3 Ways to Use a Kitchen Island

May 17, 2018

Kitchen islands are a common and popular addition to a kitchen layout. With open concept design and great rooms on the rise, most kitchens in custom homes have enough space to easily accommodate an island. The additional space is certainly nice to have. Here are a few ways to use a kitchen island:

1. More Prep Space

A kitchen island offers extra counter space, which means you have extra prep space if you need it. This is one of the benefits of kitchen islands and is valuable, especially when you are preparing a lot of food or if multiple people have to use the kitchen.

Having the island act as additional prep space creates a multi-use space in your kitchen. You can also customize your kitchen island to have an extra sink or even another stovetop built-in! The extra prep space and function are also reasons why including a kitchen island is one of the basement kitchen ideas as well.

2. Extra Storage

Your kitchen island also offers you some extra storage. It’s one of the ways to add more storage to your kitchen design. You will want to consider what you want to store in your kitchen island when planning the layout, so the storage options used are built deep enough, high enough, and strong enough to handle the items. For example, large pots and pans will require deeper, stronger shelves with higher clearances than a few serving bowls will.

There are plenty of storage options that can be integrated into your island including pull-out shelves, racks, and even square cubbies for wine storage. Built-in shelves can create a microwave nook and storage for other small appliances. You can also add refrigerator drawers, which is a nice addition if you’ll be doing a lot of meal preparation on your island. Small cabinets and shelves can even be built into decorative columns in your kitchen island!

Between cabinets, drawers, and built-in shelving, you can easily find a place for everything in your kitchen without it feeling cramped or cluttered.

3. Dining Area

In addition to more prep space and more storage, your kitchen island can also act as a dining area. An island with a raised level dining bar keeps your prep space and dining space separate while also expanding the island’s function. You can also keep your kitchen island on a level surface and attach a dining area to it. This sometimes takes the form of a round table that integrates with the island as an extension of it.

Adding a dining area to your kitchen island makes it a great space for kids to do homework and have a snack after school or for you to entertain guests and offer party snacks. It certainly makes setting out food for get-togethers or parties much simpler and more effective, which makes it a good option if you need to design your kitchen for entertaining. The extra seating definitely helps! Plus, you still have the extra space to use on your own. You can even add cabinets along the side that has seating to store your infrequently used items.

As you think about the design of your custom home, especially in the kitchen, think about how you would likely use a kitchen island. This will help you choose the right kitchen island size and will help your custom home builder ensure it’s built to your needs and can handle whatever you want to store in it. Contact Custom Home Group at 717-284-4090 to get started on the path to your dream home!