Kitchen Islands

Kitchen Islands

It's a given in just about every kitchen, regardless of the existing layout and size: you always need more space for storage and for food preparation. A kitchen island can solve this problem perfectly, as kitchen islands are the ideal combination of practicality and beauty. Not only will this versatile addition to your kitchen provide ample space for storing appliances, bowls, plates, and other kitchen tools, but the top of the island allows extra space for food preparation, an ideal place to put groceries away, or even seating for extra guests at mealtimes.

To obtain extra space in your existing kitchen, you could undertake a lengthy and expensive remodeling project that will introduce messy dust throughout your home for several months. A ready-made island is a much better solution to this situation; in no time at all, you'll be enjoying the luxury of placing all of your most-used kitchen items in convenient drawers, shelves, and cupboards, and you'll have ample space to prepare food on the top of the island. An optional food-safe butcher block top helps to make food preparation tasks even easier.

Be sure to think about your existing kitchen's style and color scheme as you select the best island for your kitchen. Are you looking for something modern in style, or would a more traditional island be a better fit in your kitchen? What colors would coordinate best with your existing decor? What should the kitchen island legs look like? How will the storage spaces be utilized? Do you want a butcher block top, or would you rather have the top coordinate with your existing counter tops? What size should the island be to allow for additional functionality and to scale properly to the size of your kitchen?

It's important to also give some thought to where your kitchen island will be located. Consider the "work triangle" that is a standard tool in kitchen design; this is the ergonomic triangle with the points formed by the existing kitchen's sink, refrigerator, and cook top. Kitchen islands need to be located in a spot that coordinates with the existing work triangle in order to optimize their functionality as an addition to your kitchen. Functionality for accomplishing work is just one advantage of kitchen islands; the kitchen is becoming a central area for entertaining, so an island can help to give a group the perfect place to gather. If additional seating would be beneficial, look for kitchen island legs that raise the island to a height where people can be comfortably seated at the island.

The best islands for your kitchen will allow customization so that they fit well into your lifestyle and provide space for your kitchen and food items. For example, a wine storage rack within the island can provide an excellent place to stash your wine bottles, and the wine is then within easy reach for entertaining or to pop it into the refrigerator to chill. Adjustable shelving allows you to increase or decrease the shelf heights so that the space is best utilized to fit the items that you wish to store.

A kitchen island can provide a multitude of benefits that make your life easier and your kitchen tasks more convenient. In addition, an island can accomplish all of this while also adding style and beauty to your kitchen's appearance. Whether you select an island that blends with the existing cabinetry and counter tops or an island that stands out as a focal point, there's no doubt that you will wonder how you ever lived without this helpful addition to your.

Introducing Our New Kitchen Islands:

Adding Style and Functionality to Any Kitchen!

InvitingHome.com has launched a new collection of kitchen islands in three styles -- each one a triumph of form and function. Their beautiful design and solid construction will enhance any kitchen. All are made in the USA with solid birch details and hardwood cabinets and legs. The optional butcher block tops feature beautiful, hard maple construction and FDA approved food-safe glues and finishes.

Our Sonoma Kitchen Islands, the largest and most functional in our collection, come in four colors with fully adjustable shelves and roomy drawers. This island is 53-1/2" wide x 33-3/4" deep x 35-1/2" high and features soft-close under-mount slides on the drawers, European hinges and solid hardwood legs. Wine lovers take note: Optional wine racks, enough to hold up to 48 bottles of your favorite vintage, are available!

Our Hartford Table Top Island is available in antique white and distressed black. If it's additional workspace you're after without the density of a full cabinet underneath, the Hartford fits the bill with a top measurement of 45-15/16" wide x 28-1/16" deep. The 34-1/4" high unit features reeded, knock down legs, soft-close under-mount slides on the drawers with optional food-safe solid maple butcher block top.

The Saratoga Butcher Block Island is available in antique white and distressed black with classic legs. Our smallest island, the Saratoga is just perfect for more compact areas where work and storage space is at a premium. This island is 36" wide x 24" deep x 36" high and features soft-close under-mount slides on the drawers and knockdown legs. It comes standard with a luxurious 3" edge grain maple butcher block top.

Take a peek at this exciting new collection; we're sure it will spur you to imagine the possibilities.

Kitchen Islands and Peninsulas

Do you find yourself traveling from area to area when cooking in your kitchen? Are you short of storage space? Do you end up looking into a wall or having your back to your company while cooking? The solution to these problems is the centrally located kitchen island. The anchor of a busy kitchen, the island is a multi-talented fixture that provides a working surface and pivotal location for preparing food while helping to stylistically shape the room. Many of today's islands are spectacularly designed in both the form and functions they provide. Alluring silhouettes, multilevel surfaces, and varied head-turning materials are imaginatively combined. Built-in wine racks, adjustable shelving, rinsing sinks, cooktops, and warming drawers are just a number of the "bells and whistles" that accompany the well-equipped island. Keeping the island appropriately scaled to the rest of the kitchen is important. Many islands appear too large for the kitchen in which they are placed. An island should not be so big as to hinder movement in the room or visually bully the space with its size. Like cabinetry, it should be considered a piece of furniture that is thoughtfully integrated into the space and design of the room.

In a roomy layout, you can shorten the distance between the three key work areas by adding an island or peninsula. A peninsula base and ceiling-hung cabinets offer convenient storage for tableware and linens. In an L- or U-shaped kitchen, an island can add visual interest, breaking up the space without confining it. It also provides an extra work surface, a convenient spot for snacks or informal meals, as well as a place for setting up a buffet when entertaining.

A kitchen island can also serve as an excellent location for a cook top or second sink, if plumbing and ventilation hookups permit. It could also prove the ideal spot for a wine rack or cooler, a wet bar, warming drawers, modular refrigerator units, or additional general storage. For maximum efficiency, be sure the design provides a clearance of 48 inches from the island kitchen to the wall cabinets.