How big should the Island Be?
2016 Kitchen Island Designs
When thinking about the type of kitchen island you want to incorporate into your new home kitchen, here are top five questions to keep in mind:
1. How large is your kitchen?
2. What shape is your kitchen floor plan?
3. Do you want to incorporate seating?
4. Will you need a secondary / prep sink?
5. What functions are most important?
1. How large is your kitchen?
In general, islands work best in larger kitchens and peninsulas work better in smaller kitchens.
Kitchen design tip: you want enough space to navigate around the island - maximizing the functionality of the extra counter top and cabinet space it provides.
2. What shape is your kitchen floor plan?
Long, thin kitchens work best with a thin rectangular island.
Wider or more square kitchens work best with a wide rectangular or angled island.
The shape of your kitchen will help determine the size and shape of your island.
3. Do you want to incorporate seating?
Most islands can be expanded to incorporate bar-height OR counter-height seating, as long as the kitchen floor plan is large enough.
In this example photo, the island was angled towards the great room, slightly off-set from the kitchen.
The counter height seating creates a smooth, clean look that matches the contemporary lines of this home.
Click here to see photos of a home with two kitchen islands - one designed for table-height seating.
4. Will you need a secondary / prep sink?
Prep sinks are gaining popularity in 2014 new home kitchens.
When thinking about your island size, keep in mind where the prep sink will go.
Dual sinks are generally placed on opposite ends of the kitchen - maximizing utility and efficiency.
5. What functions are most important?
When thinking about your ideal island design, will it include tons of storage? More counter space? A place to add a wine refrigerator?
Many island have two-sided cabinets (such as examples 1 & 4 in this article) for easy-access storage.
If you want counter space, re-think adding a prep sink.
An island may be the ideal place to add a drink fridge.
