Kitchens are one of the most used rooms in our homes, with Americans spending upwards of 400 hours a year in this space. With the rise of open-plan living, this hotspot of the house has transformed from once an isolated room into a central hub. Today, kitchens are multi-use spaces, acting as dining, living, and utility room. And with the addition of the kitchen island, you provide this space an anchor for everything to revolve around.
Our G.J. Gardner Homes designers love kitchen islands for their versatility. Whether it’s a desk for homework, extra storage, or your breakfast table, a kitchen island can do it all. Through considered design, this kitchen accessory will enhance your kitchen’s functionality and feel. With various design styles available, you can customize your kitchen island design to suit your lifestyle and needs.
From aesthetics to practicality, kitchen islands are a staple to any high-performing and appealing kitchen. Here are G.J. Gardner Homes’ favorite design ideas to make the most of this kitchen essential.
What is a kitchen island?
The term kitchen island refers to the free-standing counter typically placed in the center of the kitchen. It’s stayed an essential part of home kitchens for centuries as a worktable, providing extra counter space for food preparation. With this additional worktable, you can avoid your main countertops from getting cluttered with appliances and products as you cook.
Although the kitchen island was first introduced for functionality, it also helps to create an inviting kitchen space. Without adding an island, it’s easy for our kitchens to sit against the wall and feel like an add-on to our living rooms rather than its own space. With a kitchen island, our wall-set cabinetry stays connected to the rest of the room and lets us enjoy a sense of cohesion. We might not expect it, but a kitchen island plays a vital role in creating visual balance by adding a focal point to the kitchen.
Through design choices, you can enjoy both the efficacy and aesthetic appeal of a kitchen island.
Our favorite kitchen island design ideas
When designing your kitchen, G.J. Gardner Homes’ wide range of customization options and homes lets every part of this space reflect your style and taste. As such a central part of the home, everything from details to finishes is an opportunity to increase not just your home’s practicality but its personality. With our design team, your kitchen island can be customized to complement your lifestyle and home goals to ensure it works for you.
Here are a few great ways to adapt this classic kitchen feature to make it align with your taste and needs.
Multi-level Islands: Perfect for families with kids, kitchen islands with multiple levels or varying heights have gained popularity for both their functionality and style when you’re cooking, dining, and entertaining. With multi-levels, you provide depth to your kitchen and dedicated spaces. One level could be at hip height to work as a dining area, while another could be higher to expand your cooking space. The multi-level style lets you embrace the multi-use aspect of your kitchen in an organized and unique way.
Unique Shapes and Sizes: You can modernize the kitchen island by reinventing its classic shape and opting for the luxury of a circular or hexagonal design. Through a custom design, you offer your kitchen a unique layout. With a circular design, you allow for more effortless movement around the space, which is perfect for smaller kitchens.
Built-in Appliances: Take the load off your main cabinetry set and incorporate some of your kitchen’s core features into the island unit. From cooktops to sinks and wine fridges, built-in appliances let you elevate your kitchen’s offering through effective use of space. This creates a more harmonious and well-connected kitchen for cooking while diversifying your kitchen’s amenities.
Bold Color Choices: With the kitchen island already such a focal point, bold and vibrant colors like emerald green, navy blue, or even black let it make even more of a statement. Our kitchens tend to stick to a classic neutral color palette, and with a unique kitchen island tone, you add visual interest and contrast. A bold color keeps your kitchen island’s functionality but makes it fun.
Seating and Dining: Keep your family connected by adding seating into this central kitchen unit. Perfect for eating or working, bar-style seating is a great design idea that makes this space more livable and flexible. By designing your kitchen island layout to include a row of bar stools, you can effectively set your kitchen up to act as the central hub of the home.
How to find your perfect kitchen island
Finding the perfect kitchen island design for your family can be a challenge, and G.J. Gardner Homes’ team of expert designers and their decades of knowledge is here to help. If you want to build a customized home that lets you personalize these crucial details, contact our friendly team today.