Measuring for a kitchen island

A kitchen island can transform the look, feel and functionality of your kitchen. It can serve as a focal point in your kitchen space and can be used for anything and everything – from storage to dining – but choosing the right size island is important in getting it right. In today’s blog, we cover everything you need to know about measuring for kitchen islands, revealing how you can ensure the best design for your kitchen space.

Is your kitchen big enough?

Before setting your heart on a kitchen island, it’s important to think about whether your kitchen is big enough for one. A reasonably sized kitchen island does require space and if your kitchen is small, it’s probably not worth sacrificing floor space for an island. Sacrificing this space will make it difficult to move around the kitchen and carry out all your day-to-day tasks.

Placement of your kitchen island

Once you’ve decided that a kitchen island is right for you, it’s time to think about placement. This will allow you to get the correct measurements and identify the right size island for you. Ideally, you want to place your island away from the kitchen triangle – but not too far away. It needs to prevent any obstruction of this working space while offering easy access to the work areas of the kitchen. If you need a little help, why not get our expert team to come and take a look at your kitchen? You can book your free home visit today.

Functionality of your kitchen island

Something else you need to consider when measuring for your island is its functionality. Do you need lots of storage space? Would you like it to include a breakfast bar? What about prep space? Once you’ve defined your needs, your kitchen design expert can help identify the right size of kitchen island for you.

Play with shapes

Just because you’ve got a medium-sized kitchen or odd-shaped kitchen, doesn’t mean you can’t have a kitchen island. If space is an issue, you could consider an alternative kitchen island shape to the traditional rectangle. T-shaped and oval-shaped kitchen islands are also popular and look ultra-modern in today’s designer kitchens.

Think about seating

If you want your island to double up as a dining area or breakfast bar, it’s essential you think about seating too. Stools and chairs require counters of completely different heights – so decide on how you want things to look before committing to your kitchen island height. You’ll also need to factor in other ergonomic features too – such as space for knees and arm room.

Take advantage of design tricks

Ask the experts about ideal measurements for your kitchen island and any design hacks they might have. There are plenty of ways to incorporate a kitchen island while making your kitchen space look bigger as well as ways to incorporate islands into smaller kitchens.

For more kitchen island inspiration, why not head over to our Customer Kitchens page where you’ll find plenty of fantastic designs.

Have you got a kitchen island? If so, why not tell us what you love most about island life? Tweet us @ModernKitchens