10 Island Bench Designs To Help Bring Character To Your Kitchen

A kitchen island bench should hold pride of place in the home. While it may act as a boundary between cooking and dining, instead of restricting these zones, it makes people feel connected while being productive. Islands are also a space-efficient way to arrange everything in dedicated zones while improving the traffic flow around the kitchen.

Whether you want something bold to create an impression or something subtle to blend seamlessly with your existing design style, we have curated a list of 10 island bench designs to help bring the character back into your kitchen.

Timber battens are characterised by thin strips of wood placed side by side, usually in a vertical arrangement and with a small gap between each piece. The void between each plank creates a visually striking experience complemented by the warmth of timber. It isn’t surprising that they have long been a mainstay in the construction world.
Beautifully eye-catching and impactful timber battens could provide the ideal design solution for an island bench that will make your kitchen stand out.

VJ panelling sees tongue-and-groove boards slot directly next to each other. Alternatively, you can cut V-shaped grooves into a sizeable wooden sheet to mimic the look. It is similar to the timber batten formation but differs as there’s no gap between each plank, and VJ panels are wider. They often feature in country-style interiors or old Queenslander homes, with a strong resurgence in today’s kitchens as they can soften a space with their rustic charm. 

As a kitchen island bench design, VJ panels bring a uniform, understated texture. It won’t overwhelm your space but instead create a homely ambience.

Modest and unpretentious, the Shaker style is one of the most recognised forms of design worldwide. Personified by a recessed rectangular pane on the front of cabinetry, it is a timeless feature of any space. Shaker furniture was created in the 18th century with a creative ethos founded on necessity and simplicity. 

While the Shaker style is not a new concept, it remains just as popular, especially in Hamptons-style kitchens. If you enjoy the nuances of traditional design, adopting a Shaker kitchen island design could help foster that humble sentiment you have been looking for.

In contrast to the antiquity of the Shaker style, concrete kitchen island benches are an ultra-contemporary element that propels your space to sophisticated heights. Due to concrete's raw, utilitarian nature, they are a strong archetype in Brutalist and industrial kitchens. 

Grounded and durable, a concrete kitchen island uses its minimalism to create a dramatic impression. It also pairs beautifully with other weathered materials like wood and brick.

Reeding and fluting are decorative features developed from classical architecture. Fluting describes a series of shallow grooves running along a surface, while reeding is a series of ridges. In modern-day design, reeding and fluting are often used interchangeably as just fluting.  

Reeding and fluting create a bold textural vision for cabinetry and are often used as a hero piece for kitchen island benches. Producing a soft and refined look, they can be accomplished with various materials, such as marble or timber.

If you’re prone to run-ins with sharp corners, a curved kitchen island bench may be the style for you. Aside from relieving your sides, curves bring a visual softness into any space. They create a gentler flow and evoke a sense of calm. Curved kitchen island benches are extremely popular in the interior design world, as they help add a biophilic ideal to the home. 

If you want a kitchen that feels less rigid and more organic, a curved island bench design is a great place to start.
 

Paying homage to the sunny kitchens of the 1970s, tiled island benches appear to be back — but not in the way you think. Like any trend that fades, it always makes its resurrection more sophisticated and mature. Dispel the vision of paisley motifs at maximum saturation. Instead, the new wave of tiled kitchen island designs features more neutral and earthy colours. 

Whether large or small slates, this idea makes an artistically inclined statement in your kitchen while remaining effortlessly contemporary.  

The monolithic kitchen island bench is lauded for expressing opulence and esteem. It is carved from one single material, traditionally marble. Other elements that you can use are granite, quartz, porcelain, or terrazzo. 

So, if your budget allows you to spend a little more on your kitchen island bench, consider a monolithic design.

We love to rely on our island benches as the central powerhouse, conquering many kitchen functions, and this trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. More and more kitchen islands are beginning to incorporate open-air shelving into their designs. 

So whether you want to use it as a library for your cookbooks or display artisan crockery, it adds an extra storage layer to the scene.

A split-level island bench is a fantastic idea for smaller builds that need to combine the kitchen and dining areas. Not only is it practical but its dimensional design presents a graphic component, truly modernising any space. 

Plus, with this all-inclusive experience, you can ditch the dining table and save yourself the stress of moving large furniture.

So there we have it: a selection of distinctively different island bench designs that bring great character to your kitchen. 

Book a complimentary online design consultation with one of our experienced team members to help you realise your new kitchen space. This includes selecting tapware styles and finishes that complement your new kitchen island bench. 

For further inspiration, check out the following blogs: 

Space Transforming Island Bench Ideas for Kitchen Entertaining

AI Interior Design: How Technology is Transforming the Way We Create Beautiful Spaces

How to Design a Timeless Kitchen