Stone Benchtops Direct

Kitchen Island Design Tips

May 28, 2021 | benchtops, kitchen

The centre of attraction is the kitchen island in modern kitchen which is equivalent to a hearth in old-fashioned kitchens. Most people find a kitchen design incomplete without one.

How to design a functional and beautiful kitchen island

Knowing how to design your kitchen island is important to achieve your desired look and feel. You must check the following to ensure it’s beautiful and functional.

  • The purpose of the kitchen island
  • The kitchen appliances you need 
  • Amount of storage space needed 
  • The height and width 
  • The fit with the kitchen design

Considering these factors, you would likely have a functional kitchen island that suits your kitchen and needs.  

Expert kitchen island tips and planning advice 

Think about the purpose 

Having an island can make your kitchen look more attractive and provide storage and extra seating space. However, designing this to meet everyone’s needs is important. Asides from the beauty and extra space it provides, it gives the homeowner an area to work in the kitchen. This is particularly important for chefs and people who love to cook because it enhances efficiency.  

It’s an excellent area that serves as a social area for family and friends in the kitchen. It also serves the purpose of benchtops for anyone preparing meals.  

Ensure the kitchen island’s size is perfect 

The ideal size ranges from 2m – 3m long and 2.2m – 1.4m wide. Creating a wider or longer kitchen island may be a waste of space.  

Allow sufficient space 

This is very important because you need enough space to move around your kitchen island and easily work in the kitchen. The space around this is as important as the size. 

A known rule in making a kitchen counter is leaving about 1m – 1.2m space to aid easy movement, but in certain cases, a narrower space may be suitable in some cases, like when the dishwasher is open. 

Ensure you have at least 1m of space around your kitchen island. If you intend to use it as a seating area, consider leaving spaces to accommodate bar stools that would not tuck in when measuring from the nearest wall cabinet to the kitchen island.  

You should also consider extra floor space for areas like the hob, which is usually high traffic.  

Experiment with colours

Your kitchen island allows you to experiment with different colours and add an exciting design to the kitchen, even if your kitchen design are neutral colours. You can consider a punchy dark colour for the kitchen cabinet if you’re hoping to make it look more anchored in the kitchen.

A bold but dark colour may look intimidating, but the countertop space is always under the line of sight whenever someone walks into the kitchen, so you can always use a bold colour to create a perfect contrast in the kitchen. A deep, dark blue colour with brass hardware will likely give a perfect contrast.  

Create enough space for food preparation 

Although the common design has space for food preparation and either a prep or the main sink, you can make the countertops a free extra space. With this, you can have pull-out bins under the island and dishwashers. If you want to have a fridge in the area, then a pull-out drawer would be a good idea. 

Choose the right seating

If you want the kitchen island as a seating area, consider how you would use the areas and ask the following questions. Will it be the only seating area in your kitchen/ will guests use it, or it’s only for family members to eat? Will you work in this space or only have quick breakfasts?

A straight seating position on the kitchen island is not advisable, so consider three straight seats only. If you want four seats, consider setting them around on the end to make the seating more sociable.

Ensure you consider the dimensions of the counter stools and include them in the kitchen design to ensure they are comfortable, fit perfectly and leave enough space to allow easy movement. 

Conclusion 

A kitchen island allows you to turn up your kitchen design even if it has a neutral colour scheme. You can include a perfect countertop for extra work or a social area in your kitchen. Different finishing options, such as marble countertops and silica-free countertops, can make your kitchen island exceptional. 

If you need the perfect countertop, contact Stone Benchtops Direct now on 1300 992 868.