That’s all great but it also needs to be functional and help with the overall flow of the kitchen. To achieve this, we have a few things you should consider:
First, how big is too big?? While a large island, say 4’x10’, sounds amazing, it can be too big for your space. You need to keep a minimum of 36” of walk space between your island all other cabinets or walls. Are there any appliances that need to open towards the island that will cut off the walk space? If so, allow 42-48” of walk space on that side.
When you are planning your island, will you have the sink in it? A dishwasher? A cooktop? Obviously, you will need the correct plumbing and electrical lines run for this, if they aren’t already there. If you’re remodeling and are moving your sink or cooktop from another location, that will require jackhammering the floor to run the lines into the concrete. Be prepared for a dusty mess! If you have a pier and beam house, consider yourself lucky because the plumbing and electrical can be rerouted under the house and that eliminates the mess!
So, what kind of storage do you want/need? Deep drawers are one of the most requested things for a large island. These can be placed under a cooktop, but you may lose the top drawer if the cooktop sits down too far. Another item our customers want is a trash pull-out inside a cabinet, usually near the sink, so they don’t have to have an ugly trash can sitting in their beautiful kitchen. We also suggest using 12” deep cabinets on the back side of your island, if space permits, to allow for extra storage. Think about what you’d like to store in the island and choose the cabinets that best fit those items.
And last but not least, will there be seating at your island? Eat-in islands are great for families and for entertaining and can take the place of a dining table or be an addition to one. Seating can be easily added by having an overhang on the countertop. These can be 8-10” without support or wider if you include metal supports or corbels (decorative or hidden). You can use decorative legs on the outside corners. Another way to create seating and support the countertop is to have extended panels on each end as support.
Islands are a wonderful trend and if you plan ahead and address some of these items, you will love yours for years to come! Visit our showroom today to learn more!
