Decorating 101: Kitchen Islands

I finally remodeled my kitchen eight years ago. I had waited a long time for this, but finally all the things I’d been dreaming of were going to become reality. At the top of my wish list were more storage and more counter space. Adding an island would give me both. I wanted the island to be the center of activities and to include an overhang for seating and eating.

You can easily add an island to some kitchens without enlarging the room.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t so lucky. I was forced to knock down a wall between the combination dining room/family room, which was L-shaped. This area became an informal eating area/great room; the former family room became the formal dining room.

If an island is in your future, consider the following planning ideas I used in building my own kitchen island.

Countertop: We chose a solid Corian surface—wow, what an easy clean-up! It is great for rolling out cookies or piecrust. I’m delighted I opted for this upgrade.

Electrical outlets: If you can, install one on each end. You need at least one outlet for any appliances, such as a mixer, you might want to use. (It’s also nice to be able to plug your laptop in at the island when you want to work in the kitchen.) It doesn’t take much to install a second outlet, especially if you are already running electricity to the island.

Cooktop: I decided to put my cooktop on the island. We installed a Jenn-Aire with a downdraft exhaust vent. For me, the island was the best placement for the cooktop. But your decision should depend on the general layout of the rest of your kitchen. You might want to put a countertop/work area or a sink in your island instead.

Overhang eating area: By extending the countertop on one side–12″ at each end, curving slightly to 18″ in the middle–we created an eating area on the island. This has become one of the most enjoyable parts of our new kitchen! There’s plenty of room for breakfast and lunch on a daily basis. When company comes, the cook can visit with the guests while watching the meal. Conveniently, this space also works great as buffet and serving area.  By turning the burners low, you can even keep food warm.

Whether the island contains a cooktop, sink or cutting board, I really encourage adding an overhang. Even if you just have room for one stool, that will make a wonderful space to sit while doing some of the food prep or while reading the paper and having a cup of coffee!

Lighting: It’s really important to have proper lighting over your island. This is one area you don’t want too dark. Over our island we installed three recessed canister-style fixtures and put them on a dimmer switch.

Keep in mind: Plan to have a minimum of two feet around the island for traffic flow.  Of course, if you decide to add an eating area, you’ll need even more space.

Avo Barsoumian has been part of the interior decorating and flooring community for the past 25 years. He is the owner of Carpet Wagon, a family owned carpet installation company in Orange County. The offer the largest selection of elegant hardwood flooring, beautiful laminate flooring and plush carpeting under one roof. Searching for that perfect laminate floor in basement for your new condo or carpets to buy to redecorate your older home? Then give Carpet Wagon a call.