Island Kitchen Plans
Very popular in contemporary kitchen designs, an independent island unit allows the cook to socialize with guests or family members in the living or dining area while working. The island plan is a popular design because it features a floating workstation. Islands are a great addition to any style kitchen, if you have the room.
That said, islands work best in an l-shaped kitchen that measures 10 by 10 ft. and open to another area. Often that area is a family room or an informal dining room. In order to incorporate an island into your kitchen you must have a minimum of 42” of aisle space on all sides. If your kitchen is too small to allow for this, try a portable island that you can move in and out as needed.
There are many variations on how islands are used in kitchens. Some feature built-in cooktops; others have vegetable sinks, while another might house the main sink, dishwasher and compactor. Other islands feature only storage with stools for casual dining. Another plan might have the island opposite the sink with pull-out bins for simplified trash sorting and storage. Another idea might include a lowered sink for children’s hand-washing and a mini-refrigerator for their drinks and snacks.
When islands feature a cooktop, it’s important to include a hood mechanism of some kind to extract smoke and cooking odors from the kitchen. Often, people also hang their cookware from racks over the island. An island is also a convenient location for specialty countertops such as butcher block for chopping veggies or marble for rolling out dough for desserts.
In the designing of the kitchen island plan, your budget will determine the type of material, finish, the styling and design that you can afford. Some fairly extravagant islands have all kinds of customized features, such as a half-dishwasher for fine crystal and china, custom designed storage for cutlery and dishes and much more. The sky is the limit. For these types of installations, you would probably need the advice of a kitchen design planner.
U-Shaped Kitchen Plans / Galley Kitchen Plans / Island Kitchen Plans / Peninsula Kitchen Plans / Single-Wall Kitchens / L Shaped Kitchen Plans