Meg Ryan's unexpected kitchen island reads more like a permanent dining table (with a sink) – it's the perfect multi-purpose design

Something I am noticing about the kitchens of 2025 is that kitchen tables are slowly starting to replace the purpose (and popularity) of kitchen islands. You are far more likely to see a gorgeous kitchen with a huge table at the center, ready for prepping, hosting, and socializing, than a solid block of an island.

But what you lose by forgoing a kitchen table for a kitchen island is storage and the opportunity to add in any appliances. So when I spied Meg Ryan's kitchen, complete with an island/table design that does it all, I had to know more about this multipurpose space.

What I love most about the design is that it has the informal, relaxed feel of a kitchen table (which is why I think so many people are choosing tables over islands right now), but all the practicalities of a built-in island. There's even a sink!

The design is also unique in its shape. From the top, it looks like a simple rectangle, which gives a more table-like feel, but underneath, a swooping pedestal gives an artistic, sculptural look that is more permanent – like an island.

The sink that sits at one end only adds to the permanence, creating the perfect kitchen layout with the hob handily situated just behind. Ryan has positioned kitchen chairs on two sides of the island, encouraging conversation in the space, just as you would expect from a kitchen table. Note that the choice of chairs is a dark wood. The wood is cool-toned, so it doesn't create a clash with the cooler kitchen color scheme, but there's still a warmth there that, with the wooden decor on the island, just slightly softens the monochrome palette.

As well as creating this social hub in the space and a practical spot for cooking, the island also breaks up the color scheme of the kitchen. It both contrasts and complements the darker cabinets that surround it, creating a layer of light right in the middle of the room. The delicate shape of the island's base helps to counteract the heaviness of these colors. It allows the light from the windows and the white marble to shine through, brightening and uplifting the kitchen.

Shop the look

No matter the design of your home, you can replicate the elegant, elevated aesthetic of Meg Ryan's space with these products – inspired by the ones we've seen on her island and countertops.

This kitchen design truly is a balance of form and function. The kitchen island looks beautiful; its base is almost art-like, but it can work hard too. It offers plenty of surface space to prep and a sink that's in the perfect position. The fact that it's designed to look more like a table than a permanent island works twofold; it doesn't add too much visual bulk, and it can work more casually as a space to perch with a drink, cooking, and hosting, or to gather around and have a relaxed family meal.