Once just a trend, an open kitchen with an island has become a new standard in home remodeling. With this approach, the kitchen is not isolated from the rest of the main floor. Instead, the kitchen opens into other spaces, such as a dining room, living area, or family room.
Within that open concept, an island can provide extra counter space, additional storage, and a seated bar area for casual dining. The island also serves as a focal point, adding visual interest and often helping create transitions between different parts of the main floor.
Many homeowners opt for an open-concept kitchen because of its spacious feel, everyday usefulness, and suitability for entertaining. But there are a host of ways that this type of interior design can be adapted and customized, allowing you to add personality and optimize functionality.
In this post, I’ll explore some of the design considerations for an open kitchen with an island so that you can discover ideas and hopefully find inspiration for your remodel.
Kitchen Design Principles
Before I jump into some specific design ideas for your new kitchen, I want to quickly mention a few layout considerations to keep in mind when planning a kitchen island:
- Island dimensions: The width, length, and height should suit the room’s footprint and intended use, whether that’s prep space, seating, or both.
- Clearances: For comfortable movement, you want to leave enough room between the island and the surrounding cabinets or walls. This is especially important for entertaining and for allowing multiple people to use the kitchen at the same time.
- Work triangle: Consider where the island is positioned relative to your sink, range, and refrigerator (the work triangle) and whether it will interrupt typical kitchen workflows.
- Traffic patterns: In open layouts, the island needs to work for cooking without blocking the natural path between the kitchen and adjacent living spaces.
Kitchen Island Ideas, Features, and Considerations
In the next sections, I’ll show some examples from our kitchen remodeling portfolio that illustrate some of the design options and features that you can consider for your home.
Built-In Cooktop, Sink, or Appliances
An island can be more than just a countertop. It can include built-in features that enhance the functionality of your kitchen.
In this example, the island has a built-in sink on one side and a beverage fridge on the other. Having a sink in the island makes it more useful for meal prep and other kitchen tasks. The beverage fridge can be used for wine storage or simply making things less crowded in your main refrigerator. In this setup, the mini fridge makes it easy to grab a drink without getting in the way of someone cooking.
Other built-in appliances can include a microwave, dishwasher (or mini dishwasher), warming drawer, or even a cooktop. If you put in a cooktop, we generally recommend including a range hood or downdraft for ventilation.
Multi-Island Layout
If you have a lot of space to work with, you can consider having two kitchen islands with distinct purposes.
In this expansive kitchen, we installed one smaller island that includes a cooktop and faces the sink. That island is designed primarily for meal prep, cooking, and storage. The second island is larger and has its own sink as well as a countertop overhang that serves as a place for bar seating. That island works perfectly for serving or in-kitchen dining.
The two islands have the same countertop material and aesthetic, giving this spacious kitchen a cohesive feel as it transitions into the adjacent living room.
Island Height
In most cases, we find that homeowners want the island to have the same height as the rest of the counters, as this makes for a more natural feel when working in the kitchen. In this remodel, that was especially important given the galley-style layout and how close the island is to the counter.
That said, you can consider having an island of a different height or even a multi-level, “tiered” island. This tends to be best if you want seating at the island that isn’t bar stool height. For some people, that’s more comfortable, and it can work better if you want a space for other seated activities, such as kids doing homework while you get dinner ready.
Pendant Lighting and Natural Light
Pendant lights and a kitchen island are a perfect combination. These hanging lights provide useful task lighting with a minimal footprint, so they don’t disrupt sightlines. On top of that, you can find all types of pendant lighting fixtures, which makes the fixture choice a great way to express your sense of style.
Whenever possible, we also look to optimize natural light in an open kitchen, even if it’s just one window (like in this remodel). Natural light helps the space feel even more open and bright, amplifying the effect of the open-concept kitchen layout.
Built-In Storage
An often-overlooked benefit of a kitchen island is the extra storage it provides. For this project, we installed a large island in this blend of a modern-style and farmhouse kitchen. In addition to being long, the island is also wide, creating space for both seating and deep drawers and cabinets that can hold assorted pots, pans, and small appliances.
Even with a smaller island, you can find useful storage space. Lazy Susans, pull-out drawers, and other organizers can help you make the most of the available space.
Seating
I’ve already touched on seating a few times, but it’s an important consideration when planning your kitchen island. If you want island seating, you’ll need an overhang, and you’ll want to think about how many seats and the type of seating you prefer. While it’s natural to want to squeeze in as many seats as possible, keep comfort in mind and make sure that everyone has enough elbow room.
Aesthetics
As you think about your kitchen island and the overall look and feel of your kitchen, you’ll want to decide whether you prefer a more harmonious, matching look or a style that draws on sharp contrast for visual appeal.
In this remodel, our clients preferred the latter. The island’s material is distinct from the rest of the countertops, adding a wood accent (along with the range hood). The white backsplash and white cabinets are broken up by a patterned backsplash behind the stove, and the brushed metal stools have a contrasting look with the stainless steel appliances. Brick floors with decorative rugs add yet another visual element to this kitchen that nevertheless cultivates an inviting aesthetic.
Dining Room Connection and Sightlines
Most often, an open kitchen creates a connection with a dining area. In this remodel, you can see that there’s no physical divider between them. The island and dining table have the same orientation, creating direct sightlines and easy flow throughout the space. In this case, the spaces are divided more by decorative elements, such as the dining room’s color scheme, furniture, and rug.
Accounting for sightlines and traffic flow gives a sense of openness to the main floor of your house, which is frequently a key goal of remodeling with an open-concept design.
Finding the Perfect Layout and Island Design for Your Kitchen
The best kitchen remodels are designed to match your specific needs and aesthetic preferences. Just like you can select custom cabinets, you can incorporate a custom island into your open-concept kitchen design.
At Hazley Builders, we tailor every project plan to align with our clients’ vision. We are dedicated to understanding your goals, and we take pride in delivering results that exceed expectations.
As a design-build firm, we manage every stage of the remodel, from brainstorming to the final inspection, and we have a certified architect on staff, allowing us to handle complex and innovative projects.
We’ve been serving the West Chester area for more than 25 years and would welcome the opportunity to learn about your home remodeling plans. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
