Designers Say Shapely, Angular Kitchen Islands Don't Just Look Good — They Can Improve the Flow of Your Space, too

Of all the parts that make up a kitchen, there's one feature you can have more fun with than possibly any other: the island. We constantly see designers pushing the boundaries of this feature, elevating it through bold choices in color, material, or shape. And recently, there's a distinctive trend making its way into some of our favorite schemes: the rise of the strikingly angular kitchen island.

Ever since we featured Polish design studio Akurat's ‘chopped' kitchen island, we've had angular kitchen islands on the mind. At the time, creative director and founder Maciej Ryniewicz told us that playing with the shape of this kitchen staple made perfect sense for the property. "We were faced with a challenging space that was highly irregular in shape," he said. "By offsetting the directions set by the walls, we defined a shape that felt in harmony with its surroundings, no matter from which direction you approached the furniture piece."

Since then, we've noticed angled islands featuring more and more in designers' projects — be it a subtle ‘nip and tuck' of a rectangular block or something more dramatic in shape.

It's clear modern kitchen islands lend themselves to experimentation. "I think there are certain moments where you can really treat interior utility items like sculptures — kitchen islands, powder room vanities, fireplaces, and stairwells," says Romaine Alwill, director of Sydney studio Atelier Alwill. "These items resonate as they are moments to set a design tone for the house."

But why choose one over a regular island? "It challenges your thinking about what a kitchen bench needs to be," says Romaine. More than just a design talking point, an angular island can help shape the flow of the room, toughen the edges of a softer color scheme, offer an unexpected but welcome contrast to bog-standard cabinetry, and ultimately make a kitchen feel like a creative space as well as a functional one.

With any such island, the shape should be the focal point. "We often use a very neutral stone to let the form do the talking," says Romaine. "It has impact without shouting 'look at me', but catches the eye and speaks of the intent and thought given to the interior and architecture coming together as one considered, holistic item."

Of course, there are some practical considerations with an angled kitchen island — design elements such as storage space, seating, and work surfaces all become more complex when you're working with a non-standard shape. Unless you're after a monolithic block, you'll need to work with your kitchen designer or architect to integrate all the features you need.

"It took some work, especially as we needed functionality for the family," says Romaine of her own design. "Clearances for legs and allowance for dishwashers and storage all took fine-tuning. Not having a sink on the bench helped a lot, and we had the luxury of space in the room to add more depth for the angles, but it took some massaging to get it right." Plan carefully, though, and the result will be worth it, as the following examples prove.

1. Material World

Composed of terrazzo with a wood base, the kitchen island in this project by Madrid studio Plutarco is materially rich — but the effect still allows the hexagonal shape to shine.

"Mixing materials was essential," says co-founder Enrique Ventosa. "We worked with five main ones: two types of wood — cherry, for its reddish tone, and pine stained dark blue, an experiment with a new Danish material; a terrazzo island, specially made for this project; a floor of another type of terrazzo reminiscent of the portals of Milan; and blue tiles with red grouting."

2. Architectural Edge

The impetus for this angled kitchen island was the architecture of this Australian home, designed by Atelier Alwill with architecture by KA Design Studio.

"The windows at the front of the house had blades chamfering back into the home, and I thought it was a nice intent to pick up on this and take it through the interior," says Romaine. "The island was an opportunity to use this idea and create more of a sculptural piece. I feel so tired of a rectangular block."

3. Geometry Lesson

In this Belgian home, owner Eline De Bruyne worked with interior designer Oskar De Roover to create a kitchen island that combines angles and curves into one tidy package.

"Our desire was for the island to feel sculptural rather than purely functional, less like a traditional kitchen, more like a piece of furniture or an object living naturally in the room," says Eline. "The curved edge adds warmth and softness to such a large volume, while the angled sides keep it grounded and architectural. The shape also helped us make the most of the space and keep the walkway open and easy to move through. All in all, the well-considered geometry keeps everything feeling visually calm and balanced."

4. Carved Out

With many points of angular interest, including an inverted bevelled underside and pedestal-like base, the marble island in this kitchen by Studio Duggan is an example of how to bring the angular trend to a monolithic design.

"I wanted the kitchen island to feel almost otherworldly, appearing as if it were one huge block of marble," says Tiffany Duggan. "We clad the island structure in Verde Guatemala stone, which brings a huge amount of color, depth, and vibrancy."

5. Sociable Shape

The shape of this kitchen island by BeAr, an architecture office based in Bilbao, was informed by how the owners wanted to use the space.

"The kitchen is [one of] the defining features of the house, a reflection of the cooking of its inhabitants: a conversation with friends, a celebration of everyday life, culminating in a large polygonal island of Brazilian granite that embraces the pillar and rests weightlessly on mirrored doors," the studio says. "[It's] a kitchen for cooking while enjoying the views, with friends, and for friends."

It's official: traditional waterfall countertops are out, and interesting, angular shapes are in when it comes to the latest kitchen island trends.

For more inspiration, subscribe to Livingetc's newsletter.