A classy kitchen island

Her majesty the Island: the dimensions and tips to take super style to the centre of your kitchen!

Kitchens with an island, even in reduced form, are always a sight for sore eyes. Being able to cook in a welcoming place, perhaps overlooking the living room or the dining room, immediately feels like a little luxury. After all, the kitchen island is a must-have that allows you to continue preparing meals while entertaining guests, keeping an eye on younger members of the family (even when they think no-one is watching) or watching the latest episode of your favourite TV show as you cook. How do you set up an island in the kitchen with stools, or without, in order to make the room stylish and chic? Here are some tips and ideal dimensions for a kitchen with an impeccable island!

Each “cuisine” deserves its own island

Let’s debunk a myth: there isn’t just one type of kitchen island, just like there isn’t just one type of kitchen. There are a myriad ways to design your own kitchen with a central island and to customise it to suit your space and style. You need to assess the area and any surrounding rooms to plan a composition that you will enjoy day-in day-out.

When there aren’t enough work surfaces, you can make the most of an island to extend your surfaces for prepping, cutting and chopping. In this case, you won’t need to add a dedicated table too, because the island can wear a variety of hats depending on the circumstances. Do you want to set aside a corner of your kitchen for quick snacks? A kitchen island with stools will allow you to eat and prepare meals on the fly and in the same space!

If on the other hand your kitchen is nice and roomy, perhaps overlooking the living room or dining room, it might be an idea to install a large island that can host a variety of functions in the middle of the room. In this case, your hob, sink, worktop and much more can all be concentrated in the island, with only tall units lining the walls. This will make for a show-stopping solution with a contemporary feel.

Kitchen island: keep an eye on size

What sets each “island” apart is its size. To be considered a proper island, you need between 90 cm and 120 cm in order to abide by what is referred to as the “inter-block stride rule”, in other words the distance between the island and the other parts of the kitchen should be covered in just one stride. To calculate this distance, you should also (and above all) also assess the opening of doors and baskets, without forgetting the dishwasher and the oven, especially if they are fitted in base units.

Obviously, the space dedicated to the island should be planned carefully, keeping in mind not only practicality, but also functionality, such as the water drains and the electrical connections, should these be positioned in this particular part of the room. Nothing should be left to chance!

If you don’t own a palace

Meaning: how do you plan a modern kitchen with an island if the available space is rather limited? Having standard dimensions is often a luxury that’s just not within our reach, irrespective of our budget. For instance irregularly shaped rooms, an unusual floor plan and the need to find room for everything sometimes clash with our dreams and desires. If that’s the case, you need to focus on the most suitable fit for your home, as well as its occupants and their preferences.

For instance, if you can’t keep to the ideal dimensions or perform the correct installation even of a small kitchen island, you can opt for a practical snack bench: this solution is a little less demanding, and more versatile, and is ideal to expand your work surfaces and the functionality of your kitchen. Indeed, there are even extra tops you can open as and when needed, such as Diagonal, the versatile top you only use when you need it. What’s important is that you plan your kitchen without forgoing aesthetic styling and personality!