When remodelling your kitchen, you must balance a complicated host of factors. In fact, homeowners must consider the following: resale value, aesthetics, and functionality. One feature that intersects all of these categories is the kitchen island. This is especially the case as many homeowners only opt for conventional models of this kitchen appliance. Because the island is a focal feature, you want to introduce a model that is unique, beautiful and consistent with the rest of your space. What follows are a number of suggestions on how to reconsider the kitchen island as you move forward with your kitchen remodel.
Kitchen Islands are not Purely Decorative
Many homeowners fall into the trap of believing that kitchen islands are mainly decorative. Homeowners often feel that because these features are ubiquitous, that they are structures we must mindlessly incorporate within our own spaces.
In rethinking your kitchen island, we recommend thinking about it as a highly functional feature. There are a wide variety of islands that will bolster this belief. You may want to invest in an island with stacked drawers bookending this feature, for instance. This sort of island works incredibly well in kitchens with minimal storage. In these drawers, you might store anything from linens to prized items from your pantry. Another way to rethink the functionality of the kitchen island is by using it as a type of message board. If your kitchen adopts a family-centered vibe, you might want to coat one side of your island with chalkboard detailing. As such, you can leave beautiful messages and reminders for friends and family alike.
Consider the Layout of Your Kitchen
This tip blends in with the former. With that said, it is quite important that you implement a kitchen island that considers the overall layout of your space. If your kitchen adopts an irregular shape, it is important that you select an island that mimics this irregularity. To provide an example, kitchen islands configured as composite shapes work beautifully in irregularly shaped rooms.
Conversely, open concept kitchens blend beautifully with long, rectangular islands. Of course, this is the conventional shape of a kitchen island. Just be sure that you recognize that this is not the only shape that this feature can adopt. Another aspect to consider is your lifestyle in the kitchen. It is worth asking yourself the following questions: Do I enjoy cooking, and do I do so regularly? Or, do I privilege the aesthetic composition of my space.
If you realize that cooking is an activity that you thoroughly appreciate, you may want to equip your kitchen island with a functional sink. Also, you should orient your island closer than normal to any other cooking surface that your kitchen might contain. This will contribute to a layout that is beneficial to your lifestyle, rather than a layout you simply feel to make sense.
Construct Your Island From Repurposed Objects
Another way of rethinking the kitchen island is to consider repurposed materials. Far too often, homeowners head straight to the hardware store when they move forward with a kitchen remodel. But, doing so tends to result in a large amount of overlap between the types of kitchen islands both seen and used. If you are hoping to use your kitchen island as a point of difference, using repurposed objects is an excellent approach to achieving this aim.
For example, you might be holding on to a special bookshelf that has long since abandoned its original purpose. If so, you can easily use this antiqued feature as a repurposed kitchen island. By laying and securing the bookcase on your floor, you can achieve an especially long and functional island. Indeed, the shelves on this bookcase can serve as open-concept shelving within your kitchen island. These shelves might host any produce you plan on using within the very near future, too. You can also store pots, pans and plates on these embedded shelves. An added bonus of this feature is that open-concept shelving has been dubbed thoroughly contemporary. So, by repurposing antiqued furniture to form your kitchen island, you can effectively modernize your space.
When remodelling your kitchen, there are a number of factors to both balance and consider. One of the central features that you will need to think about is the kitchen island. In many ways, the kitchen island serves as the central focal point of the space. To breathe new life into your kitchen island, you should introduce a style that is highly functional. Perhaps this takes the form of an island with tiered shelves, or chalkboard detailing. Finally, you need to match the design of your island to the overall layout of your space. This ensures that the entire kitchen looks cohesive.
