How to choose a kitchen island worktop: a complete guide

Kitchen island worktops are an extremely popular feature of contemporary kitchens. By moving the main focus of the kitchen from the side of the room to its centre, a kitchen island worktop places the focal point of the kitchen at the heart of the room.

Whether you want to use your kitchen island for eating, preparing food, washing up or cooking, it’s an excellent way to make full use of the space whilst ensuring work within the kitchen doesn’t have to be completed away from the main action.

Let’s take a look at how to choose the best kitchen island worktop for your kitchen.

How to choose a kitchen island worktop: a complete guide

What is a kitchen island worktop?

A kitchen island worktop consists of a countertop located in the centre of the room with any type of kitchen units underneath, including a sink or a hob. Traditionally, kitchen worktops were positioned around the edge of a kitchen meaning anyone in the kitchen would have their back to the rest of the room.

With a kitchen island worktop, you’re positioned in the middle of the space, facing into the room. Whilst making cooking and eating more sociable, a kitchen island also allows even more use of the space as worktops and cabinets can still be placed around the sides of the room.

Kitchen islands are a highly popular design feature for modern kitchens that can transform both the look of a kitchen and how it is used.

Top tips and ideas for choosing a kitchen island worktop

Material: Quartz or granite are the top choices for a kitchen island worktop. They both deliver the best performance of any surface whilst offering outstanding resistance and a  stunning aesthetic.

Quartz and granite are non-porous, meaning quartz and granite kitchen island worktops will repel spills and are easy to clean. Quartz has an unrivalled level of resistance meaning its surface is also extremely hygienic because it’s an inhabitable environment for micro-organisms such as bacteria.

Granite kitchen island worktops are made from slabs of granite stone whereas quartz kitchen island worktops are engineered from 93% natural quartz stone plus polymer resins which act like a glue. Both surfaces are easy to clean and scratch-resistant.

Design: Their position in the centre of the room means kitchen islands are best suited to larger kitchens and contemporary living spaces so it’s helpful to seek professional advice before confirming the suitability of a kitchen island for your home.

The shape of your kitchen island will be largely determined by the shape of your kitchen with the general options being either square or rectangular.

Similarly, if you want to incorporate a sink into the design of your kitchen island, you’ll need to seek advice from a builder first to ensure the specialised plumbing works required will be appropriate for your home. If you’re considering installing a hob, you should also seek advice from a professional.

For kitchen island countertop thicknesses, you’ll get a slightly wider choice of slimline worktops in quartz whilst all types of edges are possible for both granite and quartz.

Its location in the centre of the room means the edges you choose for your kitchen island countertop need to be rounded to ensure it’s safe for family and friends to move around the space.

Bullnose, double round and pencil edges are all popular options for a safe island countertop edge. You may also choose to add end caps to lengthen the life of your island which will endure heavy use.

Styling a kitchen island: It’s extremely popular to make a kitchen island a statement feature of the room. Many contemporary kitchens include a sink and bar seating in the design of their kitchen island, creating a highly functional, multi-purpose space that benefits the entire family.

For countertop colours, both granite and quartz come in a vast variety of colours so it’s easy to find the perfect shade for the decor you had in mind.

Quartz tends to be a particular favourite for kitchen island countertops in block colours whilst granite is the top choice for a natural stone kitchen island although quartz stone effect worktops look remarkably authentic.

The eye is naturally drawn to a kitchen island so another huge trend is to use a darker shade on the cabinets under the kitchen island or to make them a colour feature of the room. If using a darker shade, you may want to repeat that colour on the walls or other lower cabinets in the room.

Alternatively, for a neutral look with a touch of colour use a pastel or stronger colour on the cabinets underneath the kitchen island whilst keeping the walls and countertop a neutral shade. Grey is another popular colour for use underneath the kitchen island. Again, any of these colours can also be repeated on the lower cabinets if you wish.

Browse our huge range of premium granite and quartz kitchen island worktops at surprisingly affordable prices today. With our fast and efficient, tailored end to end service you can have your bespoke quartz or granite countertop installed within 5 days.

For the finest quality quartz and granite worktops at lower prices than national retailers, shop our enormous collection of countertops today or call 01924 903949