With sleek designs and clever illusions, these 12 kitchen counters appear to magically hover above their base cabinets. Using cantilevered supports, hidden brackets, and glass materials, they create the dazzling effect of floating counters that seem to defy gravity. Explore how innovative construction gives this stylish and minimalist look.
Floating kitchen counters and shelves are one of the hottest trends in interior design right now. By removing bulky supports and creating the illusion that counters are suspended in midair, they create a light, airy, and modern aesthetic. Here are 12 stunning examples of kitchen counters that seem to float in space.
1. Hidden Bracket Floating Countertop
This gorgeous kitchen features a long white countertop that appears to hover above the base cabinets. The secret? It’s supported by small hidden metal brackets secured to the wall. This gives just enough support while maintaining the illusion of a floating surface. The minimalist design and clean lines are enhanced by the floating look.
Key Features:
- White countertop provides brightness and seems to blend into the wall. This enhances the floating visual effect.
- Small L-brackets anchor the countertop to the wall while remaining hidden from view. This provides stability while not interrupting the floating appearance.
- Edge lighting underneath the counter illuminates the surface and adds to the floating ambiance. Light bouncing up casts shadows and further separates the counter from the cabinet below.
- Open shelves below continue the airy, floating aesthetic instead of bulky lower cabinets. Items can be displayed and shelves easily cleaned.
This stunning, minimalist kitchen gets its wow factor from the long, uninterrupted countertop that appears to magically hover against the wall. The combination of hidden brackets, clean lines, and under lighting makes this counter seem to defy gravity. It’s a gorgeous, on-trend look.
2. Black Glass Floating Countertop Kitchen Island
For a super modern and dramatic look, this kitchen island features sleek black countertop panels made of glass. They seem to float above the white base, creating intriguing shadows and layers. The contrast makes for an eye-catching focal point.
Key Features:
- Black glass countertop panels secured with small metal rods give the unique visual effect of opaque black boxes hovering in the air.
- The shadowing caused by the floating glass allows the white cabinetry to peek through, adding depth and making the black top panels appear lighter.
- Rounding the corners of the countertop panels softens the look and keeps the minimalist, modern design style.
- No hardware is visible, which enhances the streamlined floating aesthetic. The glass top panels seem unsupported.
- The surrounding white cabinets, walls, and floors allow the striking black glass island to really stand out as a sculptural work of art.
This innovative kitchen design allows this island to make a bold statement. The combination of materials and colors makes it appear as if geometric volumes are magically suspended above the base, giving a dynamic, one-of-a-kind look.
3. Walnut Wood Floating Countertop
The rich tone and wood grain texture of this walnut countertop contrast beautifully with the crisp white cabinetry in this kitchen. Small black brackets tuck under the edge of the counter to provide discreet support.
Key Features:
- Walnut provides warmth and natural pattern to offset the smooth white cabinets. The two colors complement each other perfectly.
- The black brackets almost disappear into the shadows, minimizing any distraction from the floating look.
- Most of the counter overlaps the cabinetry by a few inches to further the visual illusion that it is defying gravity.
- No seams, edges, hardware, or backsplash disrupt the smooth, continuous floating counter. This maintains a minimalist, streamlined aesthetic.
- LED lighting strips installed on top of the cabinets cast light up onto the underside of the counter from below, adding to the floating effect.
The simplicity of the white and walnut paired with unseen structural supports allows this countertop to appear marvelously suspended in air. It demonstrates how the floating look can add stylish drama to a kitchen.
4. Angled Floating Shelves Countertop
Unique and eye-catching, this kitchen counter features angled wood slats that jut out in opposite directions, supported by nearly invisible thin metal rods. This dynamic shelving seems to precariously lean and gravity-defyingly cantilever into the kitchen space.
Key Features:
- The slanted shelves appear dangerously unsupported, playing with perceptions of balance and creating visual drama.
- Small round metal rods provide stability while not obstructing views or lines, only noticed upon closer inspection.
