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
Source: Trulia
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