Kitchen Islands Are a Primary Feature Of Many of the Best Kitchens

The kitchen tends to be the room that people spend the most time in together. Think of any party you’ve been to and eventually people gather together in the kitchen as they search for food or drinks. Having a great kitchen in the home gives a sense of pride, and also makes cooking easier. One of the best ways to improve a kitchen is to make sure that it has a kitchen island. 

Kitchen islands can make a big different to any kitchen. For those lacking counter space, an island can quickly fix that. For those without seating, the right designed island can make your kitchen a great place for a quick meal. For boring kitchens lacking any design fun, it can give the room a statement and showpiece. Essentially, a kitchen island can be whatever the kitchen needs! This article is going to take a look at some of the aspects of having a kitchen island as an introduction to potentially adding one to a home. 

Pros of Kitchen Islands

There’s a lot of benefits and pros to getting a kitchen island in the home. Obviously it depends on each home and what they really need. Some of the common benefits include: 

• Increased counter space - This extra space can certainly be put to good use, either with preparing meals, or for extra small appliances that are best placed on countertops. 
• Seating - Many island designs allow for some chair or stools to be placed at one end and tuck under. This is often perfect for breakfast or lunches where a full presentation at a table is hardly necessary. 
• Storage - Adding a kitchen island will almost assuredly increase storage options. Many islands are designed either with shelves or cabinets underneath the island. This can make it easy to store some of the numerous items every kitchen requires. 
• Centerpiece - As mentioned, kitchens bring people together. An island offers a central location that people will naturally gather around as they socialize. 

Cons of Kitchen Islands

Not everything about installing a kitchen island is a good thing however. There are some problems that can happen when you install an island. 

• Appliance Placement Issues - When you add an island, it can sometimes make it difficult to place appliances exactly as you would like. You need to account for wiring or plumbing that specifically goes to the island, and it’s likely those aren’t going to move in the future. 
• Price - Sometimes installing an island can be pretty expensive. In addition to that, there is the chance a contractor may rag on or have issues if the materials don’t come through correctly. 
• Space - Not every kitchen is going to have the space for a kitchen island. If that’s the case, then you may need to skip an island. 

Styles of Kitchen Islands

There’s a number of different kitchen island styles that can be installed. Some of the ones you may want to consider include: 

• Galley - A galley island is pretty straightforward. It’s a simple rectangle which may or may not include skinks or appliances. 
• Curved - This style of island is a really exciting look and perfect when you want to have some nice stools and a sitting area at the island. 
• U-Shaped - These islands can be a dream for anyone who really loves being a chef. The space in the middle means you’ve got access to all the countertops you could ever want. At the very least an electric cooktop will be built into this style of island usually. Prepare on one counter, turn 90 degrees and cook, turn another 90 degrees and clean up. The downside is they tend to be huge! 
• Rolling - The rolling kitchen island is an interesting addition. These islands will be on wheels and can function to help with serving elsewhere. Typically the wheels are kept locked and the island is used in the kitchen itself.