Kitchen Island Designs: 5 Common Mistakes You Need To Avoid

If your kitchen space is big enough, having a kitchen island can be a huge advantage. It can be a great way to add extra counter space or storage space to your kitchen. Besides that, if you love socializing, it can be a great space to entertain your family and friends. But you will need to get it right.

When you are planning a kitchen island for your kitchen, you will need to consider the functionality. Think about what you are going to do with it. Consider if there will be any integrated appliances, whether a dining area with chairs or what level of work you will have there.

A kitchen island can add value to your kitchen, but its area should be safe and accessible. You should be able to move around the kitchen easily. You will need to consider how much space you have to work with and how you will use the kitchen.

1. Not Enough Space Between The Kitchen Island And Kitchen Cabinet

There must be enough space to move about in the kitchen between the island and the cabinets for more than one person around the perimeter of your kitchen.

Besides that, you need to ensure enough space to open cabinet doors and drawers without banging into each other. This is very important, especially if your kitchen space is small.

Consider the purpose of your kitchen island as the best proportion for a kitchen island depends on how you use it. If you plan to use it for food preparation, keeping at least 1m between kitchen appliances or walls is best.

If your kitchen island is for dining purposes, you will need to add some stools or chairs. If this is the case, the space between kitchen appliances or walls should be at least 1.2m.

2. Not Thinking About The Purpose Of The Kitchen Island

One of the common mistakes when people get a kitchen island, is that they ignore its purpose. Kitchen islands can be used for storage, prep station, serving, cooking, and washing up. It would be best to decide what you want to do with the kitchen island. It will affect the width and depth of your kitchen island, especially if you need room for a major appliance.

You can install multiple kitchen stations if you have room for a wide kitchen island. For example, you can consider installing a sink and a stove. Most people will also incorporate it with seating space, but it wouldn't be a great fit if you have a cooktop.

If you are considering installing a stove on your kitchen island, you should have a cooker hood above it, or your house will be full of the smell of your cooked food. It may not be nice to have a cooker hood hanging down in the middle of the kitchen, and you may want to install a sink instead.

3. Awkward Seating Area For Your Kitchen Island

If you consider your kitchen island as a dining area, seating will be an important factor. It would be best to decide which side to place and what is behind the sitting. Besides that, you need to consider if it will block the cabinet doors and the space. You would want to avoid blocking the access to your kitchen appliances and feel like you are being squeezed in like sardines.

So when deciding where you want to place the sitting, you need to take note of the kitchen flow without interrupting it. Think about how you will use the space, cupboards, and doorways and decide based on these factors.

4. Not Considering The Shape Of Your Kitchen Island

Most kitchen islands you see are rectangular. If you think rectangular is outdated, you can look beyond the orthodox and consider some more unusual shapes. It isn't necessary you need to get a rectangular kitchen island which is the same as others. An unusual shapes kitchen island can stand as an asset in your kitchen.

Some curved kitchen island helps to soften the kitchen design. It has full of sharp lines. Besides, it may be safer if you have small children running around as it may not have any sharp points. You can also have a dual-height island if you want to use it as a workplace and kitchen. It can help zone areas of the workspace and block a messy kitchen area in an open-plan layout.

Consider how you live in the space and the needs of your family. Trying out a different shape-size kitchen island can also be an excellent kitchen storage idea. It helps you conceal awkward kitchen appliances or can be hard to clean up.

5. Not Choosing The Right Surface For Your Kitchen Island

There are many materials for kitchen islands, such as marble, granite, and wood. You may be tempted to choose something stylish and aesthetic when browsing for kitchen design ideas, but you will need to consider the practical too.

If you are careless and likely to spill over red wine, quartz may be a better option, which is porous and marks easily. If you are likely to put hot pots and pans directly on top of your kitchen island, you may want to get granite as it is heat resistant and unlikely to chip or scratch. If you don't like maintaining, you wouldn't want to get wood as it needs regular oiling, and you can only leave water on it for a short time.

So when you are getting the material for your kitchen island, consider your habits and be honest with them. A kitchen island can be a great investment that can last for years. The wrong material will cost you a bomb.

Here are some common mistakes most people will make when getting a kitchen island for their space. Avoid them, and you will get a kitchen island that lasts long. You can visit https://www.ampquartz.com/ to seek professional help.