This interior designer has created the perfect hidden storage in her marble kitchen island – it proves 'style and functionality should always go hand in hand'

Her seamless design proves your island can be a statement design feature while still offering everyday practicalities

Marie Flanigan
(Image credit: Marie Flanigan)

Whenever we talk about kitchen islands, the art of balancing style and function always comes into play. Getting it right sometimes means thinking outside the box – with hidden storage almost always proving the best option.

However you design your kitchen island ideas, it's a hub for useful storage. But hidden storage has been taken to the next level in this space designed by Marie Flanigan Interiors, disguised within the showstopping marble island.

A less obvious way to make style and function combine and harmonize, it's a space that proves even the most luxurious features can be practical kitchen storage, too. Here's how she did it.

At first glance, the striking marble island is the sculptural detail that centers the scheme. A waterfall countertop design gives the illusion of a solid stone design that acts as the heart of the kitchen.

In many ways this is true, but there is more than meets the eye. The entirety of the island is filled with storage – and each cabinet has been disguised in a beautifully considered way, ensuring the need for functionality doesn't hinder the beauty of the natural stone.

There are two sections to the storage here, the first hidden behind the counter seating. The island has been designed so the ends come in on a diagonal, giving the illusion of a full marble feature. However, they actually lead to a run of cabinets niftily hidden behind the chairs.

On the other side of the island, hidden cabinet doors have been created by covering them in the same marble used for the kitchen countertops. It looks sleek and seamless – you literally wouldn't know they are there unless you looked really close.

This space is an example of how to get hidden kitchen storage right. It should be functional and easy to access without compromising the visual flow of the room. The kitchen island has been maximized to its full potential using a material you might not think could be as versatile and adaptable.

The result? A kitchen that feels totally functional and full of storage, but with beautiful visual flow and the illusion of a clutter-free room. It's a lesson in taking the less obvious route when it comes to hidden storage ideas in the kitchen.


Adding storage to your island is a no-brainer. Without it, you are essentially wasting a huge amount of room in your kitchen – and you'll come to regret skipping this essential feature.

Make sure you decide on your hidden storage approach when you're choosing your kitchen island layout ideas and shapes, as it will help you maximize every corner of the under-countertop space.

It will also allow you to blend beauty and practicality seamlessly into your scheme – in the wise words of designer Marie Flanigan: 'Style and functionality should always go hand in hand.'

Molly Malsom
Kitchens & Bathrooms Editor

I’ve worked in the interiors magazine industry for the past five years and joined Homes & Gardens at the beginning of 2024 as the Kitchens & Bathrooms editor. While I love every part of interior design, kitchens and bathrooms are some of the most exciting to design, conceptualize, and write about. There are so many trends, materials, colors, and playful decor elements to explore and experiment with.

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