For many people, the kitchen island represents the center and the heart of the kitchen. This is after all where the bulk of the activity of this particular space takes place. It’s no wonder why people spend so much time designing and ultimately creating the perfect kitchen island for their home. In the Buffalo, New York homes that we’ve worked in, we have seen some truly tremendous kitchen islands. And once our custom crafted live edge island top gets set in place, it really does take the kitchen to a whole new level.

Then comes to the question how do you design around your wood slab island? Is there a certain aesthetic or style that you have to stick with? Below we offer some design advice when it comes to designing your kitchen around your live edge, wood slab island top.

1. Keep it warm. And no, we don’t mean you have to stick with only oranges, reds, and yellows as far as color goes. Certain grays can be just as warm in nature as well. What we mean is to think in terms of the overall warmth of the space as the wood of the kitchen island tends to radiate a certain richness and depth.

2. Prioritize comfort. Once upon a time, traditional kitchens were much colder places, much more formal spaces. That is definitely not the case today. Think about how much time your family spends in the kitchen. Comfort is absolutely key. The tactility of a live edge island top really does have an effect as far as comfort goes.

3. Don’t shy from the eclectic. Who said your kitchen just had to be one design style? The great thing about incorporating a wood island top is that it lends itself to a multitude of styles and a combination of motifs. You can easily blend the rustic with the classical period; get colorful and also stay modern.

4. Make it functional.Yes, we all want our kitchen to look amazing, but we also need to keep it functional. Does it work well for you in terms of cooking, prepping, and serving? A wood slab island top is incredibly functional which is why we install so many throughout the Buffalo area.

5. Don’t be afraid to get artistic. Wood slabs in and of themselves are truly artistic. There’s the grain, there’s the overall flow, there’s the natural beauty of the wood. It’s just screams for you to be creative and artistic within the rest of the kitchen as well.

If you need a live edge, wood slab kitchen island top, then you’ve come to the right place. We have installed hundreds of island tops, and no two have ever been alike. That is because wood slabs are all different by nature. Every single piece we create is totally unique. Call today.