If I had to narrow it down, I think that the best kitchen islands are ones like this that combine seating with storage and a little bit of extra functionality through the bar sink. What is surprising about this space, is that the kitchen island really isn't that big but it still promotes a ton of flexibility and functionality. I am impressed with the homeowner's ingenuity because I bet that it took careful planning in order to combine all of those items into one fairly small unit. Bravo to whomever you are! I was on here looking for a kitchen island with seating but I have found so many more ideas that I think are going to completely transform what I thought that I was going to do in there.
In my opinion, one of the features of the best kitchen islands that I have seen are here are a second sink. I know that this may seem excessive to some, but if you have the space and the budget for it I believe that it adds so much value and functionality to the piece. Your average plain kitchen island with storage has the space for a small bar sink (if nothing else) that can be used any time you are cutting and prepping produce, to wash something quickly, or to prepare drinks. I find myself using ours all of the time when I don't want to walk all the way over to the main sink. If you are in the process of planning out your kitchen island cabinets, I highly recommend considering adding a sink to your unit.
If I had to narrow down the best kitchen islands on here, I definitely think that this one would be in the top 5 because I love the simplicity and elegance of the piece. A lot of times small kitchen island ideas are simply lacking in the glamour and pizazz of their much larger counterparts. This is unfortunate because the vast majority of homeowners do not have room for one of those huge units in their home. I would imagine that more people are on this site looking around for kitchen island ideas for small kitchens as opposed to searching for some of those huge luxurious designs that we often see. Don't get me wrong, those houses provide amazing inspiration for techniques you can use no matter your square footage, but I really like when I can look at a photo and see exactly how to incorporate that into my space.
Without a doubt, the best kitchen islands have plenty of seating for friends and family to crowd around the kitchen. From what I have seen on here and in my friends and family's homes, just about all kitchen layouts with island units incorporated somewhere can accommodate bar stools or other seating with some careful planning. It does not have to be a ton of seating or even very wide, but someplace to perch is such a nice touch if you spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I can't tell you how often my children or husband sits at one of our stools and chats with me while I cook dinner. It may seem silly, but I really believe that kitchen island ideas with seating can bring your family together and even encourage you to cook more since the room becomes more of a central meeting space for the home.
This is probably one of the best kitchen islands that I have seen on here, but I am not sure if it is the island I like or the stools that they chose to go along with it haha. I am not sure exactly what this style is called, but I think that the best kitchen designs are ones like these that are slightly contemporary and slightly organic/rustic. What I am trying to say is I like the mixture of the streamlined cabinets, mixed metals, and modern style fixtures, with the more rustic decor like the wood stools, artwork, and other decorative accents. Really the kitchen island ideas that they used are just a fraction of what I love about this space -- I would put pretty much every single item in my own home.
This is one of the best kitchen islands that I have ever seen, mostly because it combines a ton of storage and counter space with plenty of area for seating. A lot of the kitchen island designs on here have one or the other but not really both -- something that I really don't understand since so many people want a combination of all of those things. Sure, you need to have a larger kitchen in order to accommodate a unit of this size, but I think that the vast majority of homeowners could probably make something work. I know that I am definitely going to be imitating these kitchen island ideas 2022 as we renovate our house, and may even just take this photo to our contractor and have him replicate it.
