Your kitchen is perhaps one of the most used rooms in the home, but designing it can be complex – requiring careful consideration and planning for every aspect, including kitchen islands. While there is no specific formula, because every island must resonate with an individual kitchen, you can engage with kitchen designers to follow these winning strategies for designing the perfect kitchen island for your home.
Plan Function Seamlessly
Before you decide on any decorative elements for the island, plan its function. What do you need it for? Most islands dedicate one part to cooking and food preparation and the other part to dining. You must consider how much cooking, cleaning, prep work and entertaining will be done on the island. For example, if you want to integrate sinks and appliances into the island, you'll need to have space for these elements. If dining is your core function, plan seating accordingly. If you're planning the kitchen island as your main prep area, you'll need recycling and trash areas close at hand. Function should be at the heart of every island discussion with kitchen designers.
Consider Storage
While the main function of the kitchen island is key, keep in mind that storage is an intrinsic factor to most kitchens. Kitchen island storage usually depends on your existing kitchen layout. If you have a bevy of cabinets already, island storage may not be necessary. But if you don't have a lot of storage around the kitchen, you may want to dedicate space for utensils, cutting boards and other kitchenware in your island. You'll certainly want to have kitchen accessories seamlessly close to the prep area, so storage is an important consideration for kitchen islands.
Decide Island Height
You'll also need to accommodate for a comfortable kitchen island height based on its storage and functionality. For example, if you're looking for a regular dining area with simple chairs, then your kitchen island height could reach up to your waist. But if you want to add higher bar stools, then you must increase the height of the kitchen island. You can even choose to have two different levels for your kitchen island to create distinct food prep and dining spaces. Discuss your requirements with kitchen designers to plan the most optimal height based on your requirements.
Plan for Easy Integration into the Kitchen Layout
The nature of a kitchen requires cohesive design to seamlessly blend various facets of the room together. The kitchen island must be designed in such a way that it adds to the functionality of your kitchen without getting in the way. For example, ensure that your food prep area seamlessly flows to the stovetop. You don't want the kitchen island dining space to get in the way of the flow from the food prep area to the cooktop.
Kitchen designers from a company like Cobbitty Grove Kitchens Pty Ltd are well-equipped to help you plan a winning island that integrates seamlessly with the rest of your kitchen.
