Getting away from reality and spending time at your beach house over the summer is a favorite activity of mine. Beach houses offer much-needed rest and relaxation. There’s something for everyone: from surfing to collecting seashells, fishing to shallow sea diving and more.

You can’t have all that fun on an empty stomach. The kitchen is always the heart of the home, so why should it be any different at your vacation home?

Do you have a kitchen island in your beach house kitchen? If so, here are 20 ways to style it! 

We’re taking a look at four categories today to help style your beach house kitchen island.

From color schemes to lighting, we’ve got ideas aplenty that will help you create a masterpiece. The possibilities are endless.

Color Schemes

Houses in the suburbs may have bland color schemes, but for your beach house, you have endless possibilities.

White, Brown, Tan

Here is a pretty typical colored kitchen for most homes inland and by the coast.

The dark brown wood is a sort of shiplap wood (see also ‘How To Install A Shiplap On Wall‘), and has grooves and edges to it.

Above the island hang some tan light covers made of wicker wood. Even though this kitchen has traditional colors of white, brown, and tan, the materials used point towards a lovely beach house kitchen island.

White and Navy

In recent years, navy in the kitchen has become more popular, especially among farmhouse styled kitchens.

Here, the island matches the color of the bottom set of cabinets in the kitchen, sharing the same deep, navy color.

This nautical look signifies deep-sea vibes, as would be common at a Rhode Island beach house.

Have a look at this other option that includes navy and white color palette! 

Ocean Blue and White

If you want your home to stand out, pick some mellow light blues, like this kitchen! 

Since the kitchen and the family room are joined, choosing light blue for the island pairs wonderfully with other furniture and decor seen in the family room.

It matches the chairs at the table and some of the pillows on the couch.

Black and White

If you’re looking for more traditional colors for your beach house, you can never go wrong with a bold, black and white kitchen design.

The island commands attention with dark stained wood and is accented by gorgeous light fixtures. The rest of the kitchen is white, with tan floors, allowing for light to flood the room keeping it light and bright throughout the duration of the day.

White on White

Everyone loves a good crisp, white kitchen, right? Here, the draw for this kitchen is to flood the large space with as much light as possible making it bright for all!

It’s contrasted nicely with the tan floor, wooden and woven bar stools and lovely wicker light shades.

This kitchen goes to show you cannot go wrong with white, even in a beach home!

Lighting Over Your Island

If only kitchens could house sky lanterns without your whole house catching fire. Well, actually there are some designs that get pretty close! 

We’ll take a look at wicker basket lights, plus four more options that beautifully brighten your beach house kitchen island. 

Wicker Basket Lights

Perhaps my favorite of these five options, these enclosed wicker basket cases for hanging lights bring the Caribbean right into your home.

Enjoy making dinner late and post-dinner conversation at the table late into the night with these restaurant themed light covers.

There are plenty of different styles of wicker basket lights. Shop around and fall in love with a style that works for your kitchen.

Check out another option with four lights right here.

Cube Chandelier

Want a more modern touch to your beach home kitchen? These cube lighting covers are the perfect solution. They’re light in color and can certainly brighten up the beach house kitchen island. Plus, they look and feel like a contemporary beach house in a lavish town like Malibu, California.

Lantern Hanging Lights

Ducking from modern to classic, these lantern replica-looking lights transport you to the past!

Think of an old lighthouse manager coming to the docks to see what the day’s catch brought. Or maybe a lobster boat captain shining light late at night.

Coupled with wooden paneling along the island, it’s just like you’re on a ship.

Glass Lights

These cone shaped glass covers over the beach house kitchen island offer sanctity and serenity.

Beautiful bright, white light can easily come through these covers and match perfectly with the color scheme of the kitchen.

 The metal range hood cover in the background beautifully completes the kitchen.

Bubble Chandelier

How beautiful is this? One way to insert some pizzazz into your kitchen is with this bubble chandelier.

Not all the lighting needs to be directly over your beach house kitchen island!

