re still in the planning stages of your kitchen remodel, then this design idea is not only feasible but absolutely recommended. A great way to make your kitchen island stand out is by choosing cabinets in a color that contrasts or complements the rest of the kitchen. A two-tone kitchen design is immediately eye-catching, and it’s a simple statement-making design choice that doesn’t require any extra purchases or accessories.

Simply choose a contrasting color combination (such as our Gramercy White and Gramercy Midnight kitchen cabinets) or a more complementary one (such as our Shakertown and Pepper Shaker kitchen cabinets). When combined with the right countertop, you can easily create a magazine-ready look without any extra necessary costs.

Staggering Heights

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Having a countertop with varying heights is a great way to differentiate your kitchen island from the rest. Rather than having one level surface where multiple activities might be taking place, you can create separate spaces for separate purposes.

A popular way to do it is to have one level (often with a sink) for food prep and another higher countertop space for eating. You can play around and even use different countertops, such as granite for the meal space and butcher block wood for the prep space.

Brighten It Up!

If you’re looking for a really cool and unique option for your contemporary or modern kitchen, then you may want to add some LED lights. Purchase under-cabinet strip lights and attach them underneath the overhang of your island countertop. This can serve as accent lighting to add a little extra something to the overall ambiance of the room.

This option is cheap and doesn’t necessarily require any expensive alterations to the island itself. The payoff is immediate and the way it can transform the look of the space is absolutely priceless.

The Budget Option

So what if your kitchen has long been completed and you simply can’t afford to shell out hundreds of dollars for any adjustments to your countertop? It might sound ridiculously simple, but you may want to consider buying a centerpiece. Sometimes all it takes is a beautiful decorative bowl with fresh fruit or a gorgeous vase with fresh flowers to brighten up the space.