A kitchen island are an essential part of the home where people cook and live. A kitchen island is used to prepare the food that people need for lunch or dinner. Additionally, the island also becomes a place where there friends can come and sit and have a drink of wine while they talk.
Using the correct decor for the kitchen island will turn it from an essential piece of furniture to the more important part of the room. The thoughtful additions people make to the space and not the furniture piece alone cause the difference between an afterthought island and one that defines the entire kitchen. You will not need to redesign the kitchen too much or spend too much money upgrading the decor for the kitchen island.
There are a variety of ideas that can enhance the area that will bring warmth to the area. Many of the ideas that is presented now will enhance the island with function and beauty while also respecting the challenges of the kitchen environment. A good starting point for the kitchen island will be to treat it as a piece of furniture that add value to the room based off the use of texture in the area.
Ways To Decorate Your Kitchen Island
1. Use Different Textures
Using different textures will not only keep the eyes of the individuals that come into the kitchen interested in the island but also hide any damage that occur to the island. One example is using a slab of walnut wood for the island and painting the base cabinets to add depth to the space. The wood will add warmth to the kitchen on the winter mornings when the sky is gray, and the painted cabinets will make it easy to clean up after meal preparations of breakfast foods such as pancakes.
2. Add Stone Countertops
Alternatively, adding a stone counter top to only one end of the kitchen island will also save the individual the need to make a choice between using a marble island or one that is more practical for the kitchen area. Another thing that people can upgrade in their kitchen is the lighting. The lighting for the kitchen can be changed once the sun set in the sky.
3. Upgrade Lighting
Using a pair of brass kitchen island lighting arms will allow for the added lighting to shine down on the counter where the individual can chop their vegetables for a salad and then move the lights aside to allow for the placement of dinner tables. Alternatively, using a row of plug-in pendant lights with fabric shades will allow the individuals in the kitchen to avoid looking as if they are being questioned by their friends while they eat their breakfast cereals. The location of the kitchen island is the center of the room, so the lighting choices people make will have a considerable impact on the entire kitchen.
Poor lighting choices will create a flat area in the kitchen that will be difficult to decorate to have any impact on the individual who visit the room. Another idea for the kitchen island is to change the color of the island. This will allow individuals to change the personality of the kitchen without having to change the color of the perimeter kitchen cabinets.
4. Change the Color
Using a deep navy color for the island will create a contrast between the island and the remainder of the kitchen to show that the kitchen island is its own piece of furniture in the room. The contrast will ensure that the kitchen island does not look like it is an extension of the rooms wall. For example, painting the base of the kitchen island a forest green will allow the white countertops to look as if they are floating in the kitchen.
Additionally, the color of the island will hide fingerprints from the small kitchen cooks more better than if the island were painted a color as white as the breakfast pancakes that may be prepared on the countertop. However, the primer and the type of paint used on the kitchen island must be appropriate for the high-traffic kitchen area so that it will not need to be painted before the next holiday season. Another thing to consider for the kitchen island are the bar stools.
5. Select Bar Stools
The bar stools for the kitchen island deserve more consideration than they is given. The only items in the kitchen that will be in contact with the island will be these bar stools. Using two different styles of bar stools will create a look for the kitchen island that is lived in rather than one that is create for a brochure.
Placing a pair of metal bar stools with leather seats on one side of the island will contrast well with a few rattan bar stools on the other side of the island. Not only will the use of different materials add additional texture to the area but it will also create a kitchen island that does not look overly similar to itself. However, the guests who visit the kitchen must adjust the bar stools to the same height so that they dont have to continually adjust themselves to the island.
6. Add Greenery
Adding greenery to the kitchen island is another idea that will bring life to the kitchen in a hurry. A wooden tray that hold a few potted herbs will add a scent to the kitchen that the cooks can enjoy while they prepare their meals. Alternatively, a tall fiddle-leaf fig plant that is grown in a terracota planter can be placed at the end of the island to add a pop of color to the kitchen while also improving the air quality in the area.
However, the individual must be ready to rotate the plant every week to ensure that the plant does not grow towards the kitchen window. Adding open shelving to the ends of the kitchen island is another idea that will transform the look of the island. Open shelving will allow the area to display cooking utensils, linen napkins, and other kitchen tools.
7. Install Open Shelving
The negative space that is created will allow the eyes of the individual to rest on the island. Additionally, painting the inside of the shelves a lighter color than the exterior of the shelves will allow the items to be seen within the kitchen island. This idea is especially beneficial for small kitchens in which there is a need for additional breathing space for the individuals in the kitchen.
8. Seasonal Styling
One of the best ways to ensure that the kitchen island continues to remain popular and interesting to the individuals that enter the kitchen is by using the island for seasonal styling. During the early fall, a row of small white pumpkins and wheat stalks can be placed on the island. During the winter, when the pumpkins is no longer in season, these can be replaced by pine trees and glass votives for the holidays.
However, these arrangements will need to be kept low enough so that the individuals in the kitchen can still see each other when they are seated around the island. Large pumpkins or arrangements of flowers in the kitchen can block the eye contact between two individuals, preventing them from having any conversations while they drink their whine. Finally, using the island for the placement of a person’s personal collections is another idea that will make the island of one’s kitchen feel more one’s own.
9. Display Personal Collections
For example, a series of vintage cast iron skillets can be arranged along a rack that is mounted to one side of the island. These will be easy for the cooks to access and looked upon as a collection rather than a mess of cooking utensils. Alternatively, the individual could also use the kitchen island to display their collection of blue and white china on the shelves that face the living area of the home.
These items will each have a story behind them and other guests will begin to ask the individual about their story. Thus, the kitchen island will be a starter for conversation among the guests rather than just an extra area for the preparation of food. You should not overlook the importance of adding textiles to the island.
10. Incorporate Textiles
Using a washable textile of a certain pattern will protect the island from any damage caused by the placement of hot cooking pans. Additionally, the textile will add another layer of comfort to the kitchen island. During the summer months, a lighter linen of a pale blue color will coordinate well with the color of the sky outside the kitchen windows.
Furthermore, using a textile in the kitchen will also help to absorb some of the sound that is reflected from the remainder of the kitchen island when individuals use utensils in the area. The textile should have a tight weave so as to avoid any additional messes created by the crumbs that may fall into the fibers of the textile. The final idea that people will want to consider for their kitchen island is the scent of the area.
11. Enhance with Scent
Using a dish of whole cloves and dried orange peels that are placed behind a cookbook will create an aroma in the kitchen that makes the area feel welcoming to the individuals that enter the kitchen. The aroma will be strong enough to be noticed by the individuals who enter the kitchen but will be not strong enough to interfere with the flavor of the food in any way. However, if this scent is used in conjunction with the placement of decorative stems of herbs from the garden and the added lighting for the area, the kitchen island will become more than just a functional area in the house.
It will become the heart of the home. These ideas work because they respect the uses that individuals make of the kitchens in their homes. Each idea can begin with the individual fixing one problem before moving on to the next.
For example, the individual may recognize that the lighting in their kitchen island is too harsh. Or, they may notice that their kitchen island has no texture to it. Alternatively, they may be tired of the color of the cabinets in their kitchen.
Each individual can fix this one problem before moving on to the others. With the proper attention to the kitchen island, it can become the main character in the homes décor.
