Kitchen islands

An island is a statement piece in any kitchen, serving a functional purpose as well as creating a focal point in the room where people can prepare food, eat, or just hang out. An island can transform your kitchen into the social hub of the home. Create a new seating area, give yourself more counter space and create a place that's perfect for entertaining. However, there are a lot of things to consider to ensure it ticks all your boxes. 

A kitchen island can have several valuable purposes in your kitchen.

The first is that it provides ample storage space in the base of the unit - a valuable addition to a kitchen where you don’t have lots of cabinets.

Many people also double up their kitchen island as a breakfast bar. All you need to do is add a row of stools by the island overhang for seating.

An island breakfast bar encourages use of the kitchen as a social space, as those who aren’t cooking have somewhere to sit without getting in the way.

Before you start styling, you need to plan the dimensions and placement of your kitchen island to ensure it’s suitable for the size of your space.

There is no one-size-fits-all for the perfect kitchen island. What’s important is that you find a size and shape that works for your kitchen.

If you have a large kitchen then the world is your oyster. A big island will fill an otherwise empty expanse of floor space and allows you to position your key appliances closer to each other by installing a sink or hob on your island.

If you have a smaller space, around 6ft x 3ft is a comfortable size for an island.

If you have to go any smaller than 4ft x 2 ft then it’s advisable to avoid an island altogether, as it will probably be more of a drawback than a useful addition to your kitchen.

Most islands require a slight countertop overhang to ensure diners have plenty of legroom when seated. 12 inches is the ideal rough size for an overhang, but the clearance around the island is your first priority.

This means your first task should be to measure the space around your planned island, to ensure you have enough space between your island and countertops to maintain open walkways.

You should always leave at least 4 feet between your countertops and island, even if this means having a smaller island overhang.

An island is a statement piece in any kitchen, serving a functional purpose as well as creating a focal point in the room where people can prepare food, eat, or just hang out. An island can transform your kitchen into the social hub of the home. Create a new seating area, give yourself more counter space and create a place that's perfect for entertaining.