Pros and cons of a kitchen island

The advantages of a kitchen island are more counterspace, storage, an additional eating area, and possibly room for an appliance or small work sink. On the other hand, an island can disrupt the classic work triangle of sink/range/refrigerator. More than anything, you want your kitchen to be convenient and work well for meal preps.

An open kitchen with island should have at a minimum, 42 inches of clearance on each side of the island. If considering having one built, is there enough room for it? If installing appliances on the island, it will need to be vented for a stovetop – this means either a hanging vent hood over the island (which can be beautiful) or a downdraft unit built into the island.

The enjoyable conversations that a seating area in the kitchen can provide will be many; the person preparing the meal can enjoy visiting with company or helping the kids with school homework.

Kitchen islands are popular and if designed and built properly, will enhance the value of the home, making it a valuable addition to the home. Check out some that we have built for local Whatcom county homes.