As of late, more and more homeowners have been rejecting overly polished kitchens, instead turning to worn-in antique furniture that can make a kitchen feel warm, cozy, and lived-in. Namely, families are embracing vintage furniture pieces that can function well in the kitchen.
That being said, is it possible to replace a traditional kitchen island with something vintage? And which vintage furniture pieces work best as kitchen islands?
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To find out, we spoke with two interior designers: Juliana Mackin, Founder and Lead Designer at Hemenway House Interiors, a Massachusetts-based interior design studio; and Pamela O’Brien, Founder and Principal Designer of Pamela Hope Designs, a Texas-based design firm.
“Whether you plan to redo your entire kitchen or just want a refresh, a kitchen island is great opportunity for embracing vintage trends,” O’Brien tells Parade. She is a big fan of finding vintage furniture pieces to use for kitchen islands, as “this definitely gives you that bespoke, furniture feeling and you can top it with any countertop that you like.”
Keep reading for insights from both designers and to learn which vintage furniture piece is the perfect alternative to modern kitchen islands.
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Are Traditional Kitchen Islands Out of Style?
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According to Mackin, traditional kitchen islands aren’t going anywhere—but the type of kitchen island that’s in style is changing.
“I don’t think traditional islands are falling out of fashion, but I do think they are evolving to have more personality and character to reflect the homeowner and their style,” Mackin explains. “They are still loved for a space to gather, prep food, entertain, do homework, play games and more, and really serve as an anchor for the kitchen.”
O’Brien agrees, adding that homeowners are really into antique furniture in the kitchen right now.
“With antiques and vintage design gaining interest again in the interior design marketplace, there are unique opportunities to add interest and a sense of history to any home,” she says. “The kitchen is an ideal place to add elements of traditional design.”
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Interestingly, Mackin recently installed an 11-foot-long kitchen island in a family’s home, so the “family could use one end as their everyday eating area instead of a table.”
If you’re also looking for something very specific and large, purchasing something new or even custom-made might be your best bet. In fact, O’Brien says that clients “often” commission her firm to design new islands “to look like antique furniture even when they are newly built.”
However, if you’re open to something with a little more character, there’s something else you might consider…
Designers Say This Vintage Piece Is a Great Alternative to a Modern Kitchen Island
With homeowner taste shifting from overly polished kitchens to warm and homey gathering spaces, more and more people are choosing vintage furniture pieces that can also function as kitchen islands.
Specifically, homeowners are embracing vintage freestanding worktables as kitchen islands.
“A worktable is an excellent option for a freestanding island,” O’Brien says.
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Why Vintage Freestanding Worktables Make Great Kitchen Islands
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Here are five reasons why freestanding worktables make great kitchen islands, according to Mackin and O’Brien.
1. Warmth
Using a vintage piece as your kitchen island, such as a freestanding worktable, “adds a different element of warmth, character and uniqueness to the space that you don’t often get with a traditional island,” says Mackin. “It’s also a way to break up the color and material scheme in the room and bring in some warmer tones.”
2. Personality and uniqueness
“Using vintage and antique pieces to create an island gives instant provenance to your kitchen and creates a unique piece for your home,” O’Brien explains. “Islands are extremely popular in kitchen design so it’s worth making them special,” and an freestanding worktable is a great way to achieve that.
“Kitchens are such a personal space for people,” says Mackin. “They are entertaining, cooking meals—often while kids do homework or play, using it as their work from home desk, and more, and they want it to feel like them and reflect their personality. For some homeowners, that’s incorporating more vintage pieces in unique ways other than standard pieces of furniture.”
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3. Function and versatility
According to Mackin, “if you want to have seating at the island,” you can add an overhanging counter on one side of the worktable, as this would make seating more comfortable.
For smaller kitchens, a worktable might be too large and overwhelming for your space. In this case, Mackin suggests using “the base of a vintage cart if you want it to be open on all sides” like a worktable. Just make sure the height is around 34 inches tall, she says.
And according to O’Brien, a worktable can “double as a proper dining table, and in between meals can be used for crafts, baking, homework and casual visits.”
She’s also seen worktables “dragged out for a picnic under a tree and moved to another corner of the kitchen to act as a server or to accommodate more guests.” She adds that “few furniture pieces offer this much versatility.”
4. Affordability
If you’re shopping for an antique worktable, you’ll probably be able to find something quite large and durable at a decent price point. Plus, when buying vintage, “you don’t have construction costs which can add up for a custom island,” says O’Brien.
5. Eco-friendliness
According to Mackin, for some homeowners, buying a vintage piece for your kitchen, such as a freestanding worktable, is “a way to be more eco-friendly.”
Shopping secondhand instead of buying new is can majorly reduce the environmental impact of your purchases. When you buy new, you’re contributing to the demand for more lumber and other building materials; but when you buy an antique, you’re diverting an already-existing item from the waste stream. Plus, vintage furniture is often more well-made and durable than the cheaper options on the market today.
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The Bases of Other Vintage Furniture Pieces Can Also Make Great Kitchen Islands
Crystal Bolin Photography / Getty Images
If, for your kitchen island, you prefer vintage pieces with more storage/a closed look at the bottom (as opposed to the openness of freestanding worktables), you might consider using the base of a vintage furniture piece as your kitchen island. For example, you can detach the base of a hutch, breakfront cabinet or china cabinet, and then outfit it with a countertop.
“Most of these pieces are composed of a base and an upper hutch portion which sits on top,” explains O’Brien. “They are usually easily separated and come apart for moving.”
Once you find a base that’s the right height, you can then have a counter installed on the top, turning the piece into a truly one-of-a-kind kitchen island.
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Sources:
Juliana Mackin is the Founder and Lead Designer at Hemenway House Interiors. Pamela O’Brien is the Founder and Principal Designer of Pamela Hope Designs.Hence then, the article about designers are using antique worktables instead of standard kitchen islands and the result feels so much cozier was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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