Kitchen Island Designs

A kitchen island is a luxurious addition to your kitchen. Just think of all the picturesque photos of a person standing in their beautiful kitchen by their island... granite countertops, fine wood finished cabinets, and modern appliances. Anybody with a kitchen knows that a kitchen island is a measure of how nice the kitchen is. If you're looking for a kitchen island design, here are some things to keep in mind.

In order to consider kitchen island designs, your kitchen needs to be big enough to fit an island in. There's nothing wrong with a small kitchen island, but you'll need a couple of feet on every side to get around the island. If the island will be close to the oven you need even more space. If the island will have cabinets with doors in it, you'll need to make sure you have space for the doors to open, too. You may need to consider building codes as well. Check with a contractor or other knowledgeable expert.

Once you've decided your kitchen needs an island, you need to figure out a kitchen island design. This design will take in to account what you want to do with your island, any storage that will go in the island, and how you want your island to look. Let's take a look at these factors.

What will you be doing with your island? At the least, your island will have some counter space. It may be that some extra counter space is all you want. You could also put cabinets under the island or open shelves. Again, depending on what you plan to use the island for an open or closed design may be better.

Another possibility for larger islands is to build in a stove top. Some islands may be large enough for an oven, too. This will require lots of space, and consider whether the cost outweighs the benefits. For many people doing remodeling, the existing stove location is fine.

Whether or not you decide to add a store to your kitchen island, you might want to use the space above the island for storage. This might be in the form of extra cabinets, hooks for hanging pots and pans, or something else entirely. If you're thinking of adding cabinets above the island, consider the fact that you might not be able to see people through the island without bending over to look. This can be awkward.

Kitchen Island Layout

The layout of your island will be determined by the size of your kitchen and the purpose of the island. A small kitchen will only be able to fit a small island, so you're somewhat limited in the layout. Once you decide on a tentative layout, consult with a carpenter or other kitchen expert to get their input. There might be additional constraints imposed by the existing structure of the house that you don't know about.

The Look of Your Kitchen Island

You kitchen island needs to fit in with the rest of your cabinets and appliances. If you're remodeling or building a new kitchen, you can choose the style of everything at once. If you're just adding a new island, you have to be more careful. Make sure your island fits in with the rest of your kitchen. The countertops should match, for example. If your island has built in cabinets, make sure those match, too. Don't overlook things like the trim and footers of your island.

If you're thinking of adding a kitchen island, check out this video on designing an island using the software Chief Architect.