Kitchen Island Design

Good kitchen island design will ensure that your island is not only beautiful, but functional as well. Contemporary kitchen islands not only provide counter space, but additional storage specifically made to hold cookbooks, specialty cookware, and even additional seating.

Contemporary kitchen design relies on one of four basic shapes to create a floor plan. Only two of these floor plans can easily accommodate a kitchen island, making it essential that the shape of the kitchen be evaluated before a kitchen island is planned.

Large U shaped and L shaped kitchens can accommodate a kitchen island easily. By placing the island in the middle of the kitchen in a U shaped floor plan, you can easily create two work stations, to encourage help during food preparation. In an L shaped kitchen, an island can further delineate the space between the open end of the kitchen and the rest of the house.

Galley or peninsula kitchens are made of two parallel work areas centered around an aisle of floor space. For this reason, adding a kitchen island disrupts the flow of the space, making it difficult to use the kitchen. It is also important to have at least three feet of circulation area around all sides of the kitchen island, a design rule that these types of kitchens cannot accommodate.

The work triangle is a design principal that helps create an efficient layout of space. A kitchen designed by using the work triangle should be easy to navigate while completing common kitchen chores. When creating a kitchen island design, you want to preserve the original work triangle, while also adding another work triangle to the space.

Work triangles have three main components. The first component is the food storage area. In most kitchens the refrigerator designates this corner of the triangle. A larger kitchen may also have a pantry that creates a separate work triangle. The second component is the area for food preparation. It includes the range and the oven. The third is the area designated for clean up, which includes the kitchen sink.

Work triangles should also have no more than nine feet and no less than four feet between stations. Ignoring these guidelines may create a space that is too cramped to be used properly or a kitchen that requires unnecessary movement when preparing food. Unnecessary obstructions, such as moveable kitchen furniture should also be avoided in these areas.

Using a piece of graph paper, map your existing kitchen floor plan. Mark where each corner of the existing kitchen work triangle is located. Then draw the proposed island onto the plan. Check to see how the components that will be added by building an island will affect the work triangle. Keep in mind that it is not unusual to have two or more triangles in a large kitchen.

Now visualize how the space will be used. If a small prep sink is added to wash produce, for example, make sure that there is a clear work triangle that links the prep sink to the refrigerator and to the range. If it is expected that more than one person will be working in the kitchen, overlapping work triangles should be avoided.

There are many options available for a kitchen island, ranging from extravagant custom islands, to modest islands that provide additional counter space and storage.

Breakfast Bar- A countertop that is tall enough to accommodate bar stools can be an excellent way to serve seated meals with minimal fuss.

Overhead Storage- Hanging pots and pans, or even adding overhead cabinetry can add additional storage in a crowded kitchen.

Sink- A small sink used for washing vegetables and other small duties can allow the larger sink to be used primarily for dishes.

Range- Adding a range to the island can expand the amount of counter space available, or create enough space for a double oven.

A kitchen island can be an excellent way to add additional storage and useful space to a kitchen. If resale value is a concern, care should be taken to choose items that are comparable to other houses in the area. If a homeowner is unsure what items should be added to the space, a professional who is familiar with the basics of kitchen design can be a valuable resource.

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