- Wood tone and horizontally oriented shelves contrast with white vertical cabinets for an asymmetrical, complementary look.
- No backsplash allows the counter to appear free of attachment to the wall. This enhances the floating, gravity-defying illusion.
- Shelves could display decorative items, accentuating the diagonal lines while adding color and texture against the white background.
This shelf countertop makes a statement, seeming to gravity-defyingly project into the kitchen. The clever support rods allow the eye-catching floating shelves to hover at daring angles above the classic white cabinets for a dynamic design.
5. Mirrored Stainless Steel Floating Countertop
The highly reflective surface of this sleek stainless steel countertop mirrors the kitchen, making it appear to blend into the surroundings and float unsupported. Gorgeous modern elegance!
Key Features:
- Polished stainless steel acts as a mirror to reflect surroundings. This camouflages edges and makes the counter merge into the environment.
- White cabinets and walls allow the reflective counter to take on its colors. This enhances the floating look.
- No hardware is visible from above or front view. Supports attach to the underside of the counter’s overhang.
- The long, continuous countertop with no seams or distracting textures creates a smooth minimalist look.
- Stainless steel gives an ultra modern, industrial vibe. The floating effect avoids a cold or sterile feel.
With its magical mirrored surface making it seem to disappear against the kitchen, this phenomenal stainless steel countertop appears to impossibly hover in midair. It’s a truly innovative technique to achieve the trendy floating look.
6. Floating Black Marble Waterfall Countertop
For bold drama and elegance, this luxe kitchen island features a single piece of gorgeous black marble with edges that waterfall over each side. Polished to a gleaming finish, it reflects light in chic, liquid movement, appearing to float above shimmering gold legs. Stunning!
Key Features:
- A single slab of luxurious black marble makes a striking sculptural statement as a floating island countertop. The heavyweight stone seems to magically hover.
- Waterfall edges that cascade over each side are artful and eye-catching while enhancing the floating illusion.
- Gold legs provide structure with a hint of bling without interfering with views under the counter. Their sculptural nature suits the dramatic design.
- The polished black marble interacts with light in a fluid way, its white veining rippling like liquid for added visual intrigue.
- The dark marble pops against the bright white kitchen while coordinating with the black appliances and hardware. This contrast makes it a focal point.
With its dark glamour and cascading waterfall sides, this gorgeous marble kitchen island seems to become an entity of its own, magically suspended above its gleaming gold base. It makes a stunning sculptural statement.
7. Suspended Wood Shelves Countertop
This innovative kitchen features a counter created entirely of horizontal wood shelves in alternating lengths. Suspended by thin steel cables from above, they seem to impossibly hover in midair for a design that really wows.
Key Features:
- Wood shelves of varied lengths mounted at different heights create a dynamic asymmetrical look, appearing to float freely.
- Almost invisible cables screw into the ceiling and attach to the top of each shelf to suspend them in a gravity-defying manner.
- Open spacing between the shelves maintains an airy, minimalist aesthetic and allows display space.
- Wood tone warms up the modern white kitchen and coordinates with butcher block accents on the island.
- No backsplash allows the shelves to appear unsupported and unattached to the wall. This enhances the visual illusion.
By using strong cables to suspend multiple wood shelves in an artful arrangement, this kitchen achieves a showstopping floating countertop that beautifully plays with space and perceptions. It’s wonderfully innovative design!
8. Concrete Modular Floating Countertop
Modular prefab concrete slabs mounted in a staggered formation make up this quirky countertop composition. Small metal legs seem barely able to support the heavyweight concrete pieces, playing with visual tension and creating the floating illusion.
Key Features:
- Concrete lends an urban, edgy vibe that pops against the classic white cabinets. The weighty material seems to gravity-defyingly hover.
- Small metal legs screw directly into the concrete, minimizing visual clutter while adding to the tensile drama.
