7 Ideas to Make Your Kitchen Island Shine

A kitchen island offers both style and function. It provides a place to prepare and cook food, do homework, entertain and store additional kitchen essentials. Plus, the extra seating around the island can be a major asset to your kitchen, coming in handy when you have guests over or when your kids have sleepovers with their friends. Show off your kitchen island in the best way with these tips:

Offset light and dark
Create a beautiful contrast of color with dark countertops on top and light cabinetry below. This color scheme would work well in a vintage kitchen design as well as a modern and contemporary space. Use white distressed cabinets for a rustic style and stick with a sleek and glossy finish if you’re after a modern kitchen aesthetic.

Hang pots and pans
Storing too many bulky pots and pans in your kitchens cabinets can create somewhat of a mess. Keep your kitchen tools organized by hanging your pots and pans above the island. Not only does this create a focal point in your kitchen, but it offers plenty of storage space that you might not otherwise have. Coordinate the finishes on the stovetop accessories with your kitchen faucets. For instance, if you have a blend of brass and copper pots, opt for a brass kitchen faucet on your sink to pull the whole look together.

Opt for multi-level
Your kitchen island doesn’t have to be one even height all the way across. Instead, consider installing a cooking area and meal prep space on a lower level than the countertop that’s used for dining and entertaining. This way, you can have your guests hang out in the kitchen as you cook. The barrier will protect them from any potential cooking splatters.

Feature unique lighting
Lighting is not only important for food preparation, brightness contributes to the overall style of the space. For instance, wrought-iron pendants hanging from the ceiling would speak to an urban/industrial design, while sleek, bright red pendants would be the perfect pop of color in a modern kitchen. Create a glamorous focal point on in your vintage kitchen with a sparkling chandelier.

Store wine
Install a built-in wine rack onto your kitchen island for the perfect place to store your vino. The wine will be easily accessible whenever you would like to pop open a bottle to go with dinner. Make sure that the wine storage area is far away from the oven – you don’t want to leave your wine in a warm area.

Add a second sink
Sometimes when you’re entertaining or cooking dinner for a large group of people, one sink doesn’t seem to be enough. The kitchen island, however, is a perfect spot for a second sink. It could be reserved as a cleanup center where you can take dirty dishes, or it can be used as part of a wet bar.

Mix up seating
Instead of uniform chairs or stools surrounding your kitchen island, consider mixing up the seating with an assortment of old stools. This concept is perfect for a vintage kitchen and adds charming personality to the space.