#Luxury Kitchen Designer

Designing an Island for a Large Kitchen

As a kitchen bath designer in the luxury market for the past eight years, I have observed my clientele’s growing desire for ultra-large kitchens.  Although these kitchens provide us with the spaciousness that our modern lifestyles require, they do present a problem for designers, architects, and homeowners alike.  This is particularly true when it comes to designing an island for one these generous spaces.

One might think that designing a kitchen for a large space would be easier than a small space, but actually, it’s the other way around.  When designing a large kitchen, it becomes difficult to incorporate functional work areas and tie them all together so that the homeowner doesn’t need roller skates to get from one side of the room to the other.  Frankly, I think that many industry professionals struggle with this problem quite a bit.  In an effort to bring cohesion to large spaces, many professionals and homeowners simply settle on having an over-sized island.  There are a number of aesthetic and functional problems with this arrangement.  Therefore, when a client visits my design studio for the first time, I usually spend quite a bit of time talking them out of having a monstrous sized island.  I would like to share with you a few of my objections to this approach, along with some alternative suggestions for conquering these large spaces..

1. First, consider that the purpose of an island is to enhance the functionality of your space.  However, when the island becomes too large, it can quickly become an obstacle.  This is particularly true of very long islands.  If you have to walk a great distance around your island to get to your refrigerator, sink, or family, then it is no longer adding value to your space.
2. If you make your island too large in both width and length, then it becomes difficult to clean your counter top.  (Imagine a large square island) You or someone in your household will need very long arms to reach to the center point of it!
3. Aesthetically speaking, an over-sized island will often look like a dance floor in the middle of your kitchen.   This is particularly true if you have a large island that is one consistent counter top height.
4. If I have failed to convince you on all other points, then consider this…  Granite, marble, and other natural stone slabs have size limitations.  Generally speaking, you can expect granite slabs to be roughly 120″ x 60″.  Marble slabs are often a little bit smaller.  Also, keep in mind that the slabs have irregular shapes and edges, which make a certain portion of the length/width unusable.  Therefore, if you have an island that exceeds the size of a slab, you will require a seam in your counter top material…not very attractive.

What size island is too  large?  Well the answer is subjective.  It depends on many criteria, most importantly of which are the client’s aesthetic preferences and lifestyle.  While I cannot provide you with a definitive answer, I can provide you with some alternative ideas to help you avoid the negative impact of an ultra large island.

First, you can create varying counter top heights so that you avoid the problem of counter top seams. This also has the added benefit of making a large island feel a little less massive.

Secondly, if your plans still call for an extra large island, you can consider the use of a wood counter top.  While granite, marble, and other stone slabs are limited in size, wood counter tops can be ordered in just about any length or width.  They are stunning when used on an island and hold up quite well.  Many of the wood types that are used for these work tops are very good around water, resist staining, and can also be configured as chopping blocks.

Finally, consider using two smaller islands instead of one large one.  If your design currently calls for one large square island, then you probably have room to make two smaller islands instead.  This solution works surprisingly well and I have employed it a number of times with great results.  With two separate smaller islands, one can avoid the issue of needing to walk around a large obstacle.  In addition, it creates more accessible cabinetry and defined work zones.    In the example below, the homeowner uses the  main island as her prep area (small sink, pull-out trash, and pasta cooker), while the secondary island (bar stool seating and warming drawer)  is great for entertaining and keeps her family out from under foot while she’s cooking.