The Traitors Castle has embraced this luxe kitchen island trend - it's a simple way of making your kitchen look much more expensive

It's hard to believe that the kitchen island could get much more lust-worthy than it already is, but if you've also been glued to the BBC's The Celebrity Traitors, you might have spotted how they've upgraded this kitchen must-have.

As we're nearing the finale of The Celebrity Traitors on the 6th November, it's fair to say we've been captivated by the interiors of the infamous castle as much as we have by the star-studded cast. Kitchen trends have steered towards warm colour palettes and lots of natural materials, creating spaces that look as cosy as they feel - and the kitchen island anchors this, creating the true heart of the home.

I've admired countless kitchen islands over the years, but I've never seen a sunken design such as in The Celebrity Traitors before. It's a small feature that has a huge impact, helping to zone the space and adding high-end flair. This is why it's a kitchen trend to watch.

As we tiptoe further into winter, the desire to create a cosy, inviting kitchen is greater than ever before. The Celebrity Traitor's kitchen has inspiration in every corner, with wall panelling and wooden kitchen cabinets that create a heritage-inspired scheme.

Anchored in the middle of the space is the expansive kitchen island, which in the real Traitors kitchen has a sunken area running through the middle of the island. Howdens have recreated the kitchen using their Ilfracombe kitchen cabinets, showing how space can be carved out in the middle to be used as an innovative and stylish kitchen storage idea.

'The kitchen is one of the focal points of the castle, attracting both faithfuls and traitors alike with its warm and classic style. Adding a sunken section to a kitchen island has traditionally been a feature of high-end kitchens, usually used as a champagne trough,' explains Lizzie Beesley, head of style and design at Howdens.

'As champagne is not an everyday necessity in most homes, this sunken storage has evolved into a practical space for items like fresh herbs or cold drinks. It’s a simple way to add functionality to a large island without creating clutter.'

Organising and styling a kitchen island can be tricky. Situated in the middle of a kitchen, you don't want it to become a dumping ground for random kitchen and household paraphernalia. A sunken inset creates a natural storage space, whether it's for a fruit bowl, cooking essentials like olive oil, or, of course, a bottle of champagne ready to be chilled.

It's a subtle and sophisticated touch to add to a kitchen design that really requires minimal effort - in the planning stage, your kitchen designer and fitter will be able to cut part of the worktop away to create the sunken feature.

A sunken kitchen island will also come into its own when it comes to hosting and entertaining - you'll have the perfect bar idea that guests can help themselves too, plus it looks chic.

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An island has the potential to be one of the most practical areas in your kitchen - these small design tweaks can make it even more perfect for your lifestyle.