KITCHEN ISLAND DESIGN:
6 DO’S & DON’TS
DESIGNING YOUR KITCHEN ISLAND
Kitchen islands can be the heart of the kitchen, where families gather to have casual meals and share stories of their day. Aside from their social function, kitchen islands should be sized, designed, and installed for a specific purpose. Homeowners today are opting for multi-functional islands equipped with sinks, cooktops, microwaves and even mini refrigerators.
With so many expectations on kitchen islands, homeowners tend to overcompensate for their excitement and make critical mistakes that they may regret later. That’s where Granite Transformations steps in. Our industry trained design consultants have the knowledge and experience to guide you every step of the way. Plus, our beautiful selection of Stone surfaces can not only make your kitchen island dream a reality, it just may be the talk of the town.
DO'S
Assign a specific task or function for your island: If its main purpose is a cook centre, install a cooktop, drawers for utensils and storage for pots and pans. For a food/prep centre, be sure to install a sink, chopping area and even a small refrigerator. If the main purpose is to provide an additional casual dining area, include seating, storage for dinnerware and space for serving.
Find the right dimensions for your kitchen island: Determine how much space your kitchen will allow for an island. An island that is too small for the space won’t be functional; one that is too big may cause a disruption in traffic or workflow. The recommended width of a kitchen island is 1000mm. For larger kitchens, two islands might work better than one large one.
Design: It is always best for your island to match the overall style/theme of your kitchen. If your kitchen is modern with stainless steel appliances, then your island should be complementary – one of our contemporary Stone surfaces and complementary metallic pendant lights would pull the look together beautifully.
DON'TS
Poor seating accommodations: We all come in different shapes and sizes, so be sure to consider the heights of all family members and guests if you’re planning on using seating around your island. Most kitchen island guidelines suggest a comfortable benchtop height of 900mm for 700mm stools. Be sure to allow 600mm of width per person/seating and approx. 400mm of benchtop overhang for leg and knee room.
Not enough storage: Homeowners can get so caught up in the idea of the island that they forget to allow for enough storage to make it function efficiently. Designing your kitchen island with organized storage (like pull-out shelves in the cabinets, sectioned drawers for knives and other utensils and even spice drawers) can save you steps and make your island more functional and easier to use. Stone waterfalls add a nice statement for the sides of islands (without drawers/cabinets).
Wider and bigger is not always better: Islands that are too wide are a common mistake that some design experts see in today’s kitchens. Islands that are too wide will prevent you from reaching the centre of the island and make it more difficult to clean and utilize all the space. Instead, carefully plan your island’s size, placement and function based on the size and dimensions of your kitchen, and it should serve you well for years to come.
ARE YOU READY?
Experience how our beautiful Stone surfaces can look in your home. Contact Granite Transformations today for a complimentary in-home quote or online design consultation. Your new kitchen island awaits.
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Very happy with all aspects of this installation from initial consultation/quote through to final installation – all tradesman were excellent and very accommodating with all my requests.
Barbara Saunders
We are very happy with our new vanity tops and new mixer taps and we had new doors put on the front of the cabinets to look more modern. The job only took 2 days. Workmen very good, respectful and they cleaned up with their own vacuum cleaner.
Robyn Young
I appreciate your professionalism and the way you responded to my queries. Thank you for all your hard work. My kitchen has been truly transformed!
P. Acevedo