- The staggered arrangement of differently sized slabs plus gaps between them help the segmented counter appear loosely suspended.
- No backsplash allows the thick concrete pieces to detach from the wall for a floating look. Their blockiness contrasts with the sleek cabinets.
- LED lighting installed on top of the base cabinets casts light into the gaps and illuminates the underside of the countertop from below for added dimension.
The strong but slim metal legs supporting the chunky concrete slabs create a visually precarious situation, making this countertop arrangement seem to float in defiance of gravity. It’s an edgy, unexpected take on the floating trend.
9. Sleek Black Metal Floating Countertop
The incredibly thin profile of this sculptural black metal countertop allows it to seem impossibly suspended above the white base cabinets. Cleverly hidden supports maintain clean lines for an ultra modern, eye-catching floating design.
Key Features:
- Highly polished black metal material has an undulating, asymmetrical form for sculptural beauty and refinement.
- The countertop is only a half inch thick at its edges, making it appear impossibly delicate to be self-supporting.
- Supports attach under the counter’s deep overhang instead of the sides or base for a streamlined look without exposed hardware.
- The crisp, glossy white cabinetry acts as a clean backdrop, allowing the jet black countertop sculpture to shine.
- Ambient under lighting creates dimensional shadows and highlights to help the thin counter seem to defy gravity and hover like magic.
With its wispy thinness and gleaming black finish, this exquisite metal countertop seems to be an otherworldly object magically suspended in place against the bright white kitchen decor. Its refined beauty demonstrates the artistic possibilities of the floating countertop trend.
10. Floating Glass and Wood Shelves
This creative shelving unit combines sections of glass and wood horizontally to form the countertop area. Mounted to the wall at only one central point, the cantilevered shelves seem to float in a gravity-defying arrangement. Striking and minimalist!
Key Features:
- The glass and wood shelves jut out from a small central support, giving the eye-catching appearance of being precariously suspended.
- Alternating materials provide visual interest while the simple lines and ample negative space keep the look airy and uncluttered.
- Small items can be displayed on the shelves, adding color pops against the neutral white wall and base cabinets.
- No lower cabinets or hardware interfere with the clean continuous lines and unobstructed views under the hovering shelves.
- The shelves are mounted asymmetrically at different lengths and angles, enhancing the dynamic floating composition.
This inventive shelving unit celebrates both natural and industrial materials in a harmonious floating design. With ample display space and an intriguing gravity-defying look, it brings artful style to the kitchen.
11. Two-Tiered Floating Breakfast Bar
This sleek and unique kitchen features a two-tiered floating breakfast bar composed of a black metal frame suspended from the ceiling and clear glass levels. The see-through construction seems barely there, like an architectural sketch in midair.
Key Features:
- A minimalist black metal frame anchored to the ceiling provides structural support while visually receding to seem barely visible.
- Two transparent glass shelves linked by nearly invisible metal rods create uninterrupted sight lines through the breakfast bar.
- Different tiers allow flexible seated dining arrangements. The lower level can accommodate stools for chatting with the chef.
- Plenty of leg room and walk-through space is kept under the bar thanks to the airy transparent composition.
- Suspending the two-tiered bar from above keeps the floors clear and light while enhancing the floating effect through the kitchen.
With its transparent materials and lightweight appearance, this floating breakfast bar seems like a hologram in the modern kitchen. It’s an ingeniously ethereal design solution for casual dining.
12. Solid Surface Vanity Sink Section
This sleek bathroom highlight features a glossy white solid surface vanity section that cantilevers out from the wall like a peninsula. Angled brackets underneath provide subtle support for a cleverly floating look.
Key Features:
- The shiny solid surface material has an almost plastic-like finish that resembles an acrylic solid floating shape. Edges are rounded for softness.
- Small triangular brackets anchor the bottom yet hardly call attention, maintaining clean lines and uninterrupted views.
- No lower cabinets or counter allow the floating vanity segment to stand out on its own. The wall-mounted faucet furthers the minimalist style.
