Function and Beauty: Making Your Kitchen Island Work For You

In the past few decades, kitchens have transformed from just a place to prepare meals to the social hub of the home. The small closed-off food preparation zones of yesterday have become kitchens that are warm, welcoming spaces that open up into other rooms. Families use their kitchen as project spaces, entertaining centres, dining rooms, and much more.

At the centre of it all? The kitchen island.

If a kitchen island is on your redesign wish list, you’ll want to fully consider what your family’s needs before incorporating it into your new design. Will you be primarily using it to prepare food or will you also need a place for your kids to spread out their homework while you work? If you entertain, do you mind if the guests see what you’re doing? If not, a dual-height island may be for you: it can shield the kitchen mess from an open living area.

Perhaps you’ll want to include a dining bar, or make one end of the island a dining table. Since the island can take up a fair amount of kitchen real estate, it makes sense to take advantage most of every inch. In fact, designers regularly incorporate cooktops, prep sinks, storage and appliances into kitchen island designs.

“You can make your island the focal point of your kitchen by adding legs or turnings to give the warmth of furniture,” says Monarch designer Sarah Holmstrom. “Or choose a different colour for the island cabinetry and countertop, and hanging unique artful lights above.”

To learn more about incorporating an island into your new kitchen design, call Monarch Kitchen and Bath Centre at 905-686-2001, or drop by our showroom and speak with one of our designers.