Kitchen islands are the free-standing cabinets that are normally placed in the mid area of most kitchens to supplement the countertops.
When adopting a kitchen island it is important to ensure that it complements your kitchen décor, and fits perfectly without being too bulky to your kitchen design.
Some kitchen islands come complete with storage drawers and have high stools or elevated chairs placed on the non-cooking side.
Many homes with few individuals use the kitchen island as a dining area, and given the activities that take place around the kitchen island, they must be anchored, to the floor, to make them stable during use and ensure that they stay in one place.
The kitchen islands are normally anchored on the floor with screws for stability.
And as you place the island in your kitchen ensure that you leave enough standing space between the island and the wall cabinets.
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without an island in the kitchen, there exists so much unutilized space in the mid part of the cooking area, and in case you didn’t think that a kitchen island is necessary for your kitchen, check out its benefits below.
Benefits of the kitchen island
- Parents who have to multitask between cooking and helping their kids with homework in the evening can greatly benefit from the kitchen counters because apart from using is to prepare your meals the countertop can also double up as a homework zone. So you don’t have to be rushing out of the kitchen to assist your kids.
- Kitchen islands can be customized to include drawers and storage cabinets for spices or utensils which encourages neatness and organization. Some islands include preparation sinks or stoves, but it all depends on your likes and how you can make your kitchen more functional.
- Kitchen counters normally have additional seating space provided with the high chairs or the high stools. The above, therefore, makes the island an ideal place to have your informal dinner or a quick snack. It can also be used to host your guests or to offer comfort to the people who are keeping you company in the kitchen.
Installing the kitchen island isn’t as easy as it looks because several factors need to be considered before it becomes a complete flop.
The Kitchen Island when not placed appropriately, will disrupt workflow, remember that your kitchen is one of the areas in your home that experiences high traffic, the reason that you should ensure the flow and design do not work against you.
Kitchen islands are normally placed in the middle, with regard to the size of your kitchen, the island could therefore, be a roadblock by making your kitchen look and feel cramped.
Big spacious kitchens don’t experience this problem because they have enough space.
Therefore, if you have a small kitchen and want to install the island, how about you first do a practical test by testing its outline using a tape placed on the floor.
36” is the recommended space needed in the walkways, your kitchen island has to serve its functional purpose, and should be easy to get around.
You could adopt a small island for your kitchen which in the long run may not serve its purpose, a good island should, therefore, fit your needs and fit your kitchen without taking up much of the walking space.
Types of kitchen islands
Kitchen islands come in different types some are simple, and cannot handle much work, and others come at a steep price but very functional.
The above-mentioned kitchen islands work the same only that their make differs from house to house.
Some will help distribute the workload thus enable you multi-task easily and others will help organize your kitchen utensils.
The needs of a kitchen island vary from house to house especially with regards to space and that is why they come in different types.
Check some of them below.
The kitchen island table
The kitchen island table is just like your normal coffee table but this one has got longer legs so that it can reach the height of your waist, and prevent too much straining or bending.
The bottom part of the island table normally has a shelf-like structure and you can use it to contain some of your bulky utensils.
Though different in design the kitchen island table stays in the same position as those that are normally anchored, accompanied with high stools.
The major disadvantage with this type of kitchen island is that you cannot achieve much when multitasking compared to those that are made with receptacles and sinks.
The fully functional kitchen island
The fully functional kitchen island contains almost everything that the countertops have from the electrical sockets to the sinks, and will still leave you with space to do other work.
With this type of island, it is like you have a mini kitchen in the middle of your big kitchen as you can practically run everything from there.
The only problem with this type of island is that you will have to incur extra plumbing and installation costs when compared to the table island.
The unit also eats up a good chunk of your kitchen space, it would, therefore, be best to ensure that by adopting it, you are not going to have to block the pathways or restrict workflow.
The rolling cart island
Though functional it’s a bit hard to classify this rolling cabinet as a kitchen island.
But it does serve the purpose of a kitchen island and can be wheeled to the middle of the kitchen for proximity with the other kitchen counters and to encourage a smooth workflow.
Their design is not very different from the other kitchen counters only that it has casters that you will use to move it to the side when not in use.
The above kitchen island can be very handy for houses that don’t have much room in the kitchen.
And unlike the anchored kitchen islands, this type will barely stay at one place when unlocked because they have not been made with a tight grip on the floor.
Conclusion
The only way to ensure the safety of your kitchen utensils is by anchoring your kitchen island, the latter will help promote workflow and add to the aesthetics of the kitchen.
And before you adopt one ensure that you have enough space, or rather pick the one that will be convenient for your kitchen and not eat up too much space.