The Anatomy of a Kitchen Island

 

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Have you ever walked into someone’s kitchen or toured a model home kitchen and felt like the kitchen island was nothing more than a big box that took up space in the center of the room?

I was in a kitchen recently and the island stood our like an eyesore.  There were no design details on the island and the only real function the island served was for food prep.

When you think about it, a kitchen island is basically a big rectangle or square box, sometimes with functional elements built-in and other times not.  It can be a free-floating, movable element or a built-in design.

The kitchen I was in got me thinking about creative way to add style and function to a large kitchen island so today I want to highlight a few design and architectural ideas to give a plain island style and personality.

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1.  MIX MATERIALS

Since a lot of cutting and chopping takes place on a kitchen island, I love the idea of mixing materials and inserting a wood cutting surface into the counter top of the island.   The marble portion of the top will serve its own purpose while the wood surface provides for other uses.

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2.  BANQUETTE SEATING

  In many homes one side of a kitchen island is left bare and unused.  This space can be the perfect backdrop for a casual eating area built around banquette seating.  Banquette seating is also a great way to add additional storage and maximize the seating capacity in a small area.

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3.  TABLE EXTENSION

The extension of a dining table built off the island is one of my favorite ways to UpStyle a kitchen island.  In addition to the table extension being used for sit down dining, it can also be used as additional food prep space, serving space for a buffet or as a beverage station for a party.

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4.  BUILT-IN SEATING

In many cases the space underneath a kitchen island is left empty and unused which makes it ideal for a space-saving built-in bench.  When the bench is pushed in, the island can easily be accessed from all side and the island maintains a sleek look.

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5.  SHELVING

How is it that even the largest kitchens never have enough storage space?  Adding shelving into a kitchen island is a great way to provide additional storage for cookbooks and serving pieces while giving the island depth and dimension.

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6.  FUNCTION IN DISGUISE

I love the idea of building functional elements into a kitchen island, especially when they look decorative but serve a purpose.

The idea of cutting trash chute built into the top of a kitchen island is brilliant and one of the smarter functional ideas I’ve seen.

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Drawers can be built with warming pans inside, making them easy to access but keeping the appearance of the island decorative.

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And the toe kick area of a cabinet can be used to cleverly disguise a pet food bowl (which always seems to be in the way).

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7.   DECORATIVE TOUCHES THAT FUNCTION

The top surface of a kitchen island gives provides lots of decorating opportunities but so do the side of an island.  Creative touches like a framed chalkboard or decorative towel bars are a cost-effective way to add personality and style to a kitchen space.

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Your kitchen doesn’t have to be all form and function. With a little creativity you can create a kitchen that looks as good as it functions!