6 Types of Kitchen Islands for Your Custom Home Design

September 15, 2022

Kitchens are often one of the busiest and most lived-in rooms of your home. A kitchen island is a great place for people to gather around, plus it offers extra storage and space. If a kitchen island is part of your custom kitchen design, there are a few different types to choose from. Here are a few types of kitchen islands for your custom home design:

1. Island with Raised Bar

A raised bar island is a kitchen island that has two levels. This type of kitchen island is great if you plan to do a lot of entertaining in your kitchen. The raised bar is a great place to set out food and drinks or to simply gather around.

This type of island also is a great option for open floor plans. It can serve as a divider between kitchen and dining areas, which helps to define space in an open floor plan.

2. Appliance Kitchen Island

An island dedicated to appliances can help reduce countertop clutter. These islands can accommodate small appliances like microwaves or larger islands can house cooktop stoves. Having an island for appliances frees up your other countertops for food prep or other large appliances. This is also common in wet and dry kitchen design

3. Waterfall Island

Waterfall islands are dramatic and classy. This type of island fits in well in both modern kitchens and minimalist kitchens. With waterfall islands, the countertop flows seamlessly over the sides, much like a waterfall. This design makes food cleanup a breeze thanks to the smooth design.

Most waterfall islands come in marble or quartz, but you can find them in concrete or butcher block if you prefer a rustic look. This can also be a great way to incorporate concrete into your custom home design or add an industrial flair to your interior design theme.

4. Storage Cabinet Island

If you’re looking to maximize kitchen storage, this type of island may be your best option. The closed cabinets offer you more storage for pots and pans, bakeware, or other kitchen tools. These things can be very bulky and can be hard to organize, so a dedicated space is helpful. You can order pre-made storage islands, or have one built to your specifications. Either way, you’ll appreciate the extra space!

5. Split-Level Island with Seating

Much like the raised bar island, this split-level island is great for entertaining. The raised bar is great for a buffet, but it’s also great for quick meals with your family, like breakfasts. This can also be a way to include a breakfast nook in your custom home design even if you don’t necessarily go with the standard breakfast nook.

The raised bar island works well for entertaining because it allows the cook to interact with guests, while still having space to work. The lower tier offers extra prep space and can also function as extra space to place food if there’s not enough room on the raised bar.

6. Mobile Kitchen Island

A mobile kitchen island is convenient if you want to move your island around as you work. This can be helpful as you move about the kitchen and need extra space to work.

These mobile islands have evolved and come in a variety of styles that work in any kitchen. Choose from simple metal frames and shelves to a butcher block island that would fit in well with farmhouse decor style.

These are just a few different types of kitchen islands for your custom home design. Before you decide on a type, be sure you know what size of kitchen island you plan to have. This will help you narrow down a type of island. If you’re ready to make your dream home and kitchen a reality, contact Custom Home Group at 717-284-4090!