Planning to redesign your kitchen this month? You might want to include a kitchen island in your design. Custom kitchen islands can make the difference between an uninteresting kitchen and an outstanding, luxurious-looking space. If you are reading this article, then you are one of those who wants to make their kitchen a dream come true. With these steps, you will find that what once seemed out of reach is now incredibly simple.
Design a Kitchen Island – Step-by-Step Guide
Since the kitchen island is where you spend a lot of time, it is important to get it right. The kitchen experts shared their insights and we created this simple guide for you:
Step 1. Why do you Make a Kitchen Island?
Chefs make kitchen islands so that they can cook with efficiency and safety. So, here the question arises: how will you use the kitchen? For example, some people use kitchen islands for extra seating, entertainment, or storage. Others use them for cooking, with one side set up for preparing meals and the other side for eating.
First, you need to decide on the purpose of the kitchen island. It will help you in choosing a suitable layout.
Step 2. Size and Space
The standard size of the island measures from 1.4m to 2.2m wide and 2m to 3m long. If you increase the size in the center, the space will be wasted.
Also, make sure to give enough space around the kitchen island so that you can move and work with ease.
Let’s follow the golden rule and leave 1 to 1.2 m of space left after the placement of stools, kitchen bar, and cabinet.
Mr. Graeme Smith, the head of the Agency Retail Group, said you should give extra floor space around the hob as it experiences traffic.
Step 3. Freestanding or Fitted Kitchen Island
A home with a larger area is perfect for a fitted kitchen. But a smaller home should have a freestanding kitchen so that homeowners may move or fold the furniture to make space for entertainment.
Step 4. Shapes of Breakfast Bar
A gray kitchen island with a white square breakfast bar or a blue kitchen with a round golden or white marble bar are examples of great kitchen island designs. The breakfast bar shape plays a vital role in catching one’s attention, so it’s better to select geometric shapes for creating balance.
Step 5. Use Intense Dark Colors
Kitchen island design experts advise using dark bold colours to anchor the eye. It adds an astounding layer of interest if you use a yellow cabinet, teal breakfast bar, and geometric tiles. All these are a kind of bold selection for making a statement.
Step 6. Fridge in the Kitchen Island
Your kitchen design will dictate how you can work. An ideal island has an area for food prep with a sink and bins underneath. If you decide to design the island in this way, make pull-out drawers in your cabinet.
A fridge with pull-out drawers is best for the kitchen island as it will not affect the island space while moving around and working.
Step 7. Countertop and Seating Plan
Just imagine, you have a natural marble countertop that looks luxurious but a few drops of wine spilled onto it. You tried to wipe it off, and it doesn’t work because the surface is porous. So always use quartz countertops as they need low maintenance and it is available in larger size.
The seating plan is another crucial point to ponder. Why do you add seating to your kitchen island? Will you allow guests to sit there or only the family member can eat there in a rush? Don’t overcrowd the kitchen with bar stools. Three at a time is enough as it is a kitchen, not a sushi bar. Ensure to put a comfortable stool that can be maneuvered easily.
Step 8. Ease of Use
A good island has deep drawers on the kitchen side and narrow drawers on the sitting side. Experts suggest setting a 1290 mm drawer on the kitchen side where you can put all the utensils.
If you set a sink, then you must make space for the dishwasher and dish draining. Settling the items on the kitchen island is the core. If you place any tool like sink, seats, or fridge in the wrong position, then you can not work in the kitchen with ease.
Step 9. Add Lightings (Optional)
An aesthetic kitchen island always involves pendant lighting. Skilled designers said this is often the focal point of a house. You should always have enough light, with a flattering hue, to make it welcoming.
Summary
This article contains the basic and crucial points of designing a kitchen island. After reading this, you can understand what are the points to take care of. When deciding the right proportion of the kitchen island, you should consider colour contrast, countertops, and lighting. These three particular features all contrast each other, while the seating plan is something that should be customizable.
