Kitchen islands are increasingly popular in modern kitchens, offering a focal point that also serves as a place to socialise, eat and drink. As well as being able to choose what your island looks like from an aesthetic point of view, you can also choose how it will function. This article will look at the different factors to be considered when designing a kitchen island.
Purpose
Islands serve a variety of purposes in kitchens, depending on what you use your kitchen for. The sole function of kitchens used to be for the creation and consumption of food, but over the years they have evolved into a secondary living room, of sorts. For this reason, you may want to consider whether you want your island to be an extra entertainment feature or a unit to house things like cupboards and appliances. If you opt for appliances, think carefully about where you want to put them: if you are going to install a dishwasher in your island, for example, you will probably need a bin close by, and both the bin and dishwasher will need to be near the sink. For those who lean towards the entertainment option, you may want to consider things like seating, a bar or storage for drinks and glasses.
Size
While islands are a great focal point for a kitchen, they’re not much use if you don’t have enough space to safely move around either side. Consider whether the attraction of an island is a good enough reason to sacrifice space in your kitchen – smaller islands are better used as a seating/socialising area, as they do not offer much room for the installation of appliances like dishwashers and fridges.
Convenience
An important aspect of kitchen islands is the way they fit in your kitchen in terms of usage, as well as size. It is recommended that each side of the island works in conjunction with the worktop on the same side of the kitchen. For example, placing the dishwasher facing the cutlery drawers and plate cupboards will increase efficiency when unloading the dishwasher. As the kitchen is a room that is constantly in use, utilising different moving parts, so to speak, the placement of the island and its components is vital.Here at Touchstone Worktops, we can provide the finest quality granite, quartz and natural stone surfaces for kitchen worktops and islands alike. If you would like to know more about what we do, please feel free to get in touch with us today and we will be happy to help.
