Adding an Island to Your Kitchen

When people think of remodeling their kitchen, they often focus on changing the look of the cabinets or backsplash or updating to new appliances. While all of these are great choices, there are also many perks for adding a custom kitchen island to the room. You can increase the amount of storage and improve the overall usefulness of your kitchen with just this one addition.

Function

The first decision you have to discuss with your contractor is the purpose of your new island. Do you want it to function as extra cooking space, complete with a range or an area for food prep? Are you planning to use it to serve guests or perhaps add a few extra seating areas with bar stools? Should you add plumbing so that you can have a sink in the middle of the room where it is within convenient reach? Your desired function for the island will drive the whole design process, so it’s important to have a clear idea from the very beginning.

Style

A major benefit of getting a custom kitchen island rather than simply installing a premade version from the local home improvement store is that you can adapt it to the style of your kitchen. A good time to add an island is when you are already planning on upgrading your cabinets or countertops. That way, your contractor can build the new addition to match.

Size

When planning the new island for your kitchen, be mindful of how big you want it to be. You don’t want it so small that it doesn’t add much to the room, of course. However, you also don’t want a piece that is cumbersome to navigate around. When in doubt, leave yourself a little more space to move than you think you will need.

A custom kitchen island is likely to be your favorite part of your remodeling project. With the right design, it greatly increase the functionality of your kitchen.