Kitchen islands: an ideal complement to any kitchen
Adding a kitchen island to your renovation requires careful planning.
The main characteristics of a kitchen island are:
It provides a suitable place to congregate and eat.
Provides a handy place to do basic cleaning of utensils and dishes.
And an island provides a great food preparation area.
And last but not least, it gives you the opportunity to create much more valuable storage that is always top notch in any kitchen.
Choice of kitchen island
The two basic types of kitchen island are:
• Portable unit
• Custom fixed unit.
How you use your island will dictate your choice. Will it be primarily for storage or a more interactive unit used for food preparation, family dining, or washing and cleaning?
Clearly, your budget will have an impact on your choice of kitchen island, but the dimensions of your kitchen will also play a part.
A custom-built stationary unit used primarily as a storage area can be transformed into a modern kitchen design miracle with the addition of a sink or dishwasher. A small compact refrigerator or wine cooler would be a nice addition, along with an oven or microwave. A warming drawer would also be a valuable addition. In other words, a kitchen within a kitchen!
This is where your talent for shape and form come to the fore! Every conceivable way can be used to create your kitchen island. It doesn’t have to look like the old table in the middle of the room. It can be L-shaped, which is great; round, oval or simply rectangular. Each shape will give you untold possibilities for your storage or eating patterns. The countertops can be divided into levels to allow food preparation on the lower level and on a higher level for eating. Seating will need to be chosen to match the island, should you add a section to sit and eat. Be it traditional chairs, stools or even bar stools, but these can be a bit precarious after a few glasses of chardonnay, so think carefully before making your final decision!
The countertop design should reflect the overall theme of the kitchen and the material used should be carefully matched to the intended use.
The location of a custom kitchen island that will be used for both preparation and dining needs careful consideration. If you’re looking at a multifunction unit, there are a few crucial items to look into.
First, what space is available for direct traffic? Ideally, you need at least 45 inches of clearance from the edge of the island to any other furniture or objects around it. If this is not observed, it will be impossible to walk around the unit comfortably, and all your great plans will be in vain!
A few extra inches on top of this will ensure ease of traffic movement.
Second… Enlightenment! Good, well-positioned lighting is absolutely essential for a kitchen to safely fulfill its purpose. Your island needs to have a specific light or lights for easy, safe food preparation and eating. A centrally located light or lights will fit the bill here.
Having a stove on your island requires adding a vent hood. A ceiling suspended hood is an option. This aspect of island design is where you should bring in the specialist for advice, once you’ve worked out your basic design.
Installing an island sink or dishwasher will require the services of a plumber and often additional planning to accommodate the necessary water lines and drainage. It’s not always easy to install, but it’s worth the effort.
Any appliances you intend to use on the island will need to locate the outlets on the kitchen island away from the possibility of splashing water while cooking or washing up. Water and electricity must be kept well separated, but you already know that.
To summarize… it is crucial to take your time to analyze what you intend to use the kitchen island for and to list all these points so that you do not forget anything. Each type of use requires planning and budgeting.
