A mid-range kitchen remodel will cost you around $250 per square foot.
When spending this much, it’s worth doing your research to make sure that you’re certain of what you want your kitchen to look like.
The kitchen is the heart of a home, and arguably the kitchen island is the heart of the kitchen!
If you are looking to upgrade your kitchen, don’t neglect the kitchen island. Read this article to get 10 ideas for your kitchen island remodel.
1. Think About Your Kitchen Colors
If your kitchen is bright yellow, have an understated kitchen island to contrast. Or, if you have a white kitchen, why not choose a bright color for your island?
Such choices will help your kitchen island truly stand out and become the focal point of the room.
Alternatively, if you want your island to blend in seamlessly with the rest of your kitchen, then choose the same materials and colors.
Colors which are popular for kitchens right now include dark navy, white marble, and yellow. Check out Pinterest for some kitchen color inspiration.
2. Wood is a Timeless Choice
Don’t want to have to keep repainting your kitchen to stay up to date with the latest trends? Instead, choose a timeless classic and opt for wood.
A wooden kitchen island could be as simple as a high table, or as complex as a large multi-drawed, work surface with inbuilt appliances.
Whatever you choose, if you pick a wood such as oak or bamboo, you’re likely to still love this timeless look in years to come!
Better yet, wood gives a warm appearance to your home – think idyllic country style manor.
3. Add Chairs to Your Island to Encourage Conversation
If you’re cooking midweek, it’s always pleasant to have family hang out nearby (or to help!) to make this chore less grueling.
Make the island the heart of the home by setting up an eating/working station. This requires your kitchen island to be large as you’ll need space for chopping too.
But, by adding chairs, you can encourage your family to spend time at the island, perhaps this could be the designated space for kids to do homework, or for the family laptop to sit.
Choose chairs which are comfortable and a countertop which is large and you’ll find that this space is transformed.
4. Include Appliances in Your Kitchen Island
Why not use your kitchen island as the place for your stainless steel stove or farmhouse sink? By adding appliances into your island, you can improve upon the flow of a room.
For example, try having your stove facing the room, so that when you stand at it, you are looking out into the room. Not only does this improve Feng Shui, but you also don’t have your back to your guests and can continue with your conversations.
A great way to set up your kitchen to improve your efficiency while cooking is to create a triangle between your major appliances. For example, the fridge, cooker, and sink.
By having a few appliances in your kitchen island, you’ll easily be able to make this a small triangle without minimizing the space of your kitchen.
5. Hide Bar Stools Under the Island
By hiding bar stools under your kitchen island, you’re not only making space in the kitchen but you’re also giving the seater some leg room!
Who wants to cram their legs up against an island while they eat? No-one. This small design touch will make your home flow beautifully.
It will also keep your walkways completely open so, if you have kids running around, you can be sure no one’s going to trip over a stool.
6. Arrange Seats in an L-Shape
If you have a small home, a great way to save space is to use the kitchen island as the main table too.
Arrange seats around the end of the island in an L-shape so your guests or family can all see each other while eating.
Choose comfortable high seats so that you actually want to spend time sitting and chatting. Functionality should come over style here to ensure everyone chooses to spend time at the island!
7. Double up on Your Kitchen Island
Do you have a large kitchen yet too little workspace? Why not double up and install TWO kitchen islands?
One for appliances or cooking and another for people to sit at? There are multiple options for how to use two kitchen islands.
Although it may sound a little over the top, you can easily find inspiration for how to effectively make two islands work.
8. Let There be Light!
When planning a kitchen island remodel, you need to think about how you’re going to bring light to your workspace.
While cooking, the light needs to be bright so you can clearly see what you’re doing.
However, if you also plan to eat at your kitchen island, then it’s necessary to also have more subdued lighting to bring some ambiance.
Why not consider overhead spotlights and a dimmer? Or, would you rather choose a more bold and out-there lighting option, such as metallic hanging pendants?
9. Give Yourself More Space by Adding Hanging Shelves
If you have a small kitchen or want an interesting feature to be added to your island, why not hang shelves above?
Suspended shelves will improve your workflow as everything you need is right there at your fingertips. It will also give you much more space for your essentials.
Don’t have your shelves too low, however, as this will break up the open kitchen space which the island encourages.
What Will You Choose for Your Kitchen Island Remodel?
When spending money on a kitchen island remodel, it’s worth assessing all of your options before you start any work.
Whatever you decide, make sure you make your neighbors jealous by ensuring your kitchen is the most beautiful in the neighborhood!
If you need more inspiration for your kitchen remodel, check out this blog post on the 8 kitchen design trends of 2019.