Kitchen design with an island: 11 tips + photos

If you like to watch modern foreign TV series, then you probably paid attention to the chic open kitchen spaces in the apartments of the heroes. Bright, spacious, usually combined with a living room or dining room, they constantly become a platform for romantic events or chilling crimes. And, of course, an indispensable attribute of such a kitchen will be an island in the center of the room. In general, a large kitchen with an island is the most current trend in kitchen fashion in recent years. And it’s not just cinema and television that we have to thank for this. It is this arrangement option that is most often offered to us from the pages of glossy publications; it can be seen in the apartments and houses of celebrities; fashion designers and bloggers love it.

Let's try to figure out, together with mebeletoprosto, why a kitchen set with an island is so good? What are the pros and cons of this arrangement, and what types of kitchen islands are most popular now?

No. 1. Who is a kitchen with an island suitable for?

An island is a table that stands at a distance from the kitchen unit. It is equipped with its own countertop and can be equipped with a hob, sink and storage system. A kitchen island is not a mandatory piece of furniture, and it will not be appropriate in every kitchen.

So who can afford to install a kitchen island?

A full-fledged island is suitable for kitchens with an area of 20-25 m2 or more , and there should be a separate dining area.
A peninsula or a small mobile island is suitable for kitchens with an area of 15 m2 or more.
The kitchen table will look great on the border of zones in a combined kitchen-living room or studio apartment.
This is an excellent option for spacious cottages and country houses.

Is it possible to install a kitchen island in an ordinary city apartment? Difficult. If this is not a modern, spacious studio apartment, then you will have to get rid of some partitions, combine the kitchen and living room, obtain the necessary permits and still be content with the smallest version of the island. But if this is your interior dream, then why not?

Lighting

This unusual kitchen interior is complemented by general, local lighting and LED lighting. The lamp above the island should be able to change the direction of the light. If you have wall cabinets, they can be equipped with built-in mini-light bulbs. This will add special aesthetics to the design.

The photo shows a chandelier above the island in a kitchen interior made in a rustic style.

No. 2. Why is a kitchen island necessary?

A kitchen island can perform one task or a range of functions:

be part of the work triangle. The rules of ergonomics say that it is most convenient when the stove, sink and refrigerator are located at the vertices of an equilateral triangle. The easiest way to achieve this layout is with an island;
become an additional or main tabletop ;
completely or partially replace the dining area by placing chairs on one side;
be used as a storage place , since a lot of shelves and drawers can be organized under the tabletop. Typically, a kitchen island is used to store plates, pots, other kitchen utensils and cookbooks. Sometimes a freezer or dishwasher is built into it.

Designers call a kitchen island the best ergonomic option for organizing the space of a large kitchen.

Peninsula

Another practical and convenient model is a semicircular island. It can become not just the central element of the kitchen, but also act as the only piece of furniture into which the stove, sink, all household appliances and dining table will be integrated. This creates an ideal work triangle where there will be no obstacles to moving around the kitchen.

Photo: designer-kitchens.co.uk

No. 3. Pros and cons of kitchens with islands

The widest functionality along with decent dimensions allows us to talk about a number of pros and cons of a kitchen island. Let's start with the good:

convenience and ergonomics . Thanks to the presence of the island, all the main elements in the kitchen can be placed closer to each other. The housewife will spend less effort moving between the sink, stove, refrigerator and work surface. Consequently, time and energy are saved and comfort is increased. Moreover, if there is an island, several people can cook at once ;
the housewife, while preparing a culinary masterpiece, can easily communicate with household members and guests without turning her back to them;
a kitchen island can replace a significant part of the set and accommodate a hob with oven, dishwasher or sink;
the kitchen island, or rather part of it, can be used as a dining table or bar counter for small snacks;
an island can become the main element of zoning the space of a combined kitchen-living room;
The island looks great in large kitchens, adding chic and zest to them.

There are also disadvantages:

depending on the size, the island will take up from 1 to 3 m2 of area , plus there must be enough space around it for free movement. In general, for small kitchens a full-fledged island is a pipe dream;
If you are planning to place a sink or dishwasher on the island, then be prepared for difficulties associated with the transfer of communications and creating the necessary slope, which may entail raising the floor level. Moreover, in an ordinary apartment it will not be easy to do this.

No. 4. Distance between the island and other pieces of furniture

To ensure that the kitchen island does not interfere with free movement, opening drawers and the dishwasher, it is necessary to leave sufficient space between it and the kitchen unit or wall.

The minimum distance is 100 cm, the optimal distance is 120 cm . Only in this case will the kitchen island really be comfortable and ergonomic and will not cause inconvenience.

