28 Raise the bar

Whether you use repurposed boards or sleeker materials, attaching a raised breakfast bar to your island is a cracking good idea. Here, the sanded and oiled scaffold boards, together with the bare brick wall and exposed duct, give this kitchen a raw industrial feel. The shiny copper pendants add contemporary flair.

Replica Tom Dixon Copper Pendant Light, $129.95 (30cm dia., more sizes available), bhgshop.com.au.