Islands Of Desire

Work surfaces and storage are the two major ingredients of any kitchen. Having a central area in your kitchen or an area separate from the flow of cupboards is what an island is all about.

 

Create an attractive central feature: the island would be eye-catching with an integrated  stainless steel or brass finish central cooker hood and a hob underneath. An eye-level gas oven could be positioned within your wall cupboard scheme.

 

A focus of social interaction: extend the island to create a breakfast bar and you have a place to chat with the person who’s cooking. Relax on a bar stool with a glass of wine – or lend a helping hand.

 

Size does not matter. Your island does not need to be big or bulky. In small kitchens your island can even be ‘mobile’. Buy a butchers’ block, have it mounted on wheels and not only do you gain a practical, convenient work top but you can wheel it out of the way when it is not needed.

 

Well endowed: your island can be equipped to your specification. You can have a couple of attractive, space-saving vegetable basket drawers or integrate a wine rack.

 

Food separation: when preparing meat or fish, it is wise to use a different surface. The island not only creates distance from your main cupboards but helps you to avoid the danger of cross-contamination.

 

Integrate a chopping board with discreet refuse disposal: the dust bin may be the top loading type so that all you do when you have prepared your vegetables is to slide away the lid of the bin and literally push the unwanted scraps into the bin.

Wired productivity: ensure you have thought about all the wiring and other service trunking you will need in advance. Since an island allows accessibility from all around, several people can be involved in the cooking process at the same time without getting into each others’ way.

 

Break the uniformity: in a large kitchen, the island is an ideal way to make use of wasted space. Integrate it with your seating layout in a kitchen-breakfast room and ensure the interplay of working space enables you to maximise on the surface area available.

 

Create more space in your main cupboard area: locate the sink on the island. This creates an uninterrupted work surface, giving you more space for appliances and general food preparation.

 

Vary your shape: an island does not need to be square, rectangular or boring. Introduce curves – giving chef a central stage while being surrounded by loved ones – and enabling your island to stand out, providing a style focus apart from its fundamental utility.