5 Kitchen Island Decorating Ideas To Upgrade Your Style

There are so many different ways to style your kitchen island, depending on size and functionality. Whether you want your kitchen island to look more spacious, more prominent, or just more modern, you can easily upgrade your island to match your style. With the help of decorative accents and colors, you can give your kitchen island a beautiful makeover in an affordable and low-effort way. If you aren’t sure where to start, check out these 5 kitchen island decorating ideas to upgrade your style.


1. Use A Tray To Display Kitchen Island Decorations

Kitchen Island Decorating Ideas - use a tray for decor

One of the most versatile kitchen decorating ideas is to use a tray to display decorations. Using decorative trays is a great way to keep your kitchen looking neat and tidy without sacrificing the style of your space. Keep decorations confined to a tray on your kitchen island to avoid clutter and to decorate with a purpose.

When creating a display on a kitchen tray, you can use a mix of decorative items with functional items. Whether you want to set up multiple decorative trays in your kitchen or just keep it simple with one in the center of the island, you can easily set up a beautiful space. Check out some simple ideas below for setting up a decorative tray on the kitchen island.

Ways To Decorate A Kitchen Island Tray

  • Set up a simple tray with a tall vase of flowers next to a bowl of fruit.
  • Use a tiered tray or cake stand to show off small decorative accents, along with any useful kitchen items such as salt and pepper.
  • If you have seating at your kitchen island, you can use a tray as a more functional piece – set up napkins, seasonings, a decorative silverware canister, and anything else for convenience.
  • You can also use the tray to hold your favorite dishware for easy access. Place a vase of flowers next to the dishes to give it a decorative touch.

2. Divide A Small Kitchen Island Into Sections

Kitchen Island Decorating Ideas - divide island into sections

If your kitchen is on the smaller side, or if you’re using your island as a seating area, you need to be a little clever with how you divide your countertop space. Dividing your kitchen island into a section for functionality and a section for decorative appeal is a great way to get a stylish and fresh kitchen area.

How To Divide Your Kitchen Island Into Sections

  1. Start with your seating area. Set up some placemats, decorative plates, and a small decorative accent on top of the plates.
  2. Next, set up your decorative section of your island by displaying a tall centerpiece. This can be a vase of flowers, a plant, or a unique statue.
  3. The third section of your island should be more of a functional area. You can choose to keep this area mostly open or you can lay out a cutting board and other utensils. If you have a smaller island, you might want to keep the rest of your countertop open and clear. However, a larger island could use a few extra items to feel complete.

3. Display Fruit As Your Main Kitchen Island Decoration

Kitchen Island Decorating Ideas - bowl of fruit in kitchen

If you’re looking to combine function and style on your kitchen island, you should use fruit as your main centerpiece. Not only will this bring an instant rush of color into your kitchen, but it’ll also give you easy access to your food. This is a wonderful option if you want to keep your decorations to a minimum.

How To Display Fruit On Your Kitchen Island

There are so many ways to display fruit as a centerpiece on your island. You can even use fake fruit for longevity; there are many ways to make fake fruit look surprisingly real. Check out some ideas below for how to display real or fake fruit on your kitchen island as a centerpiece.

  • Display fruit in a large basket
  • Put the fruit in a decorative glass bowl
  • Use a fruit hanger for bananas
  • Show off fruit on a tiered cake stand for a unique look
  • Display fruit on a large decorative platter

4. Use One Main Centerpiece For A Simple Kitchen Island

Flowers in kitchen

If you’re looking for a more simple kitchen island appearance, consider only using one decoration as a main centerpiece. This is a great option if you have a small island or if you want a more minimalist look in your kitchen. It also allows you to make the rest of your kitchen look more decorative without cluttering up your space.

There are a lot of different centerpiece ideas for your kitchen island that can instantly upgrade the look of your space. No matter what decor style you desire, you can easily use a centerpiece to complement that style. Whether you want to combine function and style, or just give your island a pop of color, the possibilities are endless. Check out some ideas below to get some inspiration for your kitchen island centerpiece.

Kitchen Island Centerpiece Ideas

  • Large vase of flowers or a tall plant
  • Decorative statue
  • Tiered cake stand with a mix of accents and functional kitchen items
  • Set of multi-height candle holders
  • Large bowl of potpourri
  • Decorative tray filled with accents

5. Decorate With Unlikely Colors To Make Your Kitchen Island Pop

Bright pink flowers in kitchen

To finish off this list of kitchen island decorating ideas, colors come in to play. Decorating with an unexpected pop of color on your kitchen island is a unique way to bring some extra style to your space. Going outside of your color scheme can give your kitchen a bold appearance without being over the top.

A great way to add that pop of color into your kitchen is to use a large centerpiece or other decorative accents. Choose a color that will pop in the space; however, make sure it still make sense with your overall color scheme. Make sure you don’t choose a color that will clash with the rest of the room. Here are some examples of pops of colors for some color scheme:

  • Teal and gray color scheme: coral or pink pop of color
  • Blue and white color scheme: green pop of color
  • Red and black color scheme: yellow pop of color
  • Yellow and gray color scheme: teal pop of color
  • Black and white color scheme: purple, pink, or blue pop of color

Inspired by these kitchen island decorating ideas? Shop our Kitchen & Dining section to get started on your decorating! Find kitchen and table linens, serveware, storage and organization, and much more to decorate your kitchen island in style.


Looking for more kitchen inspiration? Check out these 7 Affordable Kitchen Makeover Ideas!

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