The backstory of today’s kitchen island has roots in the standalone scullery workstations of large estates in the 18th century. It was architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the early 20th century, who’s open-plan homes blurred or eliminated physical barriers between kitchen, dining and living spaces. The islands were set serving as important pieces of functional furniture for mingling and food prep. Their mainstream arrival surged in the 1960s as The French Chef hit cooking show featured host Julia Child serving up at-home recipes and radiant joy while stationed at her kitchen island.
According to the Santa Barbara Independent, who collected modern kitchen islands in an article’s photography, Today, kitchen islands honor their ancestral roots as extra countertops for rough-chopping onions and dishing out a quick breakfast before the kids head to school. And in many households, they’ve become the heart of the home, gathering places for family and friends to simply snack, dine, drink or just hang out.
