Have you ever been curious about how a kitchen island could complement your home? We’ve gathered ideas to stoke your imagination and help you decide whether you should update your kitchen with this functional feature.
First of All, What is a Kitchen Island?
A kitchen island is a freestanding cabinet or bar-type space placed in a kitchen to supplement countertops, seating, and/or storage space. The surface is typically meant to be functional while doing standing work, such as prep work, cooking, plating, etc. For small kitchen ideas on a budget, they can help define the space between kitchens and other living areas in lieu of a wall.
If you want to try out the concept of a kitchen island on a very small scale, there are various options for movable islands on wheels that can let you test it before committing.
If you’d like some ideas for very efficient small kitchen island ideas for the modern home, you may want to think about ready-made. But if you really want to think out of the box for gorgeous kitchen layouts with island elements, consider what a custom island might do for your kitchen.
Tips and Ideas for Choosing the Perfect Kitchen Island for Your Home
The characteristics of an ideal kitchen island include efficiency, ease and versatility of use, and a pleasing design that enhances the kitchen aesthetics.
Consider what primary uses you want the kitchen island to fill. Do you want to bake and decorate items? Use its surface as a giant cutting board. Stow extra cookware out of site, or even display heirloom pieces at a lower level?
Whether thinking of kitchen island ideas for small kitchens or large ones, you may want to consider adding electrical outlets for appliances such as a blender for smoothies, or for the family to charge their cell phones overnight to retrieve at breakfast.
Another idea for a smaller home’s kitchen is to include a kitchen island table combo. This allows you to do away with a separate dining area.
If you are thinking modern, PEDINI kitchen designs are ideal for their clean lines and intelligent design that makes the most of ergonomics and contemporary architectural elements. Look at some of the layouts of the interiors of PEDINI kitchen cabinets on their kitchen accessories collection to get a sense of the order that PEDINI can bring to your kitchen island and other cabinetry.
Modern Island Designs — Color and Construction Options
Some of the most stunning designs include non-traditional materials. A black kitchen island can make this feature appear more streamlined and modern. You might also consider a blue kitchen island. According to Elle Decor, blue kitchens are on the rise for 2020.
With environmentally friendly materials like PEDINI’s ECOMALTA line, you are virtually unlimited in customized variations. You may also want to consider factors like whether the island’s building materials are fire-proof and dirt-repellent like these materials are. Another material you may want to consider is laminates. Laminates are also available in a wide variety of colors, as well as sophisticated matt or gloss versions. They are a solidly resistant material, being both hygienic and waterproof.
Kitchen Island Size & Kitchen Islands With Seating
The average kitchen island is about 80×40 inches. However, the size of your kitchen island should be determined by the overall dimensions of your kitchen and what you want to use the island for. You should include at least three feet (36”) for walking space between the kitchen island and other counters or walls. Even more space (42 to 48”) is preferable if the counters include a vital work station like a kitchen sink, dishwasher, or stove.
Larger kitchen islands allow for seating areas, which expand their utility for using the kitchen as a gathering place and information sharing and entertaining. When designing your kitchen island size to incorporate space for guests to sit, it’s suggested that each seat allows for 24 inches of width.
A large kitchen island with seating may have as many as four or more seats, typically of a sturdy bar stool design. It can transform the kitchen into an area where part of the evening’s entertainment is having a glass of wine with the chef while food is being prepared, or taking part in a brunch in process. Seating is often arranged on one side of the island while the other side is open for movement of food between the stove and sink and someone standing while preparing food.
There are many kitchen island ideas with seating, as any Google image search will show. Hone your search with suggested secondary terms such as “narrow,” “modern,” “luxury,” or “storage” to find those that accommodate several features that you’re keen on.
Waterfall Kitchen Islands
If you’ve been considering incorporating a kitchen island for a while, you may have heard the term “waterfall kitchen island”. A waterfall kitchen island describes one in which the counter material continues from the top and down the sides of the island, typically on both ends, leaving the center portion open so that the people seated at the island have space for their legs under the counter. Some consider it trendy (it first started to be in vogue around 2015), but in timeless materials and with good architectural design, a waterfall counter can be a timeless part of contemporary kitchen design. If you are less concerned about a kitchen island with storage and more concerned about seating, this can be a good design choice.
Other Island Concepts
Another concept for very modern kitchens is a floating kitchen island. These islands have worktops that appear to float, with no support above the cabinets. Double island kitchen floor plans, when you have space, are an option for roomier kitchen layouts with an island. It may sound strange at first, but if you have either young or teenage kids sharing the kitchen space, it can make sense.
Takeaway
For some, the idea of island images conjures up sandy beaches in far-away lands, but for others, the fantasy is the kitchen in one’s dream. Allow yourself to realize your fondest wishes of a kitchen island decor that speaks to your inner culinary life. Collect images, sample materials, color swatches and make a virtual or actual vision board that will help bring this idea from inception to reality, and give you the kitchen space that lets you realize everything this heart of the home deserves. Try out the concept of a kitchen island Our modular outdoor kitchens are easy to design and customize.