It’s fair to say that kitchen islands are high up on the must-have lists of all the clients we design bespoke handmade kitchens for. We thought it might be useful for you to understand the options available when you’re thinking about having a kitchen island: some may seem obvious, others maybe less so.
The Different Types of Kitchen Island
First up is the Cook’s Table, the original kitchen island used originally for chefs to prep food. This beautiful style is often found with thick and solid wooden worktops, which are usually seen as a butcher’s block for the preparation of meat.
Freestanding in their appearance, these kitchen islands are a very functional and stylish type – especially if you have a period property! Although they are very classic, they can easily be integrated with modern appliances and features to give a much more contemporary look to any kitchen.
The Breakfast Bar originates from North America and Australia, and it’s now a common feature of many kitchen islands that we design. Unsure if you want to have a breakfast bar? Consider how close your dining table is and if you have an open plan kitchen diner.
A breakfast bar can be a great feature if you have the room for people to sit in the kitchen without them getting in the way. If you, your partner, or children come home, they can sit up at the breakfast bar and talk about the day while someone prepares the meal.
The other type of seating that you may consider including in your kitchen island is booth seating or bench seating. The inclusion of booth seating on a kitchen island can be a great way to integrate the eating or dining area into the kitchen. Current trends lean towards curved booth seating around circular tables and integrate easily off the end or back of an island unit.
Consider Your Needs
More and more common nowadays is a kitchen island for preparing food. Featuring a sink and located opposite the main cooking area, an island can be a great place to prepare food with lots of room to work without making a mess. If this is the case, then it’s a good idea to have your bin unit in the kitchen island too so that, once you’re finished preparing food, you can throw away any waste quickly and efficiently into the bin and carry on with the cooking.
The latest trend in kitchen living is cooking on the island itself. For many years, the hob or the range cooker would be against a wall. This meant that anyone who was preparing a meal would have their back to the room while they were cooking. With downdraft extraction hobs being produced now by all major appliance companies, this can change.
Picture this, the kitchen in your home may be for entertaining or simply for cooking for the family. Your partner is sat up at the breakfast bar pouring some wine for you and your guests and, instead of facing the wall, you’re cooking a meal on your downdraft hob that is built into the island unit. This allows you to be part of the conversation while getting dinner ready. There is no unsightly extraction unit hanging from the ceiling, either: all the steam and smells coming from your pans is being sucked down into your island unit and filtered into clean air. Cooking a meal should be a sociable and enjoyable, and new innovations such as downdrafts hobs make this possible.
Choosing Your Perfect Kitchen Island
The great thing about a bespoke handmade kitchen is that your choices really are unlimited. If you want, you could have all of the above styles. In fact, some of our clients do! Another popular feature we haven’t talked about is refrigeration or, in particular, wine storage. A luxury bespoke handmade kitchen wouldn’t be complete without somewhere to store your favorite wines and champagne, and what better place than on the island?
If you’re ready to sit down and have a consultation about planning your new kitchen, then don’t hesitate to call or email now to book in a time convenient for you.
Alternatively, if you just want to find out more information, feel free to request a brochure.