How will a kitchen island work in your space?

Beloved for their style and function, there’s no denying that kitchen islands have become an increasingly popular addition to our homes. If you’re sizing up your own home for a kitchen island, one of the first questions you’ll have to answer is: how will they really work in your space? To make the decision easier for you, our own kitchen design experts have summed up some of the key design considerations below!

Working out what you need from the space

Kitchen islands are a unit in the centre of a kitchen. You can use it as extra storage, as a way of dividing a kitchen and dining room, or as a breakfast bar. Some people also install a hob or sink in their kitchen island. It all comes down to what you need from the space.

The important thing is that your island fulfils a specific requirement you have for your kitchen. If you need more space to cook, it can become a platform for new magnetic induction hobs, or a Quooker tap. If you need more space for storage, on the other hand, it can house some useful storage solutions like extra drawers or cupboards, so that your other kitchen cupboards become less overcrowded. Unless your kitchen island fulfils a specific requirement, in a family home it can all too easily just become an extra surface that becomes cluttered with everyday household “stuff” – paperwork, letters, that sort of thing. (Happily, that’s exactly where our talented kitchen designers can come in; helping you work out exactly what you need from the space!)

Is your kitchen large enough?

Our designers can accommodate kitchen islands in many different kitchen configurations, even relatively small and narrow spaces. That said, if your kitchen is exceptionally small and/or narrow, you might want to consider some alternatives. For example, you’ll need to make sure there’s enough room to open base floor-level cupboard doors next to the island. It can be a real headache otherwise! By the same token, a dishwasher door needs a fair amount of clearance.

Even if you don’t quite have the space, though, you’re not out of options! If you don’t have the room for a full kitchen island, you may want to consider whether a kitchen peninsula might work instead. Rather than sitting in the middle of a kitchen, a peninsula sits to one side, typically at the end of a run of cupboards. It provides a nice little seating area, as well as extra storage. In other words, many of the same functions as an island!

Plan ahead for your workspace!

Apart from beautiful design, functionality is one of the core aspects you’ll want to focus on when designing your kitchen. Make your kitchen island work that bit harder! As we touched on above, you can install a sink or hob, or fit retractable power outlets. Make sure you have access to key elements of your kitchen from the island so that it can be used as a baking/food prep area.

With some careful thought during the design process, a kitchen island will become a real asset to your kitchen. Here at Kitchen Design Centre, our own designers have years of experience in designing kitchen islands to fit each one of our customers’ individual needs. You can find out more about them by checking out some of our customer kitchens, or by dropping in for a chat at any one of our designer kitchen showrooms!