30 Cool Waterfall Kitchen Island Ideas (Photos)

Waterfall kitchen island designs hit the scene in late 2010… or at least that’s when they started getting noticed at a larger scale.  There are many different styles and designs to get this effect.

Below is our extensive photo gallery featuring examples of this kitchen island design.  Enjoy!

Photo Gallery

Modish kitchen set up with white walls and black shade. The center island features a smooth countertop. It also features a waterfall island style.

Kitchen with a large waterfall center island style, which pairs well with the kitchen’s flooring and counters.

Classy kitchen featuring a waterfall style center island topped by marble countertop. The kitchen is lighted by two pendant lights.

Beautiful kitchen with white walls and smooth counters featuring sky blue backsplash and a tiles flooring. It also boasts a waterfall style center island.

Large kitchen featuring hardwood flooring and elegant lighting brightening the space. Under the pendant lights is the large center island, waterfall style.

This kitchen boast white walls, ceiling, cabinetry and counters. The lighting is absolutely perfect. The center island features a waterfall style.

This kitchen features a bronze-like center island falling down to the ground like a waterfall. The white cabinetry the white ceiling.

Large kitchen featuring white ceiling and cabinetry. The large center island offers a space for breakfast bar and has a waterfall style.

Modish and classy kitchen with smooth granite counters and a hardwood waterfall style center island lighted by elegant pendant lights.

Large kitchen with a living space with a fireplace set on a hardwood flooring. The kitchen’s waterfall style center island is lighted by glamorous ceiling light.

Modish kitchen setup on a hardwood flooring. The white and black mixture of colors are absolutely stunning. The center island has a waterfall style.

Modish kitchen with white walls and black shade. The long center island features a waterfall style.

Bright kitchen setup with white walls and smooth white counters. The waterfall center island looks stunning and is lighted by recessed ceiling lights.

Bright kitchen with beautiful tiles flooring and scattered ceiling lights brightening the space. The smooth white center island flows down to the ground like a waterfall.

Contemporary kitchen setup with white walls and a dark shade mix. The recessed lights look perfect while the smooth white center island flows down to the ground like a waterfall.

Large white island with seating for 4 people with light grey and white surface that waterfalls down the ends of the island.

Bright kitchen with white walls and counters. The large center island boasts a waterfall style and has a space for a breakfast bar for two.

Kitchen with smooth white cabinetry and tiles flooring. The rustic counters look stylish. The center island boasts a waterfall style.

Modish kitchen with white walls and dark shade. The smooth marble counters are absolutely stunning. The center island features a stylish waterfall style.

Classy white kitchen with a dark gray shade. The center island featuring a waterfall style is being lighted by pendant lights.

This elegant kitchen setup is so glamorous. The counters are just stunning. The center island featuring a waterfall style provides space for a breakfast bar for three.

Bright kitchen with dark shade.The color mixture of the kitchen is beautiful while the counters are just glamorous. The center island also features a small waterfall style.

White walls kitchen with dark shade on cabinetry. The flooring fits well with the kitchen’s color. The center island has a little waterfall style.

Bright kitchen setup with tall ceiling. The hardwood flooring fits perfectly well with the kitchen’s white paint and bright lighting. The center island boasts a waterfall style.

Modish kitchen with white walls and brown shade. The scattered recessed and pendant lights beautifully brighten the space. The center island looks great with its waterfall style.

Large kitcne with white walls and wooden cabinetry giving a brown shade to the kitchen. There’s a large center island featuring the waterfall style.

Large kitchen with white and brown cabinetry. The brown and white combination looks good with each other. The center island boasts a waterfall style and provides a breakfast bar for four.

This kitchen has white walls and brown wooden cabinetry. The center island boasts a smooth white counter and has a waterfall style lighted by three pendant lights.

This large kitchen features a gloomy vibe and wooden cabinetry. The gray counter of the waterfall style center island looks stylish and is lighted by a cool set of pendant lights.

This bright kitchen features white walls, ceiling and marble counters. The large center island boasting a waterfall style is lighted by pendant lights and a skylight.

Poll: Do you like this island design?

What is a waterfall kitchen island?

2 types

Waterfall down the end(s) of the island

This is the most common where the surface cascades down the ends or a single end of the island.

Waterfall down the face and/or rear

This is pretty rare, but they do exist.  This is when the surface cascades down the entire face or even both faces (front and back).  I think this is not a very good option as it really cuts off island functionality and it creates a box-like structure in your kitchen.

Surface Materials

Granite:  Personally I wouldn’t do this effect with granite.  Granite is a bold material and results in a too bold of an island design.  It’s also expensive.

Marble:  I love marble and while not the best kitchen surface material, it looks gorgeous and can be very nice as a waterfall.

Engineered Quartz:  This is my favorite counter material and as long as it’s a subtle color scheme (i.e. solid or light flecks) it can look good as  waterfall material.

Wood:  This is my favorite island surface material to use as a waterfall effect.  We have several examples above and you can see that it really does look great.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Aesthetic:  you either like it or you don’t.  I personally love the wood surface waterfall design, but not the granite so much.  I think it’s too much granite.

Fluid design:  It creates a fluid design in your kitchen especially if the island is a focal point.  You’ll notice above that for some of the photo examples, your eye really jumps to the island.

Cons

Cost:  If you use granite or engineered quartz, you’re paying for more surface area which can dramatically increase the cost if you didn’t use this design technique.

Aesthetic:  As stated above, I think granite is simply too much granite when cascading as a waterfall down the ends or face.

Cuts off functionality:  Many islands make use of the ends with drawers or shelving.  This design prevents you from adding any functionality.

Are these kitchen island designs trending?

This island design started trending in November 2010.  Since then they’ve become more and more popular. Check out the trending chart.

Related: 100 Kitchen Islands with Seating for 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 People | Kitchen Islands with Wood Surface | L-Shaped Kitchens with an Island  | Curved Kitchen Islands | Kitchen Islands with Drawers