4 Simple Kitchen Island Decor Ideas [Try Them Today]

Looking for simple kitchen island decor ideas that you can try today?

If so, you’re in the right place!

Our kitchen island is the heart of the home and when friends and family come visit it’s where everyone gathers.

It’s also where we sometimes meal prep and my kids will eat.

So when you’re decorating your kitchen island… you need to consider both aesthetic AND function!

In my opinion, when you’re trying out kitchen island ideas… LESS is more!

You don’t want something obtrusive that blocks your view of family members during a conversation over dinner…

… and you don’t want your decorative items to make your kitchen island feel cluttered!

Today we’re going to look at 4 ways to decorate your kitchen island that you can try out today…

Disclosure: Affiliate links may be used in this post, at no cost to you.

Ways to Decorate Your Kitchen Island

The first thing you need to consider is whether your kitchen island has a sink in it or whether you have an interrupted surface area to decorate.

Whichever you have, all of these kitchen island decor ideas will still work… but the placement and size of those decorative objects will likely vary!

Let’s take a look…

1. A Vase Filled with Faux Florals or Fresh Flowers

Faux florals or fresh flowers are a great way to bring in natural elements to your kitchen.

I for one cannot keep up with buying and caring for fresh flowers, so I’m a big fan of seasonal faux florals that you can easily switch out for each season.

They’re a great way to introduce a pop of color to your kitchen, so the ones pictured above are a moody plum purple… perfect for fall!

In spring and summer, I do pink peonies and in winter I do green pine branches.

When shopping for vases, you want to consider the overall height of the entire arrangement and make sure it isn’t overpowering when two people may be talking across the island.

A tall vase may not be the best option, instead choose something a bit lower.

Related: What Our Paneled Appliances Really Cost

2. A Pedestal Bowl with Filler

I’m a big fan of using a decorative bowl on a kitchen island because it meets that requirement of not being too tall or obtrusive.

This marble footed bowl of ours is a great option because again… I can switch out what’s inside of it seasonally to keep things interesting!

Examples of bowl fillers you can try:

Fresh fruit or moss balls all year long
Faux fruits in the spring and summer
Acorns or mini pumpkins in the fall
Pine cones or ornaments for the winter
Seasonal items like Easter eggs
Seashells and starfish for beach houses
Etc.

A decorative bowl (raised or not) is a great way to bring visual interest to your kitchen island, without taking up much space.

Related: 7 Reasons Why You Should Choose Cream Kitchen Cabinets

3. A Cutting Board or Tray with a Trio of Items Grouped Together

If you have an island with a sink, a trio of three items grouped together is one of my favorites!

I would put these decor pieces on one corner of your sink a few inches out.

When creating arrangements, you want to use odd numbers of items. Three is the perfect number to keep things looking intentional and not cluttered.

For our kitchen island, I grabbed three of my favorite things that were all different shapes and heights, then arranged them on a pretty wooden cutting board I had.

A Vase
Salt and Pepper Shakers
A Candle

You could also display these on a decorative tray as well.

Related: Aged vs Unlacquered Brass Hardware: Which is Better?

4. A Combination of the Above

If you’ve got a large island, you may be able to do a combination of the above.

For example, here’s how I would think about putting together a trio of items for the center of your kitchen island…

The tallest thing would be a vase full of faux florals
The second highest thing would be a decorative bowl (footed or not) filled with fruit
The lowest thing would be a pretty candle

There are so many different ways you can do this, but focus on making sure each item differs in height and shape.