Kitchen islands have to be one of the most contested home features of modern times. Perhaps you adore the idea of an island, but you just aren’t sure whether it’s an element you might come to regret. Well, we’ve got some good news for you because, with a careful approach, even the largest island sceptics might just find that this kitchen addition works well for their needs.
Keep on reading, as we consider three key tips to ensure an island that actually enhances your kitchen in the ways you might hope.
# 1 - Be Realistic About Space
The largest kitchen island naysayers tend to fall back on one key concern – kitchen islands can take up an awful lot of floor space. If you blindly choose a large island that you don’t have room for, you’ll likely soon find yourself rueing this addition.
However, you can overcome this by getting realistic about the space you have to work with when including an island in your new kitchen design. Bespoke islands can be especially useful for this purpose, as they ensure this addition is designed with your kitchen’s specific dimensions in mind. Ideally, you should aim for an island that leaves you around 42–48 inches of aisle space to walk around.
# 2 - Make it Multi-Functional
The rising popularity of kitchen islands largely comes down to benefits like additional seating and space for socialisation. Yet, homeowners who focus on an island that offers this usage alone are more likely to regret the addition. After all, if your kitchen is only good for sitting, it’ll feel in the way when you’re actually trying to cook.
To overcome this, ensure a multi-functional island that justifies the space it takes in terms of functionality, as well as comfort. Adding storage to the body of your island is one option, but you might want to take things even further. For instance, many homeowners now include everything from hobs and ovens in their islands to additional sinks and more. All of which means you’ll actually use your island, rather than constantly having to cook around it.
# 3 - Think Carefully About Materials
A surprising number of homeowners include a kitchen island as an afterthought or see this focal point as a great way to make some kind of statement. While this latter point is true to some extent, going completely rogue with island materials to achieve this goal will only ever result in a discordant design overall.
While you can certainly play around with the finish of your kitchen island, remember that it should tie into your broader kitchen design in some way. For example, you could opt for a contrasting body colour, but use the same counter materials as your kitchen worktops. Equally, sticking to roughly the same colour scheme but playing around with materials can add interest and texture without going completely rogue.
Can’t make up your mind about a kitchen island? Ensure that this design feature actually enhances your kitchen with these top style considerations.
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