Kitchen Islands
With the move towards larger, open-plan kitchen extensions where everyone can gather to cook, eat and socialise, the kitchen island has become an essential feature. And it’s not hard to see why as an island unit can bring lots to a kitchen design in terms of aesthetics and functionality.
For a start, it can provide extra prep space, and form a boundary between the cooking zone and the living/dining area. A shaped island unit can also help direct the flow of traffic away from busy hotspots. It can be long and slim, running parallel to the work area; neat and round in a compact room; or big and broad, housing a sink and appliances.
Almost all kitchen islands can incorporate seating – even the smallest space can usually accommodate an overhang of worktop and a pair of bar stools.
You can afford to be braver with your Kitchen Island with a bolder finish or colour, or perhaps a more expensive material that would be prohibitive across an entire room such as a quartz worktop. And don’t forget kitchen island lighting – it can turn a good-looking unit into a showstopper of a kitchen centrepiece.
A small undercounter fridge or wine cooler is a great addition in a large workstation. It can hold fresh food already prepared or be filled with drinks ready to serve or for guests to help themselves to.
Your Island doesn’t have to be just an extra work surface, locate your sink or hob there to give you more flexibility.
Remember to consider how you will use your Island and include ample plug sockets. They are not only useful for powering small appliances like stand mixers and food processors, they’ll also be handy for charging phones and laptops.
While you may want your overall Kitchen to be stylish and understated, you can still have a bit of fun with statement lighting and accessories.
Your Island should also have plenty of extra storage space with Cupboards, Drawers and Open Shelving combinations.
With the Size and Shape of your Kitchen Island depending on your overall space, in a smaller Kitchen choosing curved doors giving it a rounded edge means there are no sharp corners to catch against.