So Traditional, So Timeless, - Tips for designing a Kitchen Island Unit.

The kitchen is the heart of your home, we meet to talk, eat, relax and plan.

A kitchen island unit will offer a great way to create a focal point for your kitchen, providing you with additional storage, work and surface space and dining options.

If planned and designed right it will be a stylish addition to your kitchen and a great functional asset.

And what better way than tailoring the unit to your space and lifestyle – it’s become the linchpin of the design of my kitchen.

What you first need to consider is whether you’ll use the island as an extension of your worktop, ie to prepare and cook meals or whether its to sit at and enjoy casual meals in the week.

Design

First, you need to decide the size of your island unit, measure your space – look at your room as a whole noting the positions of doors and major appliances.  Then work out how much space you have to accommodate an island unit.  A designer can usually help you with this.  Generally, you need to have a minimum of 90cm to 1m walking space all the way around. 

If you have a large kitchen, this is perfect, but avoid the width being more than 1.4m as if it's too deep it's too far to reach across and wipe the tops clean.

Think about whether you wish to add an appliance or prep sink as you’ll need to consider electrics and plumbing.

These services do need to run under the kitchen floor, so you need to know what your floor consists of.  If its concrete, then a channel will have to be made.  Alternatively, if it's wooden then you need to identify where the floor joists are sited.

Sockets:

These are a useful addition to your island unit since there are so many more appliances available in the kitchen, such as blenders, juicers coffee machines and even phone charging.  Pop up sockets set flush to the surface of the worktop are a great idea, or the sockets could simply be added to the end panel on the side, less visible but still accessible.,

You may even need to place a hob on your island, so when you are entertaining you will be able to face outwards into the kitchen and chat with your guests.  Its also worth considering an induction hob as these are considered safer because the top remains cool to the touch while the pan heats up., 

Island Dining:

You may consider planning in a built-in seating area, to your island unit, this does eliminate the need for table and chairs

One example of island dining is the breakfast bar styles which are formed by extending the worktop beyond the footprint of the island to form a small ledge – where you could include a number of bar stools but always factor in at least 30cm of knee space.

Create a Zone

This is easily achieved by setting the breakfast bar at a different level from the hob and food prep area or by using contrasting material for the tops.

Storage

Drawers for large pans work well within an island, especially in small kitchens; this will reduce clutter and give good accessibility.

You could also consider some open shelving to store your cookbooks or glasses.  This will soften the bulkiness appearance of the island unit.

 Lighting

 To complete your look and create the zone, some long pendant lights placed above your island unit will be the perfect finishing touch.

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For help with your Kitchen Island designs read about our bespoke service HERE

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