Styling Your Beach House Kitchen Island

Now, when it comes to the island itself, there are plenty of options you can turn to to make it into the ultimate design for a beach house!

There’s a variety of different styles to choose from. You can also add certain decor to the front, back, or sides of the island.

Check out some of our favorite options below and be sure to take notes!

Wooden Paneling

This colored wooden paneling on this kitchen island combines some themes we’re already discussed!

The blue island pairs with wooden horizontal planks and white light shades to form a beautifully designed kitchen.

The rest of the kitchen is light and bright, thanks to the tan and white colors used for walls, cabinets, and flooring.

Under the Sea

Interested in joining Ariel and all her fishy friends? Now you can from the ease of your very own beach house kitchen.

This beautiful beach house kitchen island design takes you to the ocean floor, with plenty of seaweed, ocean grasses, jellyfish and more!

Personalize your island with your favorite ocean animals. All hands on deck!

The Farmhouse X 

Have you ever seen a large ‘X’ on the end of an island? It’s common in today’s farmhouse style homes. is an easy and efficient way to add some flair to your island. It works well for beach house design, too.

Besides looking trendy and timeless, X marks the spot! Avast, mateys!

Rustic Wooden Ship

This kitchen island decks out the end with unfinished, rough wood. Perfectly imperfect.

It styles both sides of the kitchen island, leaving you with a rustic, wooden ship look.

The driftwood design may call your kitchen home one day! 

The Castaway

Like the design above, this beach house kitchen island evokes an unfinished, rustic wooden look.

If you’re into woodworking and design, this is right up your alley.

Grab some unfinished wood and woodworking tools and start making your castaway scene!

Island Range Hoods

You may have chosen to install a range hood over your island; if your stove is on your island, you’ll definitely want one!

There are endless ways to style this look, from plain stainless steel to stacking it with decor. 

Your options are as plentiful as your imagination. See some of our favorite kitchens right here.

Stainless Steel Range Hood

The simple approach, this island has a stainless steel range hood over top. But, it doesn’t sacrifice looks for function!

The cabinetry below the island still is a callback to earlier times, and the muted blue is a colorful addition.

Wood Wrapped Hood

Getting creative is something we love to see with our customers.

This kitchen almost looks like the bottom of a ship! With wooden floors and a wooden roof, the trickle-down effect occurs, even onto the chimney of the range hood.

This custom wooden chimney looks like the mast of a ship! Just don’t attach a sail. We wouldn’t want to burn the house down!

Decorated Range Hood

Some range hoods come with a flat top, which is perfect for stacking your favorite decor items. It allows you to keep adding more personality to your kitchen.

From sailboats to candles and more, deck out your range hood with your favorite decor options.

Be careful about stacking too much decor on your hood. Make sure it is secure!

Outdoor Range Hood

If you live in sunny California or coastal Carolina, chances are high that you have a permanent outdoor kitchen or barbecue in your beach house.

In that case, you’ll probably want a range hood to vent the smoke, steam, and other toxins away from your cooking area.

This kitchen island is quite lavish in nature. Attached to a support, this L-shaped kitchen includes smooth wooden cabinetry and a granite countertop among the sandstone walls and ceiling. A stainless steel range hood sits over the barbecue.

Stone Island Hood

Another L-shaped island, this one features a unique design! The island itself is laden with bricks on all sides, giving a stonehouse vibe.

It’s further accented by the colonial-style pillar at the bend in the island.

And, once again, a simple stainless steel range hood sits over the barbecue.

If you’re headed outdoors with your kitchen island, brick is a great option, especially if you have an open flame barbecue!

That wraps up our beach house kitchen island ideas! There’s plenty of ways to style your kitchen island and keep it beachy in the process!

If you are design hungry and want more inspiration, head on over to our Pinterest page! We have an entire board dedicated to beach house design, with sections devoted to different parts of the house.

You can also check out our crafty home remodel board and farmhouse design board for more inspiration related directly to the home.

We update these boards daily and weekly with new content, so there will always be new jaw-dropping material for you to sift through. 

Thanks for reading and we’ll see you next time!

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