You have finally decided to take the plunge and create the perfect kitchen island for your home: The kitchen island that will become the centerpiece of countless memories. But first, you have to design it. However, the processing of designing your dream kitchen island is going to be completely different for you than it is for someone else. You have unique wants and needs, and the perfect kitchen island will exceed every expectation you have.
Whether it’s the wide open space or its central location, the kitchen island is almost always the gathering location of choice at family and friend gatherings. The space itself is versatile, providing the counterspace you require for preparing or serving food, while also offering a convenient location for friends to place their drinks while socializing.
However, if you want to capitalize on the functionality of the kitchen island, you must take the time to design it properly. To make sure you don’t leave out any important details, here is a look at the five steps you must follow to design your dream kitchen island:
Step 1: Determine Your Needs
Before you do anything, you need to figure out exactly what you want your kitchen island to accomplish. Take an inventory of your current kitchen and evaluate what you think is missing. Perhaps you wish you had additional counter space so that you could multi-task better, or because you want a large open space to present food to your guests. Maybe you really dislike having to face the wall while you cook or do dishes, and you would love an additional stove top or sink on your kitchen island so you can feel like you are part of the group. By looking at what you are missing now, you will know what key elements you want to include in your new kitchen island.
Step 2: Choose a Durable Surface
Once you have figured out what goals you want your kitchen island to accomplish, it is time to select the countertop surface. It doesn’t matter if you are going for one large slab to cover the entire island or you wish to incorporate an extra sink or stove, you will want to find a stone that is made to last. It should be able to withstand intense food prepping sessions, spills, and other everyday occurrences with ease.
Which is exactly why granite countertops are so common. The stone is naturally heavy-duty, the maintenance is minimal, and not much thought about the counter’s durability is required when cooking, slicing, and dicing. If granite isn’t your thing, other high-quality options include butcher block, quartz, and concrete.
Step 3: Create Ample Storage
With a sprawling countertop gracing your kitchen, it would be a shame to let all of the space underneath it go to waste. That’s where your storage design comes in. The options for your island storage are limitless, so go ahead and get as creative as you want. Incorporate a pull-out trash can to keep it easily out of sight, put in a special wine rack for your prized collection, or include oversized cabinets for the small appliances you don’t have a home for. The choice is yours—it’s your kitchen after all. Just be aware of the already existing cupboards and drawers in the kitchen to ensure that everything can open smoothly even when other areas are being used.
Step 4: Select Your Overhead Lighting
Now that you have the surface and storage taken care of, it’s time to consider your lighting options above the kitchen island. For many people, a stunning pendant lighting fixture is the best choice because it helps liven up the space and brings in the wow-factor. However, for others, they would prefer to keep the area open and opt for recessed lighting directly above the island. Since it’s your kitchen island, you can choose which one you would prefer—you can even do both if you want to. They are perfectly complementary and will provide you with both overhead lighting and task lighting to get the slicing and dicing done with precision.
Step 5: Make Sure It Includes Everything You Want
Once you think your kitchen island design is complete, take one more comprehensive look at your design. Does it serve all of the purposes you hoped it would? With so much counterspace and storage space available, there is no reason not to include as many functions as you desire into your design. For example, you could include:
- An open space underneath part of the countertop so guests can sit comfortably on barstools while socializing around the island
- An extra sink so you don’t have to face the wall to clean up
- An extra stovetop so you can become the ultimate multitasker
- A built-in bookcase to display your cookbooks and knick-knacks
- A large open countertop space to present the food to your guests
- And more!
When it comes to designing your kitchen island, taking your time and thinking through how you will actually use the island on a daily basis is paramount. Once you make sure all of your requirements and wish list items have been met, it is time to start building your masterpiece. Whether you are doing it yourself or hiring a professional, once the island is complete, you will be so glad you took the time during the design process to ensure it had everything you wanted.
About the author: Connecticut Stone had been providing industry professionals with high-quality stones for almost 70 years. In addition to supplying designers and architects with a vast 13,000-square-foot showroom of the finest stones available, Connecticut Stone is also the creator of ThinStone, a natural and versatile stone veneer. Located in Milford, Connecticut, they take great pride in providing exceptional customer service and always having the ideal stone for any type of project.
How wonderful to know about the ideas that can contribute in the making a beautiful and functional island. The ideas shared here which pertain only an island but fulfill all the requirements of a kitchen as a whole. storage, lighting, space to serve food, cabinet etc are all addressed on and around the single structure, that is, the island. This means that if any homeowner wishes to remodel his/her kitchen, this blog can save much money as it gives complete remodeling idea for the kitchen with just involving an island. If all the ideas are followed, all the needs of a kitchen will be satisfied.
Getting a professional to do this will save more money as they are experienced and can get the right materials suiting your budget. Whereas, you have to look for the products all around and fixing them would require skills.