Design Your Kitchen with a Granite Island

Featured Image: White Springs Granite Island Kitchen Countertop from Arizona Tile

The kitchen is often called the heart of the home. It’s where friends and family gather, and where recipes are passed down through the generations. It’s the hub of all activity within a house, so designing a kitchen that is both functional and reflective of your personal style is essential. The colors, appliances, hardware, countertops and flooring should all work together. The goal is to balance subtle accents with unique pieces that you can play up as focal points. Whatever your design preference, a granite kitchen island is the perfect centerpiece.

Read on for a few granite kitchen island ideas to consider when designing your next project.

Granite Kitchen Island Ideas

When selecting a natural stone for your kitchen countertop, you want to be mindful of both appearance and functionality. Granite is one of the hardest and most durable surfaces available. Attractive and naturally stain resistant, it’s a fantastic choice for an active kitchen. When properly sealed, it’s also simple to care for and maintain. We recommend wiping stone surfaces with warm water or a pH-balanced neutral cleaner.

Granite is a product of nature and varies in its appearance, even within the same color, from piece to piece and lot to lot. One of the most popular natural stones, it’s available in an astounding range of colors with varied movement and veining within each slab. Check out a few of these design ideas to see the versatility of granite as a kitchen island countertop.

Pair Dark Hues with Natural Woods

The perfect way to achieve balance within your kitchen is to create contrast between your kitchen island — the focal point — and the surrounding elements. Pairing a dark, matte granite with natural wood and softer colors for the cabinetry and walls creates a contemporary, bohemian vibe. Try Black Mist Honed granite for a soft but chic look.

Image: Black Mist Honed Granite Kitchen Countertop from Arizona Tile

Play Up Organic Movement

Granite is subject to unique color variations and veining, which creates beautiful organic movement throughout the stone. This is a great design element to highlight, making your kitchen island a feature piece of the room. Choose a granite with gray tones, like Monte Cristo Satin that offers a lot of variation within the slab for a dynamic pattern. Complement this with a dark brown wood for your cabinets and studded leather counter stools for a traditional look with beautiful details.

Image: Monte Cristo Satin Granite Kitchen Island Countertop from Arizona Tile

Create a Waterfall Island

A waterfall island continues the horizontal countertop surface over the edges,  dropping vertically down the sides of the island all the way to the floor. The effect is a custom, high-end look. For a waterfall kitchen island with granite countertop, choose a glamorous stone like Belvedere. The deep black stone is punctuated with gold and cream accent colors for a dramatic effect that further elevates the high-end design.

Image: Belvedere Granite Waterfall Kitchen Island Countertop from Arizona Tile

Match Your Island and Countertop

Using two contrasting stone colors is a great way to add intrigue to your kitchen design. However, if you prefer a minimalistic style, match your perimeter countertops to your kitchen island. Choose a neutral-colored granite that won’t overwhelm the space. Delicatus White has a clean white background speckled with black biotite crystals, making it a beautiful granite to use across the entire kitchen. Pair it with a sleek cabinet and metal accents for a modern look.

Image: Delicatus White Granite Island Kitchen Countertop from Arizona Tile

Choose a Unique Pattern

An island is the centerpiece of your kitchen, so playing it up with something uniquely patterned will garner further attention. Because granite is a natural stone, no two slabs are exactly alike, which lends itself to beautiful variations of veins and hues. Meteor Shower Satin is cut to show a three-dimensional look that is unlike any other granite out there.

Image: Meteor Shower Satin Island Kitchen Countertop from Arizona Tile

Think Outside of the Box

When designing a kitchen island with a granite top, the tendency is to create a long, rectangular island. It’s beautiful, but traditional. If your style skews more contemporary or your space has different needs, try cutting the granite at different angles. The result is a stylish, functional island that complements the room. Choose a beautiful neutral stone like White Ice for a light and airy look. Or for something a bit more dramatic, Viscount White has swirls of grey and black veining that will add interest and energy to the room.

Image: White Ice Granite Island Kitchen Countertop from Arizona Tile

Top off a Farmhouse Chic Kitchen

Farmhouse kitchens are timeless.  The soft-neutrals and natural materials like wood and steel give it a warm, rustic feel. It’s a perfect style for an inviting kitchen. To enhance your farmhouse look, opt for a granite slab that boasts white and brown hues, like White Springs.  Finish the design with white cabinetry and brassy hardware for a cozy, farmhouse vibe.

Whichever you choose, a granite kitchen island works with just about any style. Our team is always available for a consultation to help you find the best tile and stone for your home. Discover your favorite surfaces in person at one of our locations, or explore our virtual design tools.  Our Just Imagine Visualizer enables you to see how a product will look in your space before committing, while our Online Slab Yard lets you find the piece you need at the location near you.