The focal point of many modern kitchens, a kitchen island can serve a wide variety of purposes and is infinitely customizable. As kitchen islands become more popular, more homeowners are choosing to include them in their kitchen renovations and remodels. Properly planning and designing a kitchen island, however, is something that needs to be carefully considered to ensure that you’re completely satisfied with the end result. To help you achieve the perfect island, we’ll be revealing three essential kitchen island design tips.
Decide How You Want to Use Your Island Before Planning It
Figuring out exactly how you want to use your kitchen island before planning and building it is essential. Do you want an island you can cook on? An island you can prep meals on? An island to entertain dinner guests? Extra storage space? Or a simple counter to handle the morning breakfast rush?
How you choose to use your new kitchen island will play a big part in its complexity, price, and design. For instance, if you want a kitchen island you can cook on, you’ll need to factor in things like running gas, electricity, and plumbing to your island.
Extra storage space is one of the many benefits of a kitchen island, but it’s important to properly plan this out. Going beyond simple pull-out drawers and cupboards, kitchen islands offer a range of storage solutions including warming drawers, wine fridges, mini-fridges and freezers, and extra space for appliances like dishwashers or ovens.
Ensure There’s Enough Space Around Your Kitchen Island
If you’re planning on entertaining or serving guests on your kitchen island, then space is a prime concern. You’ll need to make sure there’s plenty of space for people to sit while still allowing yourself ample space for storage and kitchen work.
While it may sound obvious, it’s surprising how many homeowners neglect to make sure there’s enough space around a kitchen island when planning it. You need to be able to easily move around your kitchen island and work without it getting in your way. How much space you leave between the island and other furniture is perhaps one of the most important things to keep in mind when planning a kitchen island renovation.
As a rule of thumb, leave at least 1 meter of space around your kitchen island. Take factors like seating and appliances into consideration too, and measure from the back of the kitchen island (or seat) to the nearest wall or piece of furniture. You’ll also want to make sure you have even more extra space around areas that experience lots of foot traffic, such as around a stove, oven, or seating area.
Think About Seating
Speaking of seating areas, if you’re planning on adding seating to your kitchen island, you’ll want to make sure guests can sit comfortably. Put some thought behind what you’ll be using the seating for and how long people will be sitting at your island too. Will it be for guests to mingle pre-dinner? Quick breakfasts? Will it be the only/main seating in your kitchen?
Naturally, the longer you or your guests will be sitting at your kitchen island, the more comfortable you’ll want to make it and the more space you’ll want to leave. Not just between the seats and the nearest wall or furniture, but also between your guest’s knees and the counter.
Just like it can be uncomfortable sitting at a cramped desk, sitting at a cramped kitchen island isn’t fun. Calculate around 24 inches of island space per seat to accommodate elbow room and leave 12-18 inches above the knee depending on how tall your counter is. Make sure you choose seats or stools that fit well enough that you can move around if needed and wrap seats around the island instead of cramming them into a line to create a more sociable atmosphere.
Let Kurmak Builders Create the Perfect Kitchen Island for You
As a leading Calgary luxury renovation contractor, Kurmak Builders knows exactly what it takes to create a perfect kitchen island no matter your tastes. We pride ourselves on our unrivaled customer service and are with you every step of the way, from design to completion. Reach out to us at 403-277-5525 or contact us today online to book a free consultation for your next kitchen renovation or kitchen island.