A kitchen island bench can increase the storage and countertop space of the kitchen, highly desired in the kitchen. However, not all types of islands work flawlessly for all kitchens. When planning a functional island for your kitchen, stay away from the common kitchen design problems listed below:
1. Blocking the Workflow
Ideally, position your kitchen island away from your work triangle (i.e. stove, fridge, and the kitchen sink), so you can work efficiently in the kitchen without any obstacles. It can make a difference, especially in open-plan layouts in smaller homes. If your island gets projected into the sitting area, an island may not be a feasible solution for your space.
2. Too Small Kitchen Island
A kitchen island should be ideally 3 feet long for it to be usable. If you don’t have sufficient space, you should go for a mobile butcher block station or a plain table if all you want is a bit more food preparation space. If you’re installing a breakfast bar on the outside and not opting for storage, you will get only one set of cabinets deep; otherwise, you will get two sets of cabinets deep. And the breakfast bar will jut out and would be around 12-18 inches. That means you will need added space for any trim.
3. Too Big Kitchen Island
You may be having a spacious kitchen, but if you fit an oversized island, it will make the space congested. As a general rule, you need around 41 to 49 inches of open space around your island. Conversely, if your kitchen is less than 13 feet wide, don’t install the island. And if you have a U-shaped kitchen, you should leave at least 11 feet wide open space to fit the island without causing congestion.
4. Fitting Too Many Seats at the Bar
A breakfast bar is an excellent feature of a kitchen island that many people want to have. When determining how many seats to add, make sure each person gets at least 24 inches of space; else, when they eat, their elbow may strike each other by accident.
5. Inadequate Kitchen Lighting
Appropriate kitchen lighting is vital! Inadequate lighting could trigger an accident while chopping food because you cannot see what you’re doing, so you might cut your finger. A trio of pendant lights is a classic way to boost light over an island. Besides, infuse the capability of dim light if you use the island for eating as well. That’s because good lighting for food preparation can get very bright when you sit for eating, so dim light offers more convenience.
6. Not Planning for Island’s Function
A kitchen island can function as a storage, food preparation area, washing, cooking, or serving. Even before you plan for an island, you should decide the function that your island will accommodate. It will have an impact on the width and depth of your island, particularly if you require more space to fit in appliances. Besides, having a large and wide island will facilitate you to set up multiple kitchen stations in it – for instance, a Kitchen sink and a cooktop. If you’re setting up different kitchen stations on the island, then you can’t add the seats to the island for dining.
Get a Clear Idea about Your Kitchen Design!
An island should seamlessly blend into your kitchen without congesting the place. Get the help of Paradise Kitchens – an established professional kitchen design company to get the desired outcome that you’ll be happy with for years to come. Give us a call on 02 9757 4400or get a quote, having over 30+ years of experience. We can ensure you’ll love your island for years to come.
