Islands in the Kitchen

Islands are one of the most sought-after kitchen commodities. It often seems that every person who walks into our showroom inquires about this luxury feature, regardless of their kitchen size or budget. Though islands may seem like fantastic features, many people tend to overlook factors that can inhibit the feasibility, usefulness and convenience of having a poorly-planned or executed addition. 

Graeme Wilson, a Houzz contributor, in one of his more recent articles, discusses the ways to best plan for the installation of an island, regardless of the size of your kitchen. Below we have provided a brief synopsis of the factors to consider for your kitchen design. You can also find the full article here. 

Size is not always a deal-breaker: There are ways of making an island possible even in smaller kitchens by altering dimensions such as depth, height, and storage space size. At Showcase Kitchens we offer completely customizable options so we can tailor the kitchen, and island, to your needs. 

It is important to analyze multiple factors in relation to available space when evaluating how to go about contracting an island in your kitchen. It is important that designers know the dimensions of the room they are working with, in addition to the number of people who will be using the space. The number of people living in the house and utilizing the kitchen is a huge factor in determining how big an island can feasibly be. 

It is also necessary to consider the space that other features and appliances require that might impede upon space that an island would potentially take up. When swung open, cabinet or dishwasher doors can cause damage to the island if there is not careful planning. Your designer should always take factors such as this into consideration when evaluating dimensions and designing your kitchen. 

A small island does not equal a bad island. Even those of a smaller size can be functional and practical. At Showcase Kitchens, our designers allow you to get creative by considering the best ways to implement an island into your kitchen design. We can help you break from the norm by designing multi-functional kitchen islands, a galley layout, customizable countertops, as well as an island of any shape you could possibly desire.