Increasing Beauty and Efficiency with a Kitchen Island
Sep 15, 2019
One of the hottest trends in kitchen remodeling today is adding an island. A kitchen island is a very versatile part of the kitchen and can be designed to fit your exact needs and style. If you're looking to remodel your kitchen to include an island, Alexander Group has the certified design experts who can redesign your kitchen to include the efficiency, storage and usefulness of a new kitchen island.
What are the advantages of having a kitchen island?
By adding a kitchen island to your layout, your options for appliances just expanded. You can have your stove, sink, veggie washing sink, wine refrigerator, microwave or dishwasher located in a well-designed efficient island.
Who doesn't need extra storage? A great kitchen island gives you additional under-cabinet storage space. We also understand the island corners need careful execution to be useful. So, we are careful to design and to add the Lazy Susan and the pull-out cabinetry that can solve these corner issues. The end product will be a very useful area for extra storage.
In addition, the extra food prep area allows room for more than one cook in the kitchen. Or, family and friends can pull up a stool at the extra island seating area and chat with you while you put the finishing touches on the meal. Either way, more people can enjoy the hub of the household—the kitchen.
What kinds of kitchen islands are there?
At Alexander Group, we carefully plan the design of your kitchen island to suit you, your food prep needs and your floorplan. A kitchen island can be as varied as the creative imagination of our expert designers. Some kitchens even work well with a split island, or two islands that complement each other. Others choose a mobile island that can be stored out of the way when not in use. Still others add a creative feature such as a pet feeding station at the base or bookshelves for school supplies.
In addition, here are a few common shapes that you can find in kitchen islands:
- Rectangle - can have cabinets that match or contrast for a stylistic feature. Can have an overlap counter for additional seating, if desired.
- Square - works well for the mobile station for food prep purposes. Under storage can be designed to be open with clean lines for decorative purposes and a lighter touch.
- L-shape - can be two different heights on the different sides, for added interest. Can have a sink or appliance on one side and have the other side for food prep.
- Circle - less commonly-used shape, but can be elegant and introduce different lines from the rest of the cabinetry. Aids in efficient flow around it.
- U-shape - an efficient design that often has an appliance at the bottom of the "U." Gives a lot of additional cabinet space below.
What are the choices in materials?
We can design your kitchen island to match the style of your kitchen by using complementary cabinets and countertops, or we can make an accent piece by choosing contrasting materials. A butcher block top, or partial top, can make the food prep area even more efficient. A marble or granite top can make cleanup a breeze and it can withstand a lot of abuse. Whatever your kitchen island needs may be, Alexander Group can match the right materials and design to seamlessly complement your kitchen style.
Yes, I want a kitchen island! Where do I begin?
To talk to a design expert, call us today at (301) 230-3040 or email us at adean@alexandergroup.net to schedule a free initial consultation. We're ready to bring our creativity and experience to your new kitchen island project to provide increased efficiency and beauty to one of the most important spaces in your house.