The positioning of your kitchen island depends on its purpose of use, in which case their presence in the kitchen serves up to five primary roles, which are storage, cooking, serving, washing, and preparation.
And that is why the center might not be the best position when you consider proximity to other vital kitchen appliances and outlets.
Therefore, the kitchen island does not have to be centered, the position that the kitchen island will assume in your kitchen has very much to do with the role that it will play.
For example, some people only need a kitchen counter for use during serving.
Important to note is that your kitchen island should not be turned into a dining table.
Houses are constructed with sitting and dining areas, so if you deny them their function then they would lose their relevance, also as you install your Kitchen Island consider all members of your family and the ability for them to use the island.
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Your consideration should thus cover disabled individuals and kids.
Many people when they design their islands love to make it in such a way that they can face their family members when cooking.
With the above in mind, it would be best if your kitchen island incorporated a sink so that you don’t have to keep going back to the sink to clean up.
But then again you will have to consider the amount of space that you have dedicated for the kitchen island, the workflow plan and proximity to the side counter.
Tips for choosing the perfect kitchen island
Too small an island
The first kitchen commandment when it comes to islands is that you shouldn’t make it smaller than 2 feet, if you have to go lower than that because of space issues then it would be best if you went with the mobile kitchen island or a kitchen table.
A good kitchen island should not go down more than 2 feet; the recommended size and one that is adopted in many kitchens is 3 feet.
Other measurements will depend on the number of cabinets that you wish to install or whether you want a storage area, instead of a breakfast bar.
For example, if you were to install 2 sets of 24 inch deep cabinets on either side, then your island would have to be 4 feet deep.
Install electricity
Electricity might not be the most relevant thing when you are constructing your island but wait until you want to use the blender or cake mixer.
So to be on the safe side, incorporate an outlet on the island to facilitate the inclusion of electrical cables.
The above will, however, not cater to the big kitchen appliances like the microwaves, dishwashers and cooking stoves.
For the above you must find an electrician and if you want to include a sink on the island, which you should then plumbing fees should be in order.
Don’t include too many seats
Preparing meals for your guests when you don’t have an open plan kitchen can be boring and that is why most kitchen islands have provisions for the breakfast bar.
Too many squeezed seats will be uncomfortable for your guests or even your family members when they decide to take their breakfast from the counter.
The right space recommendations are, therefore, 24 inches apart; this will ensure that one can move around freely and during eating, the elbows will not be fighting for space.
Consider the working triangle
The sink, stove, and fridge are the working triangle, now by considering the above your island should be placed in such a way that it will not interfere with reaching the three work triangles.
Movement from the stove to the island is frequent just as it is from the fridge to the island and the sink, therefore, ensure that the island does not cut through the path of any member of the working triangle.
What is the purpose of your island?
The size and position of your island is determined by its role in your kitchen, what do you want it for, is it for cooking only, storage or serving.
Go through the five primary functions of the kitchen island and settle on one or more as regards your requirements.
The reason as to why you need to do the above is to help determine the depth and width of the island more so if you are going to also incorporate other kitchen appliances such as the cooking stoves and sink.
Lighting
An island that measures 3 by 12 feet will need a high number of lumens about 1080, but if your kitchen island is only 18 square feet then a lighting system that delivers up to 540 lumens of light should be enough.
You will, therefore, have to invest in pendants that will illuminate light from above the island.
Two or four pendants will not be convenient and that is why most designers install three, and this they normally do by adopting the rule of three where balance is created by repeating an element three times.
Lighting over your island, helps you carry out your chores with minimal chances of causing accidents, especially when chopping.
And besides, it also contributes to the overall aesthetics of your kitchen.
The Range Hood
If you plan on incorporating a cooking stove to your island then you should also make plans for a hood or the flush mount ceiling for exhaust fan.
Many people don’t like the range hood hanging on top of their island as it looks bulky and at times the size of the kitchen can rarely accommodate its inclusion.
You could, therefore, talk to your designer and see what options you have, one of the ways that you could use to get around this problem is by building an architectural soffit that is the same size as your island and create some space for the fan.
Conclusion
A kitchen island doesn’t have to be centered though most kitchens use the centered islands, the size of your kitchen and the role of the island will determine its position.
If you have much use for the island like preparing and cooking food then the center would be ideal for proximity to the cooking stove, fridge, and sink.
And if you want to use it for serving purposes only, then you won’t need to place it at the center.