- Drawers built into the vanity maximize storage without cluttering the modern aesthetic. Contents remain hidden.
- LED lighting illuminates the underside of the vanity from below, adding beautiful dimension and the appearance that it is aglow.
With its crisp solid surface construction and nearly concealed structural supports, this wall-mounted bathroom vanity segment appears to hover like a pristine white cloud. It brings a contemporary floating focal point to the space.
Achieving the Floating Countertop Look
These 12 gorgeous kitchens demonstrate how the floating countertop trend can be adapted to a wide range of styles. From edgy concrete to elegant marble, various materials and colors can be used to create the illusion of gravity-defying counters and shelves. Here are some top tips for pulling off the look:
- Select countertop materials that are relatively thin, lightweight, or transparent like glass. Visually delicate materials enhance the hovering appearance.
- Incorporate hidden brackets, cables, rods or other supports that blend in. Minimize visual clutter while providing stability.
- Use wall-mounted or suspended cabinets to eliminate bulky bases that would obstruct floating views.
- LED lighting from underneath highlights floating dimensions and shadows. This helps surfaces seem elevated.
- Keep lines clean and edges smooth without distracting backsplashes or seams that break the continuous top.
- Paint surrounding walls and cabinets white. This acts as a continuous clean backdrop for floating counters to visually pop.
With clever illusions and interior design magic, these counters seem to float in gravity-defying ways. Bring breathtaking modern style to your kitchen with the gorgeous floating countertop trend!
Frequently Asked Questions About Floating Kitchen Countertops
12 Stylish Kitchen Counters That Seem to Float in Space
Q: What is a floating countertop?
A: A floating countertop refers to a counter that appears to hover or be suspended above its base without obvious supports. This illusion is achieved through concealed hardware, minimal contact points, glass materials, and other clever solutions. The aim is to create the perception of a counter magically defying gravity.
Q: What are some key benefits of a floating countertop?
A: Floating countertops create a light, airy, and modern aesthetic. By removing bulky supports, they open up space visually and allow for a streamlined, minimalist look. The floating illusion adds an artistic, gravity-defying drama to kitchens and can serve as a focal point.
Q: What building techniques and materials are used?
A: Thin materials like glass help enhance the delicate floating look. Hidden brackets, cables, rods and other subtle structural supports provide stability without noticeable visual clutter. Suspending cabinets from walls or the ceiling eliminates heavy bases below.
Q: How much weight can floating countertops hold?
A: With proper reinforcement and supports, floating counters can be quite sturdy and hold average items. Still, caution is required to not overload them. They’re best used for tasks like food prep rather than heavy appliance usage, where solid connections to base cabinets are ideal.
Q: How do you clean a floating countertop?
A: Most can be cleaned like regular countertops using household cleaners and a soft sponge or cloth. Avoid excessive water and harsh chemicals. Granite, marble, and wood will need sealing to prevent stains and damage. Use special care around concealed edges and supports.
Q: Are floating countertops expensive?
A: Prices vary greatly. Custom fabricated floating counters with specialty materials can be costly. Pre-made styles using concrete, glass, or wood shelving are more affordable DIY options. Hidden supports add marginal expense. Overall costs are on par with other high-end countertops installations.
Q: Are floating countertops difficult to install?
A: Most floating countertop systems are designed for straightforward DIY home installation. However, it’s wise to consult professional architects, contractors, and engineers when dealing with load-bearing elements like ceilings. Take care to precisely install concealed brackets.
Q: Are floating countertops modern?
A: The floating countertop is a very modern and contemporary trend, popularized in recent years. The minimalist, gravity-defying aesthetic pairs well with other modern kitchen styles like polished concrete floors, matte black hardware, and industrial lighting.
Q: Can you have cabinets below a floating countertop?
A: Having bulky lower cabinets defeats the light and airy appeal of floating counters. Wall mounted shelves or leggy open storage units
