Advantages of kitchen islands
Nowadays, in the design of kitchens, it is increasingly common to include some type of kitchen island that articulates the space. No matter the size of the kitchen, there are many types of kitchen islands to choose from. From mobile islands with wheels to islands with so many seats as to replace the dining table articulating the set formed by the kitchen and the living room. Given the multiple options that minimize the possible inconveniences, we present different reasons to consider introducing a kitchen island in your designs.
In this blog of architecture and interior design, we discussed a few weeks ago the ways we had to take advantage of the installation of a kitchen island. It is an element capable of resolving and structuring the distribution of the social area of the home, articulating the different spaces.
For this reason, you should not be surprised that in Coblonal Interior Design we have included many kitchen islands in the different interior design projects in which we have worked.
Below, we show you what we should take into account for the inclusion of a kitchen island, as well as the main advantages offered by kitchen islands in the design of your home.
Integral reform and duplex interior design in l’Eixample
What we should consider including a kitchen island
To achieve the perfect adaptation of a kitchen island in the distribution of space, we should take into account three main aspects.
Its functions
And yes, we speak in the plural given that the kitchen islands can include kitchen equipment and appliances or, be a work table that serves both cooking, eating, reading, chatting, or working.
Its Situation
Hand in hand with the functions we must determine their situation in the whole space. The cooking islands are, to our knowledge, the best way to open the kitchen to the living room. The precise situation that we choose for this will determine to a large extent the functions foreseen or not foreseen that will be developed once installed and in operation. We must think about what uses will have on each side of the island, it is not the same to reach it from the living room as from the kitchen area itself. What areas of passage around you will be the most common. Some of our kitchen islands generate different spaces throughout the day since the uses of the same and their functions are at the same time different.
Its materials
The materials that we will use and their conjunction with the whole space will be decisive to achieve an optimal integration with the whole. Ideally, look for materials that harmonize with the materials used in the rest of the space. Stainless steel, wood, stone, or porcelain used in the pavement can serve as a reference, as well as used in kitchen furniture or lounge furniture. In any case, we believe that the election must seek its integration in the whole and never stand out as a singular element, given that given its characteristics we run the risk that the island would seem an addition.
The main advantages of the kitchen islands
Among the many advantages, we highlight a set of shared attributes that make the kitchen islands a privileged ally for the interior designer.
They allow opening the space
The islands of kitchens are a perfect piece to fulfill one of our maxims in interior design: Outside Partitions! Replacing the partition that separates the kitchen area with the living room by a kitchen island, although the island is always wider than the wall, will provide us with a broader perspective of the total space. But it is not just a mere perception, but the new spaces and shared uses will eventually lead to an expansion of the space available for both areas when they are being used.
A multi-purpose workspace
The kitchen island allows us to use it as a work surface, dining table, where to chat, open areas of passage and we can even reserve a corner to make the functions of hall. The intended and resulting uses are multiple because our practices transform the same places in different spaces throughout the day or depending on the occasion. They are intrinsically polyvalent pieces.
Invite sociability
If our kitchen island includes some stools or chairs we already have them available for when we invite friends or family to our home and we need to accommodate them. When connecting spaces allow that while someone is cooking, another person can accompany you from the other side by initiating a conversation. If we have a family, we can advance the dinner while the children advance their tasks or play in the living room or directly on the cooking island, thus being able to collaborate in their preparation. And so, endless options arise from the connection.
Aesthetic impact
Last but not least. The cooking islands have an aesthetic impact on the whole. Not because it is a singular piece, but because of the very articulation that they contribute to the space. The materials used allow to emphasize or clarify certain aspects of the whole. The choice of designer stools, the situation of a hanging lamp above you, or the envelope material itself and the legs result in an aesthetic impact that we should contemplate if we intend to renew our surroundings.
