The hot weather we had in October got us in the mood to talk about islands–so we’re taking you island hopping. Don’t pack your bags just yet; we’re actually talking about kitchen islands.
With the holidays coming up, kitchen islands are put to the test as homeowners entertain and use up every countertop space available. The kitchen island often becomes the place where family and guests gather around.
Kitchen islands are not only useful, but they’re very popular. The National Association of Home Builders reports that 70 percent of buyers want a kitchen island and of those 50 percent say a kitchen island is a must-have in a home.
If you’re considering a kitchen remodel, having a look at some of these kitchen island ideas will help you see how you can maximize function and style.
Where do you begin with a kitchen island?
First, decide how you’ll use your kitchen island. Do you need a sink in your island so that you can have a secondary area to wash and cut vegetables? How about kitchen storage space? If your current kitchen is lacking, then this is the perfect opportunity to build more convenient storage into your home.
Remember that the footprint of a kitchen island takes up quite a bit of floor space so you’ll want to make it look good but also be very functional and useful.
Increasing kitchen functionality shouldn’t leave your kitchen looking like you built a big block in the middle of it. A kitchen island needs to have style–you don’t want to have a kitchen island just to give you extra countertop space, you want it to have many uses.
Here are five ways to make your kitchen island standout and be highly useful.
- Adding more countertop space
- Adding hide-away storage for your everyday appliances
- Increasing seating space
- Maximizing vertical space above the kitchen island
- Building multi-level kitchen islands
That’s where design creativity makes a huge difference. You can have fun with your kitchen island and make it standout. For instance, you can have a kitchen with cabinets in one color and the kitchen island a different color so that it complements the master cabinets and still stands out. The red stools at the kitchen island bar really make this kitchen pop. The blue island also makes a unique statement without overwhelming you with too much color.
A nice extra addition to this kitchen island is the wine rack – plenty of space to store your favorite bottles and have them handy to pop open in seconds. The wooden door with its big window and the table in the foreground add texture to the kitchen. The chalkboard is cute and gives the kitchen a friendly feel.
Sometimes just a splash of color on the backsplash is all you need. This kitchen island makes it easy to do dishes or wash vegetables and be out of the way of the kitchen stove. It seats four so you can cook, clean, and socialize all at once. The built-in shelving is being used for decor but could also store your favorite cookbooks.
Sometimes you just want those big comfy chairs to relax in around the kitchen island. These chairs are perfect for this elegant kitchen. The kitchen island has a built-in stock at one end with an extra cabinet below and around the other side of the island for extra storage. The stovetop grill and extra built-in sink in this kitchen island make it easy to cook, serve, and clean up any messes efficiently.
When you really need seating this is the way to go! Plenty of people can fit at this elongated kitchen island. The streamlined island offers a simple, clean design but still gives maximum functionality by having a stovetop grill with plenty of countertop space on either side of it. Guests won’t feel cramped they have lots of elbow room and a modern cushion stool to take a seat.
An island can work even in a smaller kitchen. This cute and useful kitchen island is smaller than some of the others, but it provides a lot of help. The built-in oven convenient, and the side drawers give extra space to store kitchen goods. The extra electrical outlet on the end comes in handy especially when you’re ready to blend up tasty margaritas. Oh, if you’re reading this at 9 a.m.–just remember, it’s Five O’clock Somewhere!