With the move towards bigger, more open-plan kitchen areas, the island has become a key feature in kitchens of today. But a poorly designed island can actually cause more problems than it solves so it’s important to ask yourself, what you want it to act as from a practical point of view and more importantly, have you got sufficient space in your kitchen?
The functions of kitchen islands can range from being a cooking or food prep area, a washing up area, or even to provide extra kitchen storage space or worktop space
Kitchen islands can also incorporate a seating area for dining or entertaining. This can be achieved simply through an overhanging worktop for bar stool seating or some even opt for longer kitchen island units with integrated low-level, table style seating
Cleverly, they can also act as a subtle boundary between the cooking area of your kitchen and the dining / living area and can even direct the flow of traffic away from the busier areas of the kitchen
The design of kitchen island units can be very versatile. Lots of options are available such as curved doors, grooved end panels, split level kitchen worktops, integrated wine racks/coolers and even different colour combinations and textures can help achieve a beautiful focal point to your kitchen
Whatever your style, it’s important to ask yourself when considering an island, what you want it to act as from a functional point of view.
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