Kitchen Islands
The modern kitchen of today is no longer just a work area for cooking and doing the dishes. It has evolved into a social hub for the family and the home. The kitchen has become the place where friends and families get together to cook and eat, as well as entertain and share everyday life.
This has caused an increasing number of kitchen designers to create plans and designs that promote comfortable kitchen interaction. Thus, kitchen islands were created. They have become the perfect area to balance “congregation and separation”, making certain that hosts can clean and cook while socializing with the guests.
What Is A Kitchen Island?
If you’ve noticed more and more contemporary kitchens having a “table-like” cooking area at the center of the kitchen, then you’ve probably seen a kitchen island. Kitchen islands are “centrally-located” countertops mainly used for preparing food and secondary cooking needs. In the majority of kitchens today, especially those with busy members, the kitchen island also becomes a place for quick meals.
Kitchen Island Designs
The most simple kitchen island design is that of smooth countertops made from regular kitchen materials like wood, stones, stainless steel, or tile. The extra surface that kitchen islands provide, allow for cooking and preparing bulky items such as pastas and dough, as well as transferring hot meals from the oven for cooling off before serving. The kitchen island’s countertop is normally constructed around waist level or sometimes higher, with a number of drawers for kitchen utensils and tools for food preparation.
More superior kitchen islands may feature working sinks, as well as disposal unit for prepping vegetables and fruits. Some have side cutting-boards that can be pulled out from an end, others have small units for refrigeration and storing prepped unfinished ingredients.
Several kitchen islands may occasionally have griddles, set of electric burners, and even grills. Quick meals can easily be prepared on high-end kitchen islands, getting rid of the need for hot ovens – in such a case though, proper ventilation is essential. Exhaust fans should be located beneath heating elements and must draw heat and smoke away from other areas of the kitchen.
Space Considerations
A kitchen island cannot be placed within a galley kitchen. There’s no fast and solid rule for size, but it is recommended that a kitchen island be at a minimum of four-feet long and about two-feet deep, with enough moving space around it. Unless the kitchen is eight-feet in width and over twelve-feet long, at the minimum, don’t think about placing an island in the kitchen.
Remember, the kitchen will have “room for two”. Cabinetry material and matching counter helps in the twosome mix and assists in the comfort of moving around the kitchen island.
Different Poles Attract
The island will take on an identity of its own, and will make a very interesting focal point. Although, the cabinetry may be the same to the rest of the kitchen’s theme, the island may be provided with a contrasting color, finish, countertop material, or shape.
A Host’s Dream
The island can be the best place for lodging appliances. A kitchen island with cooktops permits one to socialize while cooking meals. Hosts can prepare the food on six-burner cooktops while serving the guests that sit on the adjoining breakfast bar. Extra-large vent hoods on top of a kitchen island can also be a “decorative eye-catcher”.
One advantage of having a kitchen island is the chance it offers for adding versatility and interest to the kitchen through various countertop materials. The beauty of it is that there are no rules when it comes to materials used all through the kitchen, and every countertop can have its own benefits and drawbacks –the choice is yours.
Kitchen islands are today’s modern kitchen additions. They provide comfortable casual seating for the kitchen and a center for family activity.