Use kitchen island ideas to better understand how to create a more functional and comfortable kitchen. Using custom kitchen islands means having the most suitable island for your home and kitchen area based on your kitchen space and needs. Kitchen island ideas take us back to the farmhouse kitchen, even to medieval times, when a large workbench was used to do most of the prep work.
In addition to meal preparation, the kitchen can become a gathering area for family and friends if there is enough space. Since there’s a lot going on in the kitchen on a regular basis, it’s important to get the design right. The kitchen island can serve as an additional eating area, and food can be easily prepared there. In a large kitchen, the kitchen island can shorten the distances within the work triangle (sink, refrigerator, and stove or stove) and make it more efficient.
Here are kitchen island ideas to consider when planning your kitchen:
1. Kitchen islands work best in larger L, U, or G-shaped kitchens. If the kitchen is too small, the kitchen island will become an obstruction and hinder movement. The best custom kitchen islands for small to medium-sized kitchens are a portable butcher block or kitchen cart for food prep or extra storage.
2. Include a vent hood at the top to remove smoke, steam, and cooking odors if your kitchen island will have a stove. The range hood should extend beyond the cooking area by 3 inches or more on the sides for proper ventilation. Using the correct fan size will ensure extraction is performed as intended. Have a fan capacity of approximately 50 cubic feet per minute (cfm) for each square foot of cooking surface.
3. A second sink can be included in the kitchen island. Use a sink that’s deep enough to wash large pots and pans, and consider outfitting your kitchen island with a trash compactor, garbage disposal, recycling bin, and even a dishwasher. Cleaning will be much easier when these appliances are near the sink.
4. Allow enough counter space on both sides (left and right) of the kitchen island if a sink or stove is to be used. Include at least 15 inches of counter space on each side, and if your kitchen is large enough, allow even more space. You can never have too much counter space in a kitchen. Plus, the countertop’s rounded corners help protect everyone from bad bruises; this is true for all corners of the kitchen counter.
5. Additional kitchen island ideas are to consider using shelf space on the sides of the kitchen island for cookbooks, collectibles, or storage. A built-in TV works here, especially if it faces the family room. Or a microwave can work well for heating up after-school snacks and cooking food quickly.
6. The material of the countertop for the island does not have to match the rest of the countertops in your kitchen, as long as it is in harmony with the overall design of the room. You might want to splurge on solid surfaces here, for example, and use laminate on the other countertops. A butcher block countertop is ideal for chopping, while granite or marble works well for baking and rolling out phyllo dough.
7. Maximize natural light with windows and skylights, and keep kitchen wall surfaces light in color to reflect daylight. Custom kitchen islands work great by using pendant or recessed lighting to direct light onto the kitchen island and other work areas. Electrical codes may require electrical outlets to be located on the sides of stationary kitchen islands, not on top, to prevent electrical shock.
Use custom kitchen island ideas to help you learn how to create an attractive area that will perform a variety of useful functions. Designed correctly, kitchen islands will make your work area more functional and efficient and will be enjoyed by everyone for years to come. Read as many kitchen island ideas as you can on using an island to enhance the functionality and comfort of your kitchen; After all, your kitchen is most likely the most popular room in the house.
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