Where Form Meets Function – Kitchen Island Designs

Kitchen island designs are an important part of defining how you will use your kitchen space. The kitchen not only serves as a place to prepare and serve foods, but it also serves as an important meeting place for friends and family. Your choice of island design will determine just how inviting and functional your kitchen can be for your family and guests.

Kitchen islands can add needed and valuable work space to your kitchen. There a several kitchen island design styles that can serve different functions. Their designs can be versatile and include wash areas, cutting areas, additional cook tops, special refrigerated drawers, warming drawers and other special cabinetry. They can also be designed in different shapes and lengths making it easier to find a style that suits the layout of your kitchen.

Simple Island Designs

A kitchen island can be as simple as a re-purposed rustic table or a or storage cart with a large work surface on top. These types of islands can create contrast in your kitchen and become a focal point because of their rustic design. Not to mention, a simple table or storage island will add more function and style to your kitchen while leaving your pocketbook intact.

Island Designs for Open Kitchens

Open kitchens are often the central meeting and entertainment location within a home or apartment. This type of kitchen island designs can be used a a gathering point. It can also be designed to help direct the flow of people from one room to another. For example: an island may encourage the flow of traffic from the living room through the kitchen and out to a patio or other outdoor space.

L-shaped Islands

This style of kitchen island can offer you much needed, extra counter space. Because this shapes offers 2 sides, you can use one size for food preparation while having a separate side for dining and other uses. This design works well when the rest of your kitchen cabinetry and work areas are also L-shaped or limited to a single wall. By simply adding a few sitting stools to one or both sides, you’ll be adding more function to your kitchen and making your island an inviting place to sit and have good food and good conversation.

Over-sized Island Designs.

This type of island design offers the best of form and function. One side of the island can serve as a large food prep area. Add cabinets to this side to add more storage. The other side of the island can serve as a full eating area, Add a few chairs and your over sized kitchen island will become a meeting place to enjoy good food and good conversation. If your space allows, an over-sized kitchen island is an ideal design for having family style gatherings in the kitchen.

Kitchen island designs are important to both the aesthetics and functionality of your kitchen. Your design choice can give your kitchen more architectural style or give you the added function of more food preparation and storage areas. When your island can accommodate seating, it can even serve as an important meeting place for family and friends. This makes your island design choice one of the most important decisions you’ll make about your kitchen.