The Lure of The Kitchen Island: What Makes Them Great?
According to
Ideal Home, the 2021 trend for kitchen dining islands looks set to continue into 2022 and that’s probably no surprise, as kitchens continue to become the key social space in many UK homes. It’s this focus on more open plan and broken plan living that has led to the rise in popularity of the humble kitchen island. It helps create a focal point in larger spaces and provides additional workspace and storage which is a must in increasingly busy homes. If you’re considering upgrading your kitchen with an island here are even more reasons why we think they’re great.
- Extra storage space
Extra storage space is a big plus in any home and introducing a kitchen island can be a great way to get some. Of course, you need to make sure you have the available floorspace in your kitchen to make this layout work, but given they come in all different shapes and sizes, we’re confident you can find one to suit your home. Kitchen islands offer more than just extra cupboard storage too. Don’t forget, that you can also utlise the space above your kitchen island to create additional storage solutions. You can do this because people will no longer be walking through this space so by taking inspiration from bars and hotels, you can introduce features like an overhead glass rack to maximise storage and introduce even more style into your home.
- Extra workspace
As well as delivering extra storage, kitchen islands also deliver extra workspace. They immediately add a new expanse of kitchen worktop into your home, and this opens opportunities for more working surfaces in your kitchen. It doesn’t have to stay all worktop though, many people are now using kitchen islands as the location for their kitchen sinks, built in chopping boards and even hobs. By using the kitchen island to support some of these heavy use kitchen items, you can free up space in your existing kitchen layout and potentially even improve the flow around the room and eliminate pinch points that can make a space feel smaller.
- Extra seating & dining space
We mentioned it in our introduction, but the kitchen dining island is a big trend that’s set to continue into 2022. These kitchen islands go one step further by also incorporating a specific eating and dining element. This can be done in several ways such as the kitchen island then stepping down into another table height surface which you can surround with chairs or alternatively, the kitchen island can step up into a higher, bar stool height creating a less formal, breakfast bar style dining space. Either way, the kitchen dining island helps deliver even more useful space into your home. These types of islands can also be used to make a real style statement depending on the materials, configuration, and accessories you choose.
- A strong interior design statement
A kitchen island is best considered as a piece of furniture. That way, it is easier to consider this as a style statement in your home. We recommend thinking about the materials you choose for your island as well as the colours and don’t forget, this doesn’t have to be consistent with your existing kitchen. The island can be used to really create a contrast with what you already have. Mix materials too, especially if you’re going for the kitchen dining island. Transitioning from materials like quartz and marble for the kitchen side of the island and crossing over into wood or tile for the dining side can be an effective way to create impact in your space. Once you’re confident on the materials and colours you’re using, it’s important to remember to style your kitchen island too. That means considering things like sinks, taps, hobs and extractor fans if you’re making it a working surface, but also softer touches like chairs, soft furnishings and even countertop plants and canisters.
- A social focus for your home
Last but by no means least, we think the biggest thing that makes kitchen islands great, is the social focus they can create in your home. They tend to be natural gravitational points in a home where people come together, especially if they double up as a dining space too. If you love cooking and entertaining, then a kitchen island also creates the perfect stage to showcase your latest culinary skills, while still being able to talk and interact with your guests. For family living they can make busy mornings that little bit easier by allowing the children to sit and eat breakfast while your making packed lunches and in the evening, it can make a fantastic homework space, so you can be on hand to help whilst also cooking tea. It doesn’t matter how you like to spend your time; we think the kitchen island can make a positive different to any home, especially if you like to socialize.