Pet dining room

Don't know where to place your beloved pet's bowls? The end of a kitchen island is the perfect solution! Build food boxes under the countertop, and secure bowls at the basement level. There they will not be conspicuous, get in the way and create a mess in the kitchen.

Photo: designer-kitchens.co.uk

No. 5. Standard kitchen island sizes

The optimal parameters of the island depend on the size of the kitchen and the personal preferences of the household:

in the spacious kitchen you can easily place island up to 2 m long, if there is a need for such a giant;
the standard dimensions for a kitchen island are 180*90 cm and 180*60 cm. Three standard modules will fit in length;
width usually ranges from 60 to 120 cm. A compact island 60 cm wide will have blank cabinet walls on one side. An island 90-120 cm wide can accommodate cabinets on several sides;
the island is usually made height 85-90 cm, like the rest of the set, so that you can cook comfortably. If a dining area is provided, it may be slightly lower. An alternative option is to keep the tabletop height the same and buy taller (half-bar) stools. Part of the tabletop can be raised, thus organizing a bar counter. Its logical conclusion will be bar stools.

Minimum dimensions of the kitchen island

The sink, refrigerator and stove are centers of activity that form the working triangle of the
kitchen. The kitchen is a place of work, so the room should be as comfortable as possible. The main centers of activity in the kitchen are the sink, refrigerator and stove. The placement of furniture is planned so that a person can move freely between centers and not get tired. Therefore, the distance between the kitchen and the island should be no less than 1 meter and no more than 1.5 meters. This distance will be sufficient for comfortable movement between functional areas and for free opening of all modules.

Kitchen island with dining area and sink

It is advisable to have a full-fledged kitchen island with a built-in sink and appliances if the room area is at least 18 square meters. If you install the island set in a room with a smaller area, you will not be able to maintain a comfortable distance between the main set and the island.

A small kitchen with an island will be convenient to use only if you place the dining area, sink, stove, oven and refrigerator in the island structure and Completely abandon the traditional wall set. Therefore, for rooms with an area of less than 18 square meters, it is recommended to install a kitchen island or a mobile kitchen island.

Kitchen island with dining area

Mobile kitchen island. If necessary, such a module can simply be rolled back to the wall. It is not possible to integrate appliances and a sink into the mobile island

The minimum acceptable dimensions of the kitchen island vary depending on its functional content. For an island in which only boxes for storing utensils will be located, the minimum size is 80 cm in length and 60 cm in width. Such an island can be made mobile by placing it on wheels.

This kitchen island can be used as a food serving trolley

Minimally equipped kitchen island: additional work surface and storage drawers

For convenient placement of the oven and hob, the dimensions of the island must be at least 80 cm x 140 cm. The cooking surface needs an additional countertop for preparing food. There should be at least 35-40 cm to the right and left of the burners in order to place a saucepan or frying pan.

On the opposite side of the stove you can place boxes for storing utensils

In order to build a sink into the kitchen island, you need to install a cabinet with dimensions of at least 80 cm x 150 cm. To accommodate two pieces of equipment, the kitchen island must be at least 80 cm x 180 cm. The more technology is built into the island, the larger its size. A full dining table top adds 60-80 cm to the width of the kitchen island. An additional 25-40 cm is sufficient to place the bar counter.

Kitchen island with dining area

Kitchen island with bar counter

To save space, the bar counter can be combined with a dining table or a worktop. If the kitchen space allows, then you can equip the bar counter as a second kitchen island. This will allow you to separate the kitchen and dining areas.

The first kitchen island is a platform for food preparation and storage modules. The second kitchen area is a bar counter, sink and worktop

The standard height of the kitchen island, convenient for cooking, is 85 cm. The countertop of the dining area is usually made below or at the level of the working surface. The standard comfortable tabletop height is 75 cm. The bar counter is installed above or at the level of the working surface. The standard height of the bar counter is 90-110 cm. However, you can make an island kitchen set of almost any size to order.

If you do not build appliances and a sink into the kitchen island, then its width and length can be any convenient

This kitchen island can be used as a sideboard or as a place to store food

No. 6. Kitchen island shape

Designers advise that the shape of the island matches the shape of the kitchen , i.e. For a rectangular room a rectangular island is suitable, for a square one - a square one. Rectangular and square islands have become so popular that many people cannot imagine this element of any other shape.

In addition to standard ones, islands can be semicircular, oval, intricately curved, triangular and more. An island of any shape and size can be made to order. The main thing is that, along with extravagance and unusualness, the island should be functional and fit harmoniously into the existing interior. Oval and round tables are convenient because they do not have corners and reduce the risk of injury, but they take up more space. Broken, triangular and other design options are rarely functional and require huge areas to arrange them without risk to health.

