What’s most exciting about kitchen islands is that they effectively create more countertop space as well as storage room without making the kitchen feel any more crowded. Since it also functions as a surface for food, work, and play, it also opens up the kitchen to other possibilities, too, enhancing its role as a center of shared activity. The possibilities for kitchen islands are virtually endless, from open-base kitchen middle islands that serve primarily as counter space and a table to island cabinets that are integrated into the existing kitchen cabinetry for storage. Read on for some pro tips as you’re considering a new kitchen island.
What Function Will It Serve?
First, decide what your main motivation for a kitchen island is. If the main purpose is to have more storage, then be sure you get compartments that best serve the kind of storage you’re looking at. A kitchen island with cabinets can provide you with additional space for stowing not just your kitchen but also more multipurpose items like magazines, board games, or cookbooks. If you want to showcase what’s inside, consider leaving the doors off the cabinets.
What Size Will Work With the Kitchen?
Together with the function goes the size of the island. If there’s a lot of traffic in the kitchen and you want to make sure it doesn’t get too cramped, a smaller island might be the right choice. A small kitchen island cabinet can still do wonders for your storage, and just a little extra countertop space makes its own viable contribution by providing the kitchen with another “station.” Mid size kitchen islands and large islands are best if you have an especially large kitchen, and will even serve to divide the space without getting in anybody’s way.
Do You Want to Build It Yourself?
You can save a lot of money by building a kitchen island from scratch. Take a look at online tutorials to design a kitchen island, which is easier than you might think. Making kitchen islands is essentially a question of combining cabinets with countertops, and there are easy kitchen island plans available on the Internet for those of you who are interested in a rewarding DIY project.
Do You Actually Want a Rolling Cart?
In many instances, whatever a kitchen island can do, a rolling cart can do. For greater flexibility in terms of the configuration of your space and use of the cart, take a look at your options for a rolling cart as well. There are even rolling kitchen islands, which are something of a combination of the two. And these are possible to build yourself, too, with the only difference being the wheels on the bottom.
Do You Want a Countertop Overhang?
Frequently, kitchen islands feature a countertop overhang. Beneath, there is no kitchen cabinetry and instead a space designated for stools. If you do want a countertop overhang, will it be just on the side facing the kitchen, facilitating conversation with the cook? Or will it be on all sides, so that the cook also has a convenient place to sit down while preparing ingredients? When calculating the dimensions of the island and especially the countertops, it’s important to take this into consideration.
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