Kitchen Design Idea

Islands: Design with Purpose

You have been dreaming of the perfect island in your kitchen and after much thought, you are going to remodel your kitchen and include an island. Congratulations! An island is a much sought-after addition to any kitchen and I have never known anyone to be unhappy with a well-planned island. When designing your island, it is your opportunity to have the most fun, as your walls do not dictate it. In fact it can be any shape you would like and serve any purpose as it is added space you wouldn’t traditionally have. When planning an island, think about what you will use it for, entertaining, kids doing their homework, more prep work, displaying your finer china, all of the above? After you’ve decided it’s main purpose, you get to have fun with the many options available to you! Here are some Ideas.

Furniture Finish

Many Kitchen remodels today include an island as a separate entity from the kitchen with the body of the island held up on legs for more of furniture look. Tapered or spindle legs can give the island an old-worldly appearance. Many designers of very modern kitchens choose to put the entire kitchen on stainless steel legs, including the island, for a very European appeal. It is important to always think logically and one nagging question in the back of your mind should be; how many things (probably food related) will fall and get kicked under those cabinets not to be found until spring-cleaning? There is a solution. For more traditional looks, your designer can arrange for a toekick to be recessed just far enough so that the average person will not be able to see it allowing the island to retain a furniture look. A final touch for creating the furniture feel is to order the cabinets in a contrasting or complimentary color to create a Two-Tone kitchen, emphasizing its individuality.

Adding Seating

The kitchen today is the gathering place for friends, family, and guests sometimes whether you want it to be or not. A bar height counter makes a perfect spot for kids to do their homework, guests to enjoy appetizers and cocktails, family to eat breakfast in the morning, not to mention it also hides your mess on the counter from the other rooms. As kitchens are becoming more and more openly connected to dining and family rooms the transition seating creates a visual buffer between the spaces. Plan for a spot in your island 6” higher than the rest, to allow a few bar stools to be pulled up. It’s not a good idea to put cabinets on the high side of your island, but it gives you a great place to dress up your island or tie it in with your backsplash.

Adding Shapes and Dimensions

In some kitchens, an island is a rare opportunity to add shape and dimension to an otherwise “blah” kitchen so it is important to concentrate on your island as a statement. Do not settle for a plain rectangle. You can clip corners, radius edges, jut cabinets in or out, and vary the height to add interest. The island of a kitchen is a focal point, deserving a lot of attention and detail. However, in a very modern kitchen where simplicity is usually the desired effect, a rectangular island may suit the needs of the homeowner.

So now that you have your perfect island, what are you going to do with it?

Appliances in the Island

Islands are a great place to add appliances. Usually what’s added is what I like to call luxury appliances: ones you can live without but it is, after all, your dream kitchen. These appliances can be extra refrigerator drawers, icemakers, second dishwashers, etc. If you really want to draw attention to an island, moving your cook top there along with a large hood overhead will do the trick. For this application, you would need a fairly large island to meet codes for space requirements. It’s not as fancy as the rest but do not underestimate the importance of a secondary sink. If you have more than one cook in the kitchen, you know this small addition would make life a lot easier!

Display Area

If your kitchen is open to another area of the house, you may consider dedicating some space in your island to aesthetics. This can be accomplished by a row of shallow cabinets with glass doors used to create a display area for dishes, vases or your own collection. Adding a little lighting inside the cabinets along with glass shelves can help to enhance the visual appeal.

An island can be the cook’s best friend and the heart of the kitchen. You have a lot of options and decisions to make, but at the end of the day, make your island work for your needs and be unique! Happy Designing!