Kitchen with an island - elegant and practical

Not so long ago, the kitchen island was exotic for our compatriots. Foreign design projects all bristled with options for location, modification, color and texture of the kitchen island. Unfortunately, most kitchen spaces of standard-type apartment buildings cannot boast of sufficient space to accommodate not only a minimum set of kitchen storage systems and household appliances, but also such a practical, functional and outwardly attractive module as an island. But over time, the situation has changed, more and more apartments of improved layout and studio apartments can offer owners more spacious rooms, not to mention private houses of urban and suburban type. An increasing number of Russians, ordering the manufacture of a kitchen set, are considering the installation option and the island, as part of storage systems, work surfaces and a place for the integration of household appliances or sinks.

Let's take a closer look at the options for modifications of the kitchen islands, their appropriate participation in the interior of kitchen rooms of various layouts, the occupancy rate of this module, color, texture and design solutions.

The island in the kitchen is a free-standing furniture module in which both storage systems and household appliances can be integrated. The upper part of the island, as a rule, is a table top, which can be used as a cutting table or dining place for short meals. Also, the top may be a system integrating a sink, hob or gas stove. In addition to storage systems for utensils and kitchen accessories, household appliances such as a microwave, oven, dishwasher, or wine cooler can be integrated into the base of the kitchen island. Depending on the size of the kitchen island, which directly depends on the size of the room, and the needs of the family, a “filling” of the base and work surfaces of the module is compiled.

The L-shaped or angular layout of the kitchen set most often accompanies the placement of the kitchen island in the cooking room. The fact is that with this arrangement of storage systems, work surfaces and household appliances, there is enough space even in medium-sized rooms. Ergonomics experts recommend installing the island as a separate furniture module in kitchen spaces with an area of ​​at least 9 square meters.

Extending the countertop of the kitchen island and leaving free legroom at its base, you can get a very convenient place for short meals, such as breakfast. For houses or apartments where there are no small children and elderly people. Such racks with bar stools can serve as dining areas, if there is no separate room for the dining room and all households do not mind spending time at a meal, sitting on high bar stools or stools. If you plan to carry out not only breakfast at the kitchen island countertop, but also take food at other times of the day, you can consider installing mini armchairs or bar stools with backs and upholstery.

With a single-row (linear) layout of the kitchen, there is still more free space for installing not only the island, but also the dining group as part of the kitchen-dining room. With this arrangement of work surfaces, storage systems and household appliances, it is easiest to follow the rule of the working triangle by placing, for example, a sink in the distance, within the kitchen island, and integrate the stove and refrigerator into the headset against the wall.Thus, both safety measures and ergonomic rules will be followed. The hostess will not have to “wind up” kilometers in the kitchen to complete the whole cycle of cooking and cleaning, while she will be provided with a high level of comfort and convenience.

In modern kitchen spaces, the installation of the hood plays an important role. The fact is that often the kitchen room has a direct connection with the space of the dining room, living room or both areas at once. Very often there are open floor plans for apartments and households, in which all three living segments are located in one spacious room. In this case, you need a powerful modern range hood, the installation of which will protect households resting in the living room from the smells of cooking. If the hob or gas stove is located within the kitchen set located near the wall, then there are no difficulties with installing the hood. If the stove is integrated into the kitchen island, then the hood must be installed above it and the structure should be fixed to the ceiling. Before deciding whether to place the hob or stove in the island, it is necessary to clarify the possibility of installation and exhaustion.

Even a small kitchen island can become an indispensable part of the functionality of the kitchen space. Surprisingly, in such a modest module, you can integrate a hob, sink and storage systems. Of course, for this it will be necessary to stretch all communication systems into the center of the room and do it under the floor. In private houses of urban or suburban type, this process will not cause problems, except for financial and time costs. But in the framework of apartments, such movements of electrical household appliances, sewers, gas and water pipes may not be possible.

In order to establish an island in a kitchen with a U-shaped layout of furniture and household appliances, you need either a fairly spacious room or a small central module. Ergonomics experts recommend placing the island at a distance of at least 120 cm from the structures of the main furniture ensemble. This is necessary not only for unimpeded traffic in the kitchen space, but also for safe door opening and pulling out storage system drawers.

Obviously, the kitchen island is an integral part of the interior and should act in harmony and balance with the rest of the furniture, decoration and decor of the room. But following this simple rule there are many options - the island can be made in one color palette and stylistic direction, like the rest of the kitchen, and can act as an accent and focal center of the kitchen space.

The bright raspberry glossy finish of the base of the island and the snow-white countertop exactly repeat the color scheme of the kitchen set. Combined with white room decoration and bright flooring, the kitchen looks festive, positive and attractive. In such an environment, appetite, mood and positive mood rises.

In the snow-white kitchen, the island, completely made of wood, looks very organic. And the point is not only that the shade of the island's countertop repeats the coloring of the flooring, but also that the tree, in principle, organically fits in almost any kitchen setting, and even more so, in the traditional one.

