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Designers interviewed by Livingetc describe angular kitchen islands as a way to echo a home’s architecture, shape movement through a kitchen and add sculptural character. They also say nonstandard shapes can complicate storage, seating and appliance clearances, so the layout needs careful planning.
Designers are increasingly using angular kitchen islands to echo a home’s architecture and help shape movement through the room, according to a Livingetc report on recent projects. The designers say these custom forms can make an island read as a sculptural feature, but fitting storage, seating and appliances around the geometry can take additional planning.
The report traces the trend to projects including a “chopped” island by Polish studio Akurat. Studio founder and creative director Maciej Ryniewicz said the home had an irregular layout, and the island’s angled form responded to that condition. Since featuring the project, Livingetc says it has seen more angled designs, ranging from small cuts into rectangular blocks to more pronounced shapes.
Designers cited in the report describe the island as an opportunity to make a functional kitchen element a focal point. Romaine Alwill, director of Sydney studio Atelier Alwill, said utility items such as islands can help set a home’s design tone. She said her studio often uses neutral stone so the form carries the visual emphasis.
The report’s examples include a hexagonal terrazzo island by Madrid studio Plutarco, an angled island by Atelier Alwill inspired by chamfered window blades, and a Belgian project combining curved and angled edges. In that home, owner Eline De Bruyne said the geometry helped keep a walkway open. The article also describes a Verde Guatemala stone island by Studio Duggan.
How Shape Can Guide Kitchen Movement
The designs show how an island’s outline can serve a spatial purpose as well as an aesthetic one. In De Bruyne’s account, the angled sides helped preserve an open walkway; Alwill said an angled island can alter the flow of a room and add contrast to standard cabinetry. These are designers’ descriptions of particular projects, not evidence that angled islands improve circulation in every kitchen.
The trade-off is practical: a nonstandard footprint can make it harder to arrange work surfaces, storage and seating, while preserving space for legs, dishwashers and clear paths. Alwill said her own design required fine-tuning. She noted that the room had enough space for a deeper island and that leaving out a sink helped accommodate the form.
From Irregular Rooms to Sculptural Forms
Kitchen islands are often treated as a place to experiment with color, materials and shape, Livingetc reports. The angular examples range from subtle bevels to distinctly geometric forms. Their designers describe drawing on features already present in a home, including the angled window blades in Alwill’s project, or responding to an irregular floor plan, as in Akurat’s design.
Materials vary across the projects. Plutarco paired a custom terrazzo island with a wood base, while Studio Duggan used Verde Guatemala stone for a more monolithic appearance. Alwill said neutral stone can let a distinctive outline stand out without adding a strong competing color or pattern.
“We were faced with a challenging space that was highly irregular in shape. By offsetting the directions set by the walls, we defined a shape that felt in harmony with its surroundings, no matter from which direction you approached the furniture piece.”
— Maciej Ryniewicz, founder and creative director of Akurat
What Each Kitchen Still Requires
The report provides project examples and designers’ assessments, but no measurements or comparative data showing how much angled islands improve circulation or how their costs compare with conventional designs. It also does not set out standard dimensions for clearances, seating or storage; those depend on the room and the chosen layout.
Alwill said her project needed adjustments to accommodate family use, legroom, dishwashers and storage. The supplied report does not provide full plans for each example, so readers cannot assess every project’s dimensions or practical compromises from the article alone.
Planning Around the Island Form
For a kitchen project, the next step is to test the island’s shape against the room’s dimensions and intended uses. Livingetc’s report advises working with a kitchen designer or architect to integrate the needed features. Designers should account for storage, seating, work surfaces, appliance openings and clear routes around the island before settling on its final geometry.
The report does not announce a formal design standard or a new industry initiative. It documents a developing visual trend through selected projects; whether angular forms continue to appear in more kitchens remains to be seen.
Key Questions
What is an angular kitchen island?
It is an island with a nonrectangular outline or angled sections, ranging from small bevels to shapes such as a hexagon. The Livingetc report also includes a design combining curved and angled edges.
How might an angled island affect movement through a kitchen?
Designers cited by Livingetc say its geometry can help shape a walkway or respond to the room’s layout. In one project, homeowner Eline De Bruyne said the shape helped keep the walkway open. The result depends on the specific room and design.
What practical issues should be planned for?
The report points to storage, seating, usable work surfaces, legroom and dishwasher placement. A kitchen designer or architect can check those needs against the island’s shape and the available space.
Do angular islands always need a larger kitchen?
The report does not establish a general minimum room size. Alwill said her project benefited from having space to make the island deeper, but requirements will vary with the room, layout and features.
Source: rss
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