When choosing a shape, you need to look not only at the shape of the kitchen space, but also at the type of location of the kitchen unit . If an L-shaped layout is chosen, then a square island would be a good solution. For U-shaped kitchens, a rectangular island is usually chosen, but the final decision depends on the size of the room. If the set is located in one line, then you can choose an island of any shape. Bizarrely shaped islands are best supported with an equally unusual set.

Kitchen island shape

Rectangular shape fits perfectly into small spaces

Kitchens with an island can be of any shape. The most popular ones are rectangular, square, L-shaped and U-shaped. A rectangular kitchen island is usually located in small elongated rooms with a standard layout. Square islands, accordingly, are more suitable for square kitchen spaces, as well as for units arranged in the letter P.

Square kitchen island in a classic style Square kitchen island in a modern style Rectangular kitchen island. The dining area is highlighted by color and texture against the background of the work surface

L-shaped and U-shaped kitchen islands are considered functionally more convenient than others. More equipment and communications can be built into such kitchen islands. However, such islands are only suitable for spacious kitchens and kitchen-living rooms.

U-shaped kitchen island with built-in hob U-shaped kitchen island with built-in sink and hob G-shaped kitchen island with built-in sink yikoy

These are standard models that have already proven their functionality. In modern design you can find kitchen islands in zigzag, round and oval shapes. Such island structures look unusual and are perfect for a non-standard interior.

Round kitchen island Round kitchen island Mixing shapes: a round wooden table is connected to a rectangular table top. The table top can be of any shape. The work and dining areas are distinguished by color and texture

No. 7. Main types of kitchen islands

A standard kitchen island is a free-standing, stationary element. But what should those who have a kitchen not large enough to accommodate a full-fledged island do, but want to have such a useful accessory? It’s good that they came up with several interesting varieties of ordinary islands:

The peninsula differs from the island only in that one of its ends is adjacent to a wall, kitchen unit or window sill. This solution allows you to significantly save space while maintaining maximum benefits of a full-fledged island;
mobile compact island . These are now in collections from IKEA. When necessary, it can be placed in the kitchen, fixed and used as an additional countertop and storage space, and then rolled away, for example, into a pantry or pushed against the wall;
Archipelago is a type of kitchen island that is designed for spacious rooms. The archipelago is a system consisting of multi-level structures. This ensures maximum functionality. One part can be used for preparing lunches, the second for eating, and the third can be raised to the level of the bar counter and used only for snacks.

No. 8. Options for organizing a kitchen with an island

We have already said that the kitchen island is multifunctional . Now here are examples of how it can be used in the kitchen:

as an additional work surface. This is the easiest option to implement, since you do not have to transfer communications. If you love to cook, or there are several people in the family who actively experiment in the kitchen, then additional work space will only be beneficial. Just remember to place several sockets at the ends of the island. This will make it easier to use kitchen appliances and charge gadgets;
island with bar counter, which can become an additional zoning element. You can organize a bar area by using a tabletop protruding from one side, but the height of such a solution will not reach a full-fledged bar counter. An alternative solution is to raise part of the tabletop;
the island can flow smoothly into the dining table . In this case, it is desirable that its width be at least 90 cm. As for the height, it depends on who is more comfortable. Some people prefer higher tables and half-bar stools, then the level of the kitchen island will be uniform. Some people prefer a dining table of the usual height, then it will be necessary to provide a transition from one level to another;
island with electric hob organizing is already more difficult. Not only will you have to supply electricity (it’s better to run the cable along the floor), but you’ll also have to provide an exhaust hood. You will have to choose a special model, and also install an air duct, and then hide it behind the ceiling structure (stretch and suspended ceilings are suitable). This means that you will have to sacrifice the height of the room. But there is a way out - you can buy a hood with recirculation. It draws in air, purifies it and returns it back. Filters will have to be changed frequently, but if the ceilings are low, this is the only option;
kitchen island with sink will require moving water and sewer pipes, providing the necessary slope, and sometimes even installing pumping equipment. It’s good if you are building a private house, and you can plan in advance the location of communications as needed. What if we are talking about an ordinary city apartment? You will also have to coordinate the project, and it may happen that it will be completely impossible to place a sink in the island. But even if this option is feasible, do not forget that the pipes running down the middle of the kitchen will need to be hidden somehow. This means that the floor surface will rise and the height of the room will decrease. The same problems await you if you want to move the dishwasher to the island;
showcase island assumes the presence of a large number of open shelves where plates, souvenirs, and books are beautifully arranged. To enhance the effect, the shelves can be illuminated using LED strips or special furniture lamps. Open cabinets and shelves can be located around the entire perimeter of the island, or they can decorate only part of it, for example, the one that faces the dining area or living room.

