A kitchen island offers many benefits to homeowners: an extra countertop, more storage, a place where family and guests can sit, improved circulation. But while the advantages of an island may seem straightforward, designing one isn’t. There are countless considerations that go into how an island looks and functions. To narrow down the options a bit, we asked 50 design and remodeling pros what kitchen island detail they always recommend to clients. Here are the 10 features that came up again and again.
1. Seating
The most recommended feature by far for a kitchen island is seating. “If possible, we encourage seating at least at a portion of the Island,” architect Michael Klement of Architectural Resource says. “Given our kitchencentric lifestyle, whether our clients like it or not, the island will end up becoming the gathering point.”
There are a lot of ways to approach island seating. If the seating will be used mostly for doing homework or having a quick snack, you might want all the seats facing the same way. If your clients like being able to look at the person next to them, you might want to suggest seating on two sides of the island, as in the Providence, Rhode Island, kitchen by JKB Kitchen & Bath seen here.
You’ll want at least 24 inches of space between each seat for people to feel comfortable.
In this Orange County, California, kitchen by Sea Pointe Construction, stools on opposite sides allow two people to face each other when at the narrow island. “Seating on two sides is always better for conversation,” designer Mary Jean Cipro of Thomas Sattler Homes says.
How your clients intend to use island seating will affect other elements, such as the length of the overhang. “Our minimum depth is 12 inches, but our ideal is around 16 to 18 inches of overhang on the countertop to give enough knee space with bar stools,” builder Al Kelekci of Hask Custom Homes says.
Designer Jason Thompson of J. THOM Residential Design & Materials likes to leave a bit of an overhang on an island countertop for clamping on accessories like pasta cranks.
While the standard countertop height is 36 inches, you might suggest adding a bar-height portion that’s 42 inches, as seen in this Boston kitchen by LDa Architecture & Interiors.
“Having at least one portion set up as a sit-to with a 42-inch-high surface is a very comfortable place to be,” Klement says. “It’s a height where one can be half sitting, half standing. It is psychologically and physiologically a welcoming, natural place for guests to perch, relaxed and yet engaged.”
2. Double-Sided Storage
If planned right, a kitchen island can add tons of storage. And while you want to focus most of your storage attention on the interior side of the island, don’t forget the back side.
“Whenever possible, we add extra cabinets under the overhang on the back side to maximize storage,” says Chelsea Forse, a design coordinator at King and Society Construction. “It can create a more finished look, and with the latest kitchens moving away from upper cabinets, it helps make up for the storage space that we are now missing.”
Architecture firm Ailtire Studio integrated storage on the back side of the island in the Philadelphia kitchen seen here. The next photo shows a peek at the storage.
2. Double-Sided Storage
If planned right, a kitchen island can add tons of storage. And while you want to focus most of your storage attention on the interior side of the island, don’t forget the back side.
“Whenever possible, we add extra cabinets under the overhang on the back side to maximize storage,” says Chelsea Forse, a design coordinator at King and Society Construction. “It can create a more finished look, and with the latest kitchens moving away from upper cabinets, it helps make up for the storage space that we are now missing.”
Architecture firm Ailtire Studio integrated storage on the back side of the island in the Philadelphia kitchen seen here. The next photo shows a peek at the storage.
3. Outlets
To get the most out of an island, pros highly recommend installing outlets. That way the homeowners can plug in a blender or mixer right on the prep surface, or use the outlets to charge phones and other devices.
4. Secondary Fridge
Placing a beverage fridge or fridge drawer on an island can be a great way to let people grab a drink or snack without disrupting the main work triangle in your kitchen. A good spot is at or near the island end that’s farthest away from the main action, as in this New York kitchen by Thyme & Place Design.
5. Microwave
A microwave in the island serves a similar purpose as the beverage fridge, allowing kids and other family members to heat up coffee or a snack without getting in the way. If your clients use their island as the main prep area, having a microwave close by can minimize trips back and forth. Plus, tucking the microwave into the island gets it off the countertop, freeing up more work surface, and limits the visual clutter more than if it were, say, above a range. “It’s a feature that all of our clients love,” Stephanie Lindsey of Etch Design Group says.
In this Boston kitchen by J.P. Hoffman Design Build, the microwave drawer’s placement at the outer end of the island lets people use the appliance without entering the main area of the kitchen.
By Mitchell Parker for Houzz, 9/10/2021
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