We managed to perform the opposite contrast in the kitchen space with a wenge-colored set with matte surfaces and a snow-white island in a glossy design. Not only the game of contrasts, but also the difference in textures bring variety and appeal to the image of a spacious kitchen equipped with the latest technology and made in accordance with the rules of ergonomics.

The dark gray kitchen island has become not just an accent in the spacious kitchen-dining room, but its focal point and focus.The impressive scale of the island for a large kitchen made it possible to integrate into the work surface not only the sink, but also the hob. In this case, it is necessary to install a powerful hood above the place of cooking. Sometimes these designs are equipped with built-in lighting. In this case, the dining area located in the neighborhood was awarded local lighting, and the rest of the room is provided with lighting by the built-in lighting system on the ceiling.

Bright, in comparison with the main color of the kitchen set, the execution of the base of the island corresponds to the decor of the space around the working area of ​​the gas stove. Such an emphasis allows us not only to focus our attention in the center of the room and its functional capabilities, but also to diversify the color palette of the kitchen softly and naturally.

Snow-white kitchens will be relevant at all times. Regardless of the style of execution of the facades of kitchen cabinets, white color gives the room a feeling of freshness, cleanliness, spaciousness and lightness. And the white kitchen island in this case is no exception to the rule.

The blue-gray tint of the facades of the kitchen set and the base of the island looks simply amazing against the backdrop of a snow-white wall finish. Even simple, traditional facades look spectacular in combination with the sheen of stainless steel household appliances, fittings and kitchen accessories.

In a kitchen with a bright finish and many intriguing decorative elements, the kitchen set and the island must be neutral so as not to create “conflicts” when focusing attention. The gray tone is perhaps the most dim and neutral of the possible options.

Loft-style kitchen spaces are most often decorated with a single-row set in simple and concise forms, without decor or frills. A kitchen island in such a room is necessary not only as an additional work surface and storage systems (which is also important), but also to create an emphasis on the adjacent dining area.

The minimalist design of the kitchen leaves its mark on the island's execution - strict forms, neutral colors, a complete lack of decor, only functionality, practicality and rationality.

In the snow-white kitchen with quite traditional cabinet facades, the island with its glass surfaces, the original design of the countertops and plastic chairs standing around brings a touch of modern style.

Another example of how the appearance of the kitchen island changes the concept of the stylistic design of space. In the kitchen with traditional cabinet fronts, the island, made with country-style elements, brings the charm of rural life, warming with natural materials.

Often fixed or mobile (on wheels) modules are attached to a small island, which, as a rule, are storage systems. Such designs can serve as a continuation of the work surfaces, for example as a cutting table. It’s convenient to use mobile “islands” at parties and any other receptions of the guests - loading the tabletop with snacks and the inside with clean dishes, you can roll out the module to the desired place in the living room, porch or other room with the largest number of guests.

If sinks and cooktops are mainly integrated into the working surfaces of the islands, then at the base of these central modules you can place anything - storage systems for utensils, large and small kitchen attributes, wine bottle compartments and spice racks. In the end of the kitchen islands you can often see the placement of open shelves for cookbooks and other important little things that we do not use every day, but their presence in the kitchen space is justified.

Such design decisions are not common - two kitchen islands within the same kitchen room. Such delights, of course, are available only to spacious kitchens.Both islands are equipped with work surfaces and storage systems, and one of them is equipped with a bar counter for convenient location of residents for short meals.

In some kitchen facilities, it is the island that becomes not just the central element, but is almost the only representative of the furniture with integrated household appliances, stove and sink. In the narrow and long room of the kitchen, located near the stairs, most of the functional load fell on the island.

Thanks to the original design of the base of the kitchen island in the form of mirror surfaces, it seems to dissolve in space. It is a pity that there are drawbacks to such interesting designer finds - mirror surfaces in the kitchen always lead to an increase in time and physical costs for putting things in order and taking care of all the planes of the kitchen segments.

A kitchen island needs special attention in terms of organizing a sufficient level of lighting for its work surfaces. Sometimes luminaires are built into the hood located above the hob or stove. If there is no hood, then the issue of lighting can easily be solved with one large pendant chandelier or a whole composition of small lamps.

As a rule, a kitchen island is made in accordance with the form of the kitchen premises. If the kitchen space is square, then the island too. In rectangular kitchens, you can often find an identical furniture module, standing in the center. But there are exceptions, there are many design projects with round, semicircular, wavy sides, asymmetric bevels and other original forms of kitchen islands.

The oval-shaped kitchen island repeats the rounded sides of the upper tier of hanging cabinets. The kitchen does not need color brightness or originality of the decor, because the very shape of the furniture ensemble brings uniqueness and creativity to the interior of the kitchen.

Making an original kitchen island will cost you a little more than standard options, but it will pay off with the non-trivial execution of the kitchen set and the interior of the kitchen as a whole.

In this kitchen room, the island has become not just a central element of furniture, but also a focal attraction of attention and all thanks to the original forms of its parts, as if attached to it over time. Contrasting color combinations, marble surfaces, rounded and hard shapes - everything in this kitchen island works to attract attention, not forgetting the functionality and practicality.