Thinking of your new home’s custom design, you have a great deal of options to consider. There are many styles that are up-to-date, and you can incorporate the genres you dream to have. Talking about kitchens, tons of opportunities to make it convenient, comfortable and conducive to everyday living are available. From appliances to fixtures and beyond, endless picks are there! Among them are kitchen islands.
It’s a freestanding counter in the kitchen, which usually holds the sink and a worktop. Its name is probably derived from how it looks. Typically placed in the middle of the kitchen, disconnected from walls or other kitchen furniture, kitchen islands are similar to islands, which are unattached to other forms of land and just surrounded by water.
Many homeowners ask their new home builders to include a kitchen island to their abode. However, if you want it, too, you must first know its uses. From there, you will discover if it suits you or not. To better understand it, take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of kitchen islands inside homes. Read on, and be enlightened.
ADVANTAGES
1 – Additional storage space
Kitchen islands are not plain centerpieces in a kitchen. They can be a multipurpose furniture that will lend a helping hand to every homeowner. You get an additional storage space from kitchen islands. Just let your new home builders know that you need cabinets, drawers and shelves built into the kitchen islands.
As you know, there are so many utensils, containers, appliances, tools and other various items kept in the kitchen because they are used for cooking and cleaning, too. The kitchen can become disorganized and chaotic if everything is placed in one area, especially if you do not have a lot of extra zones for them.
Kitchen islands allow you to boost storage capacity in your kitchen for all the things you need to keep safe. You will not need to hide away everything in one corner when you have a serviceable kitchen island that has a few doors and floors to accommodate your kitchen essentials.
2 – Seating options
Particularly in medium-sized houses, seating style is somehow difficult to decide upon because you have to make it convenient, accessible and space-saving all at the same time.
Kitchen islands can be created with impressive seating options. Oftentimes, chairs placed around the island are high stools. You can sit there while doing kitchen work or take a break for a while before continuing again. If you sometimes don’t feel like eating at the dining table, you can stay in the kitchen island’s seating space. Furthermore, if you decide to no longer have a separate dining room, probably due to lack of an extra spot for it, kitchen islands are also a smart alternative.
Say you have a family dinner with extended family coming over. If your dining table is not enough for all of you, the seating area in the kitchen island is the key. It’s like an extension of your dining room. This makes your kitchen commodious enough for people eating inside your home.
3 – Preparation zone
Kitchen islands automatically have a countertop or a workstation along with them. They are a whole package of functionality!
You can use them as a preparation zone, like an area for kneading dough when baking or for cutting meats when cooking meals. In need of a wide stretch for your ingredients and cooking techniques? Say no more. Kitchen islands gladly have it for you!
4 – Direct attachment and installation of appliances
If you think only cabinetry can be inputted to kitchen islands, you are not thinking widely enough. They can be upgraded and customized specifically for your needs and for your equipment, too. Work with pro new home builders for your kitchen island to be sufficient storage zones for machines you have in the kitchen.
Direct attachment and installation of appliances to the kitchen islands is another great advantage that homeowners truly love! Those big and heavy microwave ovens, mini freezers, air fryers and other kitchen appliances can be fixed into the island. Your new home builders will personalize your kitchen island based on the size and weight of your valuables. In that way, you will not need to keep carrying or transporting those hefty materials from one place to another.
What’s more, a sink and a stove can be directly positioned on the peninsula. You just have to make sure the right water system connection and electricity or gas tank installation.
5 – Property value appreciation
With such a beaut in the kitchen, for sure, kitchen islands boost the worth of your home. Property value appreciation is one of the reasons why it’s practical and profitable to have kitchen islands although you have additional spendings from getting one for your house.
DISADVANTAGES
1 – Workflow interruption
Since this kitchen peninsula is commonly placed at the center of the kitchen, the room is not an open floor layout. It might cause workflow interruption in the kitchen since it stands in the way, as it is designed that way.
Though the location of kitchen islands are just the way they should be, it can cause movements to be restricted. You may also not be allowed to bring in bigger cooking machines or furniture because of it.
2 – Not for smaller kitchens
Obviously, kitchen islands take up so much space as it is long, wide and consists of many other things in and around it. Because of that, they are not suitable for smaller kitchens. They are not ideal for small houses. Even when you want one and have the budget for it, you still cannot have an island without ample space.
3 – Specialized wiring placements
Another challenge you may experience when opting for kitchen islands is the need for specialized wiring placements. If you want your peninsula to have a sink, a stove or any other kitchen appliance, you need correct wiring connections assembled by experts.
Your trusted electricians and new home builders must work together for this. It could be difficult especially if the general wiring format of your house is somehow complicated. Electricity is crucial, so you cannot make a mistake with it.
4 – Expensive
Kitchen islands make your home building or home improvement more costly. Of course, it’s a huge addition you’re making there, so expect a huge budget required as well. It’s expensive to have a kitchen peninsula itself, and all the other features you want it to possess heighten the rates, too.
Be ready to spend quite a lot of money if a kitchen island is part of your home design plan.
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ISLAND AT HOME
Kitchen islands boost the visual appearance of your house. It definitely adds a focal point in the kitchen and enhances its appeal. But that alone must not be the only thing you will look at when having your kitchen established and designed. There are many more crucial factors to ponder on, and they will help you better explore the pros and cons of kitchen islands.
It may depend on the homeowners and their lifestyle, but generally speaking, kitchen islands do have upsides and downsides. Before deciding to go for a kitchen island, firstly make sure that it fits you, your house and your way of living. Enjoy a home that serves your needs and provides the comfort you wish for.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Nicole Ann Pore is a writer, an events host and a voice over artist. Quality and well-researched writing is her worthwhile avenue to enlighten and delight others about things that matter. She is a daytime writer for Horizon Homes, a boutique home building and designing company in Australia. Nicole graduated Cum Laude from De La Salle University Manila, Philippines with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Arts.
