kitchen island ideas with seating (to maximise space in small kitchens)

A kitchen island with seating is a great space saving solution for small kitchens. With islands, it’s often possible to combine seating, storage and extra counter space making it a real space saver in a small kitchen. When planning your kitchen island, it’s equally important to pay attention to the style and size of the bar stools you choose as well as the dimensions and placement of the island.

Besides saving space in a small kitchen, islands help tie the space together and can often create a divider in an open plan space — especially peninsula type islands. If you’re thinking of adding an island to your small kitchen, these space saving ideas will inspire you.

Six kitchen islands with seating for small spaces

This beige kitchen features an island with stool seating and storage simply by having a small overhang. This is a great idea for the tiniest kitchens as the island provides a place to eat, cook, prep and store. It’s not quite as comfy as having empty space for your legs, but when space is on the tighter size, maximising the functionality of the island is a practical idea.

When you have a teeny-tiny kitchen like this one, you probably think an island is out of the question. But this u-shaped layout shows that it’s entirely possible. This peninsula style island is narrow because space is so tight but the large overhang on both sides means there’s extra counter space, a dining space and storage. Opting for comfy bar stools from places like Kasala is good idea when this is your main dining space too.

Kitchen islands don’t always have to be parallel to the main counter space. Here they’ve made great use of the space by adding a small island that’s perpendicular to the main kitchen counter. This island has space for a couple of bar stools and acts as a divider, creating a corridor between the kitchen and other spaces. Opting for slim or low-profile stools is ideal for a space like this, which is also a walkway.

This tiny studio apartment has really used their kitchen space cleverly by including a chunky L-shaped island that provides seating for two as well as lots of much needed counter space and storage. Adding that extra L-shaped unit means that they’ve been able to leave leg space for the stools yet get extra storage and prep space.

When space is a little more generous, having an island like the one above will make your kitchen look and feel bigger. By having empty space under the seating area of the island, the kitchen has breathing room, making it appear more spacious. The backless design of the stools allows them to be stored under the table when not in use. This design also means that you can squeeze in a few extra stools when needed.

When your kitchen is against a wall in your living and dining space, using a small island as a divider to zone each space, works really well. This island is small but still has bar stools for two as well as storage on the other side. And even though there is a dining table, extra seating is always handy in small homes.