Cool and unexpected additions to kitchen islands

Cool and unexpected additions to kitchen islands

We just listed a stunningly renovated historic home in Belmont, and on our first walk-through, we found something in about every room that made us stop in our tracks. Gorgeous exposed brick. Elegant and stylish wallpaper choice. Super-cool cinema space. We can’t gush about 2512 Belmont Blvd. enough.

The dog lovers on our team had an unexpected favorite touch, though: the built-in pet station in the kitchen island.

It’s a really practical but stylish project that takes what can be a kind of messy area in your home, and integrates it smartly and seamlessly into the design.

Creativity like that always gets our attention, especially in the kitchen, where we’re constantly working and doing, and constantly wanting to keep things neat and guest-ready.

Inspired by our Belmont listing, here are a few more cool, creative additions to kitchen islands that we love:

Undercounter fridge

Built-in wine fridges are nothing new, but over the past few years, they’ve been getting joined more and more by useful cousins: undercounter refrigerator drawers. If you love to cook, you’re probably always looking for more food storage, and this is more convenient — and definitely more attractive — than the old-fridge-in-the-garage trick.

Built-in tray display

Have a bunch of vintage servingware you wish you could show off more? This is a pretty great way to do it — front-and-center without taking up counter or table space.

Tiny trash chute

I know plenty of you will scoff at the idea of breaking the continuity of your gorgeous countertops. But especially for homeowners and home chefs who are really dedicated to composting, this could be a creative, ease-of-use addition.

Slide-out kitchen table/prep space

Another thing we love about the design at 2512 Belmont Blvd. is the way the kitchen table was integrated into the island, adding functionality and extra beauty. If you don’t quite have the space for a table that’s always there, a slide-out table is a great solution too. A similarly useful option, above: slide-out prep space that’s always at the ready when you have extra hands in the kitchen.

Multi-use towel rack

A tiny but effective addition that too few homeowners make use of. Adding a towel rack to your island can be really useful — hang cutting boards like this, your copper pots and pans, baskets with greenery… even just a towel. And if you make a good shopping choice, it’ll look as good as it functions.

Island on wheels

This look isn’t for everyone, but in a modern kitchen that needs a little functional flexibility, an island on casters could work wonders (and look good). It’s admittedly not that easy to find attractive-enough casters for kitchen use, but coolcasters.com has a few.

Any of these kitchen island additions appeal to your sense of function-meets-style? Let us know if you’ve come across other ideas too — we love seeing this kind of stuff.

If you’d like to learn more about 2512 Belmont Blvd., head here, or give us a call/send us an email.

Looking for a home in Nashville that falls under a different set of wish-list items? We can help there too. Call or email Radius Residential Partners, and let us know what you’re looking for.