The same kitchen island can perfectly cope with several tasks at once. For example, serve as an additional work surface, a location for a built-in oven and a snack area.

No. 9. Kitchen island style

The island part of the kitchen should be in harmony with the rest of the interior in terms of material, shape and color scheme. If the kitchen set is made of wood with a stone countertop, then it is better if the island is exactly the same. If the kitchen space is spacious enough, then you can take some liberties and place an emphasis on the portable cabinet using an interesting texture or shade. But even in this case, it is important not to get too carried away and lose the overall harmony of the room.

To create a harmonious kitchen interior, you must, first of all, start from the chosen style and select the appropriate island for it:

for classic interiors A massive island made of polished wood is suitable; the tabletop should be either wood or stone. Carved elements, gilding, panels and other decorative elements are welcome. The color scheme matches the interior, but preference is given to light shades and rich browns, olives, black-gray and gray-white. You can hang a large crystal chandelier above the island;
For modern interiors (high-tech and minimalism) a laconic island that fully matches the kitchen set will do. Minimum decor – maximum practicality. Preferred materials are artificial stone, steel, and tempered glass. On the island you can place an induction hob, build in an oven or sink. The main goal of modern interior styles is to simplify a person’s life and daily worries, so the idea of a kitchen island fits very well into this concept. Don't forget to organize a convenient storage system and allocate some space for snacks;
The island also fits into the Provence style. In this case, the preferred light pastel shades are: white, milky, light lavender, mint, turquoise, etc. The base is made of wood, the tabletop is made of natural or artificial stone of a light shade. A large number of drawers, shelves, wicker baskets are welcome; some of the shelves can be covered with chintz curtains in a checkered, floral or striped pattern. Special honeycomb shelves for storing bottles of wine will look good - Provence, after all, is a wine-producing region;
For a country style, you should choose a massive, even rough island made of natural wood. It is better to preserve the texture of the wood, so preference is given to varnishing rather than painting. Large shelves and cabinets, forged handles, a tabletop made of stone, wood or ceramic tiles - all this will complement the country style. Some shelves can be left open, new furniture can be aged;
in the loft style, the island almost always takes on the role of separating the kitchen area and the living room. The cabinet should be as simple as possible; you can use brickwork or a structure made of steel pipes as a base, and choose stone or steel as a tabletop. There is no need to hide the air duct from the hood - its presence will only emphasize the chosen style;
An island of a bizarre shape, with smooth, streamlined facades, will fit into the Art Nouveau style. Glass and metal are preferred;
Scandinavian style emphasizes simplicity and functionality. The base of the island can be wood, brick, concrete or metal; the preferred countertop material is wood. It is better to choose a light-colored island.

Material of manufacture

Most often, the following materials are used when making an island:

wood – average in price, not a very wide choice of design solutions, best suited for country or classic style;
Chipboard is the most affordable, modern coating makes it durable. Thanks to the wide range of colors, you can choose the design to suit any interior;
artificial stone - much more expensive than other options, looks very respectable, if handled carelessly, the surface is easily scratched and stained;
stainless steel - requires careful care of the coating, stains easily remain on it, suitable for modern or high-tech style.

No. 10. Island in the interior of a small kitchen

It is generally accepted that an island is a privilege only for owners of huge kitchens. Is this statement correct? Yes, but only partly. The classic bulky stationary island is only for large rooms , but if you have a small kitchen you can find a way out, although you will have to make compromises.

Take a closer look at small stationary models. An island with dimensions of 120*60 will allow you to equip additional workspace and storage space, if necessary, divide the room into zones, but will not take up too much space.

Also pay attention to all kinds of retractable and mobile options . You can order a set in which the island will be fully or partially retractable into one of the modules. An alternative option is to attach the tabletop to the wall and raise it as needed (for snacking, cooking). You can consider designs on wheels.

Some kitchens have an island in the form of a bar counter. The main task of this solution is to separate the kitchen area from the recreation area. On the living room side, the counter is equipped with high chairs, and on the kitchen side, it can be supplemented with a folding tabletop, which can be raised if necessary and used for preparing dishes.

Bar counter

An island in the form of a bar counter is an excellent solution for arranging a modern interior in studios or combined kitchen-living rooms. This model will not only replace a bulky dining table, but also clearly zone the space without unnecessary partitions.

Photo: smalldesignideas.com