Kitchen island
The kitchen is the heart of the house. During the course of the day, every resident gets lost in this room, regardless of whether it presents itself as a closed room unit or is more dedicated to an open living concept. The kitchen island with seating is a very special furnishing element. It removes and de-warps the kitchen, which is otherwise bound to the walls of a room, and likes to attract the attention of the beholder. It is so wonderfully practical and supports social gatherings. How can you design a kitchen with a cooking island or kitchen counter? How big can or must such a link be? I answer these questions in the following book of ideas.
The right alignment in the room
In general, the parallel alignment to a) the longest kitchen unit and b) the longest living room wall is a good starting point. Also consider whether a dining table is also planned and how it should be placed. Does the counter replace or complement a dining table? In the next step, look at the position of the windows. You can cook with your back to the window. Your observers sitting on the kitchen island are allowed a view of the garden behind you.
The appropriate size of the kitchen island
An island that is too big in a small kitchen is more disturbing than beneficial. An island that is too small in a spacious room appears lost. With this in mind, choose the dimensions carefully and draw up a sketch in the planning phase. An additional consideration is to connect the kitchen island to a wall regardless of its size and only make it accessible from two long and one short sides.
Modern kitchen with free-standing island and seating
Modern kitchens are ideal for placing a cooking island. A kitchen island or counter is also popular with minimalist tendencies. Storage space can be created here and a tidy focus is created at the same time.
Kitchen island and storage space
A well thought-out kitchen island has a pleasant number of storage space options. More is not always better. It’s more about the arrangement of the individual drawers and base cabinet elements. It should be accessible from 3 to 4 pages. If you equip the kitchen island later, reserve the area where you can sit for rarely used utensils, plates and glasses.
Modern kitchen island with wall connection
A kitchen island looks much less dominant when it is attached to a wall. There is a certain lightness in the kitchen design. A visual connection is made to the rest of the kitchen, such as the worktop.
Modern bar stools
Modern bar stools come in different materials, colors and shapes. Precisely because they have a different seat height than conventional chairs, you should definitely check them for comfort before buying. This also raises the question of whether you want backrests and armrests, or whether stools are more in line with your wishes.
Freestanding kitchen island made of wood
Wood as a material brings naturalness and warmth to the modern kitchen. Designs that give priority to the grain and natural coloring of the wood are particularly appealing. With regard to the kitchen island, an organic connection with the surroundings is created in no time at all, with a view of the living area and recurring wooden elements in the furnishing style.
Wooden stool
If you don’t want a complete kitchen made of wood, stools and seating can also add charming accents. If they are also ergonomically shaped, their naturalness comes into its own. Gone are the days when kitchens looked cool and aloof.
Country kitchen with island
Modern country kitchens are bold and timeless design statements. This is also reflected in the design of the associated kitchen island. Both the color scheme and the imposing dimensions make it clear that such a kitchen is proud. It has adequate space to prepare food and enjoy.
The counter as a meeting place
Precisely because a counter heralds the transition to the rest of the apartment, it is a literal link. Here you can meet at any time of the day or night, here stories are exchanged and the leftovers from the previous evening are eaten. Kitchen islands should always have enough space for the parallel kitchen units. So one can stand behind it while the other sits opposite.
Kitchen counter with opposite seating
A kitchen island can make rooms look unusually cut or small. In such cases, an airy counter is a way of expanding the kitchen. Like a table, just at counter height, this area offers plenty of opportunities for exchange. And the overall kitchen ensemble is upgraded.
How many chairs fit on the kitchen island?
Only those who really have a lot of space should provide plenty of chairs. For medium-sized and small living rooms, two chairs or stools are sufficient. They invite you to linger while the family dinner takes place at the dining table. If you have a larger number of chairs, be aware that all those sitting are now looking in the same direction.
Stool with backrest
Stools and bar stools that have a backrest offer that extra bit of comfort. The question you can ask yourself when planning your kitchen island is: How long do you stay in the chairs? Chairs with backrests are more visible or more noticeable in the room even when they are not in use . That can be beneficial to the ensemble, but it can also disturb it.
The right lighting for the kitchen island
Basically, the lighting in a kitchen is a small and often overlooked challenge. On the one hand, it should be bright enough so that it illuminates the food preparation well. On the other hand, lamps should create a homely atmosphere. This challenge can be found again in a bundled form above a kitchen island. It is therefore worthwhile to include the lighting concept in the planning right from the start.
Flowing transitions between kitchen and living area
Kitchen islands are not really islands . They see themselves more as a link between the purely practical and the sociable part of a kitchen. Kitchen planning is therefore so much more than just working out the storage space, the work surface and the placement of the kitchen appliances. Modern kitchen islands represent this trend: away from impersonal kitchen units towards an organic overall ensemble.