Kitchen Island Décor | Welcome to Better

If the kitchen is the heart of the home, does that make the kitchen island the aorta?

Your kitchen island has an important dual role of functionality and invitation: it acts as your painter’s palette for all your cooking and baking adventures, and it also beckons conversation with family members and guests.

Find out how to decorate a kitchen island with the right pieces to achieve that perfect blend between function and beauty.

Friends Toasting Drinks By Kitchen Island

Kitchen Island With Lemonade Ingredients

Kitchen Island Decorating Ideas

While the decorations for a kitchen island should stay appropriate to the space, you shouldn’t shy away from the opportunity to showcase your interior decorating style here just because it’s for eating.

As long as your family and visitors are still able to sit, eat, and hang out comfortably, let your decorating prowess shine!

Here are 6 decorating ideas to get you started.

Show Off Your Passions

Avid olive oil connoisseur? Fan of exotic spices? Shameless coffee addict? You can share your culinary passions with your guests by arranging some of your current favorite things on your kitchen island.

Great conversation starters, these collectibles will intrigue your guests to learn about the things you love!

Kitchen Island With Spices and Cooking Ingredients

Add Some Greenery

Houseplants and flowers can really liven up a room. Without making a mess on the counter or taking up too much space, you can position some fresh greenery around smaller décor pieces to make a great centerpiece. Add a couple succulents or a vase with a fresh floral arrangement for some visual pop on your island.

Start a Dinner Party With Drinks

When your guests arrive at your home for a dinner party, the kitchen island is a great place to start! Pour wine or offer a cocktail and catch up before dinner is ready.

Kitchen Island With Wine Glasses and Bowls

Display Cookbooks as Décor

Got a favorite food author? Cookbooks add the most picture-perfect aesthetic to the kitchen. Position a book on an easel and open it to your favorite recipe or stack a couple and pair them with a few other decorations for your visitors to have the option to browse at the island.

Set Out Some Snacks

If you’ve got a busy day ahead of you in the kitchen, set out a few easy and enticing snacks in a glass jar or wooden bowl to invite your family to grab a quick bite and hang out.

Here are some of our favorite snack ideas to keep on the island for both their taste and their appearance:

Cake or cupcakes
Fruit
Pretzel sticks
Charcuterie

Rotate Out Seasonal Place Settings

If you’ve been wondering how to include seasonal décor in your kitchen, the island is the perfect stage!

Whether you prefer subtle seasonal colors and patterns or a more bold and festive look, you can achieve a lovely place setting your guests will adore with cloth napkins, chargers, dishes, and little decorative pieces mixed in.

Kitchen Island With Coastal Place Settings

You’ll love trying your hand at creative kitchen island décor in your new home. Looking for even more kitchen design ideas? Copy these easy kitchen trends for an upgraded space!

Dan O'Malley

Author

Dan O’Malley is the Vice President of Product Development for M/I Homes.With over 30 years of expertise in residential architecture and design, Dan has been overseeing the product needs of the company's 16 divisions located throughout the Midwest, Southeast, Nashville and Texas for the past 12 years. Before joining M/I Homes, he was a partner in the Chicago office of BSB Design, a national residential architectural firm, for 14 years. Dan is an expert in all aspects of single-family and multifamily design and has received several awards for his successful projects. He is also a popular speaker at various industry events, including the International Builder’s Show, Midwest Builder’s Show, and Multi-Housing World.