If your current kitchen has the space for an island or you can enlarge the room, adding or expanding an island will enhance to beauty and functionality of the room. Your new island can be designed to provide almost any kind of activity and purpose. From simply adding to your counter space or storage to being the family gathering place, an island fulfills a multitude of needs and uses.
Space, Space and more Space
When designed with a lot of care and planning, a kitchen island will be the most useful and attractive item in a new kitchen as well as being one of the best investments you can make. There are a many design elements that can be incorporated into an island that make it just as attractive and functional as the other parts of your kitchen. Here are a few ideas:
A place for the main cooktop or an additional cooking or grilling burner
An oversized kitchen island can accommodate a full size or a small, one or two burner cooktop or grill that will allow you to converse with your family and guests without having to turn your back or move around. An island with an extra small cooktop is a good place for fixing small meals for lunch or breakfast, or in simmering sauces when you have another meal on the main stove. It will also allow for another person to help in preparing larger meals without crowding the main cooking surface. Similarly a grill or griddle placed in an island will be easier to watch and cook without worrying about burning those Sunday pancakes or your prime beef.
A second sink
Many kitchen islands are designed with a second sink that can be used for just about anything. If the island and the plumbing allow, you can benefit from your extra sink whenever the occasion arises. Cutting and washing fruits and vegetables, filling a bowl or pot, getting a glass of water, chilling a bottle of wine or just washing your sticky fingers are just a few of the ways your second sink will make you and the family wonder how you got along without it. You can also choose a smaller version of your main faucet or add a second disposer to complete the sink’s appearance and functionality.
Additional storage
You may want to consider this your smaller pantry. It can store your spices and other staples that you frequently use without having to go digging into a deep base cabinet or stretching to reach them in a wall cabinet. Small appliances, baking items, cookbooks, pot lids, vegetables are just of few of the more often used items that are better stored in a centrally located island. Even dishes can be organized with dividers and placed in wide deep island drawers. There is no end to how you can improve your storage through the use of a super functional island.
Additional seating
Large or small, families love the extra seating that islands add. The seating can be at counter and cabinet height, higher to form a divider or lower for chairs. Nor do the extra stool or chairs have to be all facing one direction. With clever design, the seating can partially surround the island. Having new seating will allow you and your family to use the island in many ways. Homework, crafts, reading, laptop searching, cutting up foods, grabbing a quick snack to full dining, are just a few or and island’s practical uses. let is also a great way this is a great way to keep everyone in the together for those informal family gatherings and meals. You might even be able to keep your overly helpful friends and relatives from interfering with your meal preparation.
Additional appliances
Drawer-styled microwaves, wine coolers, ice makers, and dishwashers are just a few of the appliances that can be housed in this space. When placed on the hidden side of an island, these not so attractive appliances can be kept out of sight. An island can also be used for that extra oven you need on special occasions or for your baking needs. As you see in the picture, putting your bulky Kitchen Aid pro mixer on a pop up shelf in your new island will make cooking or baking much easier.
Design Brilliance
Kitchen islands can be customized to match your current décor, or can stand out as a unique focal point in the kitchen. The design options for utilizing these pieces span a wide range of design concepts. Allow us to help you design a custom kitchen island that will be beautiful, practical and work for you. The Kitchen Master can provide ideas that will maximize your space, efficiency and productivity. Give our designers a call today!
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