Kitchen Table Islands

If you are in need of a kitchen island and would also like a great place to sit across from your friends and family, you will like the idea of a counter-height kitchen table island. A hybrid table and island takes a page from the old farm house kitchen with the table as the focal point. It acts not only as a prep space but as the primary eating space. The District High Dining Table from Crate and Barrel ($699) serves both purposes. Acid-washed galvanized iron top arranged plank-style adds instant character to the kitchen

Furniture-style legs, wood tops, little or no storage underneath are details that take the island/table trend a bit further. When these islands do have storage, it’s high enough off the ground so you can see under them. They look and feel more like tables, but for practical purposes, they’re still a 36″ counter-height island. Being able to see under and past the island creates an airy feeling in a kitchen. If you are considering a wood top, also consider low maintenance wood-look counters made from a concrete composite. You cannot tell the difference.

For more of a dining-room feel, opt for a chandelier instead of pendants. Two or three pendants overhead is more likely to be seen over an island than a kitchen table. A chandelier gives a space a formal, sophisticated ambience. The Oval Ring Torch Chandelier from Circa Lighting brings elegance into a traditional eat-in kitchen and serve as a stylistic focal point.