Posted on: June 2, 2006

Islands in the Mainstream

Kitchen islands are for the homeowner who wants to bake her cake and scrapbook, too.

By Paul Rogers
CTW Features

Imagine the perfect island. If you’re thinking sun, sand, tropical breezes and a sweet rum drink served in a pineapple, you probably did not participate in IKEA’s worldwide kitchen use survey.

According to a Gallup poll sponsored by the home furnishing store, the kitchen feature that homeowners covet most is an island, no chaise lounge or sunscreen necessary.

Forty-one percent of participants said they wanted to add an island to their kitchens, and those who already had one were twice as likely to be happy with their space as those who didn’t.

“When clients come in to us, the vast majority want an island,” says Sara Ann Busby, a certified kitchen designer and owner of Sara Busby Designs, Elk Rapids, Mich. “Usually, they want it for flexibility. It can be used as a cooking space, a dining space, a craft area, a homework area… there are lots of different uses for a kitchen island.”

“An island allows more than one person to work in the kitchen at the same time,” says Fred Flock, a certified kitchen and bath designer with Bella Cucina Inc., Southfield, Mich. “They work great for buffets and casual entertaining, and frequently they’re positioned so that the host or hostess or cook can converse with guests while preparing the food. It’s a more convivial way to use your kitchen.”

The flexible functionality an island provides is necessary because the kitchen has become the hub of family home life. In the IKEA survey, only 24 percent of respondents said they use the kitchen solely to prepare food. Instead, they said they use it to entertain guests, socialize, play with kids, work on hobbies and conduct family discussions.

But not just any kitchen can accommodate an island nor can every island deliver the flexibility required by today’s homeowner. There are very few universal do’s and don’ts in island design, but one major rule is clear: Don’t cram an island into a small kitchen just to say that you have an island. It defeats the purpose.

Ideal aisle space around an island is 48 inches, and kitchen designers say they prefer at least 42 inches. If installing an island leaves less than 36 inches of aisle space, “just don’t do it,” says Flock.

And although “bigger is better” is the general rule for islands, don’t make it so big that it hinders the flow in the kitchen and detracts from functionality. Eight feet by eight feet is about as big as Busby’s gone in her designs. A judiciously placed two foot by two foot chopping block can be better than a monstrosity so large that the countertop requires an unsightly seam.

What you have to be careful of in big islands is creating so much countertop that certain areas become hard to reach, says Busby. One client demanded an excessively large island and then realized the center of it was useless. Busby went back and raised the center for flowers or art.

Island design is all about maximizing space: the kitchen space in general, the surface area of the island and the storage space underneath it. Islands have taken the place of the eat-in kitchen, says Judy Adams Hunt, a certified kitchen designer with Eurotech Cabinetry Inc., Sarasota, Fla. “People always wanted a space like that, but now it is a space with storage rather than just a table and chairs.”

Below the surface, today’s islands include shelves, cabinets, wine coolers, warming drawers, microwave drawers and refrigerator drawers. On top, you’ll find prep sinks, bar sinks and plenty of countertop workspace.

Designers caution against putting in major appliances or primary sinks for a number of reasons. Ranges generally require overhead ductwork, creating a cramped, closed-off look and using too much potential counter space required for other kitchen activities. One client of Busby’s wanted to put a 36-inch cook-top range into a 60-inch wide island, leaving only one foot of countertop prep space on either side.

“When we talk with clients about what they want an island to do, we usually talk about a lot of flexibility for setting a buffet or having kids do crafts or a variety of things,” says Busby. “But once you put an appliance in there, you’re defining the space once more.”

Designers are finding other ways to keep functionality broad. One of the biggest trends in islands is multiple levels for different tasks. The prep area may be 36 inches high for chopping, slicing and performing other cooking tasks. But the area facing out toward the family room or where guests may be standing might be 42 inches high, blocking part of the mess on the countertop.

Adams Hunt has installed taller 42-inch cabinets on the end of the island not only to shield the view of the prep area but also so people can store dishes or other items without having to bend over. On other islands, she’s reduced the height in places to 30 inches.

“Some people like a drop-down area at 30 inches high instead of 36 inches so they can sit on a chair rather than a stool,” she says.

Varying heights also adds eye appeal. No design is purely utilitarian. The different heights add a sculptural element to the kitchen “so it’s not just a big box plopped down in the middle of the room,” says Adams Hunt.

In addition to different heights, the trend Flock is seeing is varying countertop materials. On one recent design, he combined stone and wood. On another island, the snack bar area featured glass, the food prep area Corian and the rest granite.

“The granite the client selected was extremely expensive, so we put it where it could be seen. For the work surface, Corian is less expensive and easier to maintain,” he says. “The glass is for drama,” adds Flock, with lighting concealed behind the rear edge adding to the “wow factor.”

There is a general trend toward wood countertops that utilize tropical species that are naturally darker in tone, such as wenge and mahogany. The tops feature a natural oil finish, are easy to maintain and hold up well in damp environments, requiring only periodic re-oiling, says Flock.

Busby is seeing more homeowners use islands as accent pieces for the kitchen, in which the base cabinets and countertop do not match the perimeter cabinets and countertops, but instead compliments them.

“It’s a warmer look when you’re not running the same materials throughout the whole kitchen,” she says.

And as everyone knows, people gravitate to islands for their warmth.

Comments	Date

Name:
Email:
Comments :

Copyright © CTW Features