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Designers featured by Livingetc say angular kitchen islands can do more than add a sculptural focal point: their shapes may respond to a room’s architecture and help keep walkways open. The report describes several projects and designers’ experiences, while noting that storage, seating and appliance clearances can take extra planning.
Designers are using angular kitchen islands as sculptural features that can also respond to room layouts and shape movement through a kitchen, according to a report by Livingetc. The examples show varied approaches, from subtly chamfered counters to sharply faceted forms, while designers say the nonstandard geometry requires careful planning for walkways, storage and appliances.
The report describes a shift toward islands with angled edges and more distinctive outlines. Some designs make a small adjustment to a rectangular block; others use geometry as a defining feature. Designers quoted by Livingetc say the form can reflect a home’s architecture, create contrast with standard cabinetry and make the kitchen feel more like a designed living space.
In one example, Sydney-based Atelier Alwill designed an angled island to echo blades on the home’s front windows, which chamfer back into the building. Director Romaine Alwill said the island offered a chance to carry that architectural idea into the interior. In a Belgian home, owner Eline De Bruyne and designer Oskar De Roover combined angled sides with a curved edge, which De Bruyne said helped keep a walkway open while softening the island’s large volume.
The report also features a hexagonal terrazzo island by Madrid studio Plutarco and a marble island by Studio Duggan with an inverted bevelled underside and pedestal-like base. Those projects emphasize how shape and material can work together; they do not establish that angular islands improve movement in every kitchen.
How Shape Can Change Kitchen Flow
An island often occupies a central position in the kitchen, so its outline can affect both how the room reads and how people move around it. The examples in the report suggest that angled sides can make a large feature feel more closely tied to the architecture, or help preserve an open route through a particular layout. De Bruyne said the geometry of her island helped keep the walkway easy to use.
That benefit depends on the room and the design. A striking shape may provide a focal point, but the report offers designers’ accounts and project examples rather than measurements or comparative evidence showing that angular islands consistently improve circulation. For readers planning a kitchen, the practical takeaway is to treat the island’s shape as part of the layout, alongside the work surface, seating and storage needs.
From Irregular Rooms to Sculptural Forms
The report traces Livingetc’s interest in angular islands to a project by Polish studio Akurat. Founder and creative director Maciej Ryniewicz said the team faced a highly irregular space and angled the island against the directions set by the walls so it would feel in harmony with its surroundings from different approaches.
Since that project, the publication says it has seen more angled islands in designers’ work, ranging from slight cuts to more dramatic forms. Atelier Alwill’s Alwill described kitchen islands, along with features such as fireplaces and vanities, as opportunities to treat functional elements like sculpture and set a design tone for a home.
Designers featured in the report often let the shape lead. Alwill said her studio uses neutral stone to keep attention on the form without making it overly showy. Other examples pair geometry with distinct materials, including custom terrazzo, wood and Verde Guatemala stone.
“We were faced with a challenging space that was highly irregular in shape.”
— Maciej Ryniewicz, founder and creative director of Akurat
Where Angled Islands May Not Fit
The report does not provide dimensions, cost comparisons or circulation studies that would show how angular islands perform across different kitchens. Whether a particular shape improves movement depends on the room’s size, fixed architecture and placement of appliances and seating. Alwill said her project had enough space to add depth for the angles and that omitting a sink from the island helped with the layout.
It is also unclear how widely the trend is being adopted: the report offers selected design projects, not market data. Readers should treat the examples as individual design solutions rather than evidence that an angled island will suit every home.
Planning the Layout Before the Shape
For anyone considering this approach, the next step is to work through the room’s layout with a kitchen designer or architect. The plan needs to account for work surfaces, storage, seating clearances and appliance openings before the final geometry is set. Alwill’s account illustrates how these details can require fine-tuning, particularly when a family needs the island to serve several purposes.
The report identifies no scheduled industry milestone or follow-up data. Further examples may show how designers adapt angular forms to different room sizes, but for now the published projects and designer comments are the available evidence.
Key Questions
What is an angular kitchen island?
It is an island with angled or faceted sides instead of a standard rectangular outline. Designs in the report range from small chamfers to hexagonal and more sculptural forms.
Can an angled island improve kitchen flow?
Designers in the report say a carefully shaped island can help preserve an open walkway or respond to an irregular room. The report does not establish that angled islands improve circulation in every layout.
What practical details need planning?
Storage, seating, work surfaces, legroom and access to appliances such as dishwashers all need to fit the island’s shape. The designer quoted in the report said these clearances required fine-tuning in her project.
Do angular islands need to use bold materials?
No. Atelier Alwill’s Romaine Alwill said her studio sometimes uses neutral stone so the shape itself draws attention. Featured projects also pair angular forms with materials such as terrazzo, wood and marble.
Source: rss
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