Eight elegant and durable kitchen islands that demonstrate the versatility of marble

For our latest lookbook, we take a look at eight kitchen interiors where veiny marble surfaces form hardwearing and decorative kitchen islands.

Marble is a hard, durable material that is resistant to heat, making it a practical choice for kitchen surfaces.

It is a metamorphic stone known for its unique veined patterns that come in a variety of colours, including muted neutrals, bold greens, and high-contrast whites and browns.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring kitchens that double as partition walls, interiors with mirrored accents and living rooms decorated with metal accessories.

Balmoral Blue House, Australia, by Esoteriko

At Balmoral Blue House in Sydney, interiors studio Esoteriko overhauled the majority of the interiors with light colours and natural materials, including a chunky kitchen island made from a marble indigenous to North Queensland.

The island contains a sink and a seating area, forming the centrepiece of a kitchen lined with wooden wall cabinets.

Find out more about Balmoral Blue House ›

Manhattan apartment, USA, by General Assembly

A white and grey marble island containing a sink and shelving adds a touch of drama to this kitchen, designed by local studio General Assembly as part of its transformation of an apartment on New York City's Upper West Side.

The marble was paired with a rounded, dark wood table to add contrast, while travertine stone lines the L-shaped countertops and backsplash behind the hob.

Find out more about the Manhattan apartment ›

Deknudt Nelis office, Belgium, by Arjaan de Freyter

Although marble was not used for the worktop on this kitchen island, slabs of deep-green marble lining the side walls add a pop of colour to this office kitchen, designed by Belgian studio Arjaan de Freyter for a law firm.

Aiming to create a pared-back interior, the marble surfaces were set against dark wood in the island countertop and shelf, as well as the kitchen wall cabinets.

Find out more about the Deknudt Nelis office ›

Steele's Road House, UK, by Neiheiser Argyros

London-based studio Neiheiser Argyros has renovated this Victorian terrace by adding large openings in the walls to bring in more light.

The kitchen was finished with Douglas fir flooring and a Carrara marble island worktop, designed to contrast with dark blue cabinets.

Find out more about Steele's Road House ›

Versailles townhouse, France, by RMGB

A monolithic Calacatta Viola marble island with dark veining conceals the hob and oven in this kitchen, located in a 19th-century townhouse in Versailles that was renovated by interior design studio RMGB.

RMGB installed a large stainless-steel kitchen cupboard and restored parquet flooring and mouldings, aiming to preserve the character of the French residence while also adding a modern touch.

Find out more about the Versailles townhouse ›

Zwaag family home, Netherlands, by DAB Studio

Arebescato Orobico marble wraps the sides of this island, forming a waterfall countertop that contrasts against the Afromosia wood cabinet doors.

Located in a family home in Zwaag, the Netherlands, the kitchen and adjacent dining area were designed by Dutch interior design practice DAB Studio to have a calming apearance.

Find out more about Zwaag family home ›

Sunderland Road House, UK, by 2LG Studio

Local firm 2LG Studio also created a marble waterfall counter for the kitchen island at Sunderland Road House, an Edwardian house in London that was transformed with a playful colour palette.

Marble was also used as an arched splashback, set between two blue arched cabinets, while the pink dining tabletop has a terrazzo-like surface made from waste wood chips and resin.

Find out more about Sunderland Road House ›

Penthouse 3, USA, by Ash Staging

Located in a Manhattan skyscraper designed by British architecture firm RSHP, the interiors of Penthouse 3 were designed by local studio Ash Staging to have double-height spaces with views across the city.

A wood-panelled storage system sits above the kitchen, where grey marble extends across the back wall and over a kitchen island that facilitates a sink and generous seating.

Find out more about Penthouse 3 ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring kitchens that double as partition walls, interiors with mirrored accents and living rooms decorated with metal accessories.

The post Eight elegant and durable kitchen islands that demonstrate the versatility of marble appeared first on Dezeen.