Sit, Sip, Stir and Store! Island Designs

Freestanding surfaces in the kitchen are nothing new. They have been used for centuries in the flow of meal preparation. Worktables and chopping blocks were central stations to mixing, rolling, dicing and seasoning before recipes were sent to the fire, stove top or oven for boiling, baking, smoking or frying. Today’s free standing kitchen island has definitely evolved from a simple wooden table to all manner of custom designs offering a myriad of modern conveniences.

How you intend on using your island is the most important question to consider before meeting with a kitchen designer. Do you intend to create a bespoke seating area for your family to eat their meals? Or just a place for a couple of people to gather? Are you imagining table height or bar height? How many seats are required… and what are the ages of your family? If you have young children, bar height might pose some issues for meals… same for homework and kitchen craft projects. Optimal outlet placement is determined by how you’ll use the island. Need more outlets on the outside for appliances or inside drawers for cell phones and laptops? (Outlet covers made to match the wooden cabinetry versus the typical plastic cover can make a huge difference in aesthetics.) Are you looking to maximize storage for small kitchen appliances? Those popular Instant Pots, Mixers, Pasta Machines and Food Processors gobble up perimeter kitchen storage. How about your collection of cookbooks? Integrated storage on the back side or ends of islands has solved many storage issues. In some overall kitchen designs, your island may be the best place for a microwave, sink, prep sink, stove, pet feeding station or pullout trash bins so that your perimeter cabinetry can be optimized for other custom details.

Sound confusing? We’ve had experience with all of these requests.

It seems overwhelming to consider the endless customized options that will give you the usage and functionality available, but if you’re ready to start the adventure, we can help