Is "kitchen island" the least sexy term in home design? Even "kitchen table" is better (remember that scene in The Postman Always Rings Twice?). Here's a roundup of 11 rooms with style to spare.
Above: An apartment in St. Germain des Pres, Paris, designed by Joseph Dirand features a pair of bronze Fingi suspension lights by Eric Schmitt and a pair of office armchairs by Pierre Jeanneret from Galerie 54; photo by Adrien Dirand via Yatzer.
Above: London designer Rose Uniacke's simple but luxurious kitchen is located in her restored 19th century Georgian Revival house. For similar pendant lights, consider the Dodecahedron Pendant Lanterns by Adolf Loos, available through Rose Uniacke; photo by Henry Bourne via NY Times.
Above: An oxidized-brass-clad kitchen island by Dimore Studio in Milan is lit from within via a fluorescent strip.
Above: The SF kitchen of stylist Rosy Strazzeri Fridman.
Above: In this kitchen in Germany, designer Gisbert Poppler repurposed an antique farmhouse wardrobe as a kitchen cabinet.
Above: A Scandinavian kitchen with mirror-clad kitchen island; photo by Pia Walin.
Above: Stockholm-based architects Claessen Koivisto Rune added a dash of glamour to a streamlined pure white kitchen via a brass cube table.
Above: In a Boston brownstone kitchen, architects Katarina Edlund and Scott Slarsky (of designLAB Architects) paired marble-topped work stations with a Poul Henningsen artichoke lamp suspended from an ornate plaster medallion.
Above: A Mediterranean kitchen with concrete island and chandelier via Nosy Parker.
Above: A minimalist kitchen in a Chelsea townhouse by Julian King of Julian King Architect, a member of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory.
Above: A sleek white kitchen with chandelier by Steininger Wohnhaus.
For more inspiration, see Kitchen Islands and Tables on Wheels and 10 Easy Pieces: Instant Kitchen Island.