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10 Dos & Don'ts of Designing a Kitchen Island
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10 Dos & Don'ts of Designing a Kitchen Island

Planning a new kitchen? Four design experts share 10 insider tips for designing a great-looking and practical island

Georgia Madden
Georgia MaddenJanuary 7, 2021
Senior writer, Houzz Australia
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The kitchen is the heart of your home and a well-designed and functional island is key. We chatted with four kitchen-design experts to find out exactly how to achieve it.

We’ve accompanied this story with images of beautifully designed kitchen islands from the Houzz archives to fuel your design thinking.
Wallis Design
1. Do choose a tough, easy-care benchtop material

Katherine Wallis, interior designer and director at Wallis Design says:
Kitchens are places of heavy traffic flow and productivity, so a good durable natural or reconstituted stone for the benchtop is crucial. You’ll also want it to be scratch-resistant and easy to clean – and the same goes for your joinery and skirting board materials.

Choosing good-quality fixtures such as sinks, tapware and handles is always a preference of ours as they get so much use and need to last.

Dreaming about a new kitchen? Find a kitchen-design expert on Houzz to help make it a reality
Heliconia
2. Do get the proportions right
Getting the proportions of your island correct lets you work efficiency in the space and ensures that traffic flow is maintained.

Some key measurements to follow are:
  • You want a minimum clearance of 1,000 millimetres circulation space around the island.
  • The overall height of the island should be between 920 and 940 millimetres.
  • The minimum island width would ideally be 900 millimetres and length would be 1,200 millimetres.
  • The benchtop should be between 20 and 80 millimetres thick.
  • If you want to include bar stools around the island, you’ll need 300 millimetres of under-bench space.
Bijl Architecture
Image: Tom Ferguson

3. Don’t forget to power outlets and appliances


Melonie Bayl-Smith, principal architect at Bijl Architecture says:

There’s nothing worse than a beautiful piece of stone ruined by ill-considered power outlet locations. Make sure power outlets and appliances are well-placed so they do not dominate the appearance of the island bench, are easily accessed and make the functionality of all sides of the island bench work really well.

Think about how both sides of the island can be ‘working’ sides and not just the ‘kitchen’ side of the bench. There’s nothing worse than a beautiful piece of stone ruined by ill-considered power outlet locations.

Think about what will be plugged in – it probably won’t just be hand mixers, but phone chargers, laptops and the like. A charging drawer for items such as these can be a smart inclusion.
WK Quantum Quartz
Island benchtops can feature different heights to fulfil multiple functions

4. Do consider how you’ll use the island
If you like entertaining or eating everyday meals at a bench, then an island with more overhanging area and less cabinetry or storage underneath might be for you. Make sure you think about how you envisage using the bench both every day and on special occasions. We are very realistic with many clients who have families in pointing out that children will often sit at the bench and talk with parents, complete homework, use devices and eat (sometimes all at the same time) – I call this the ‘mission control’ island bench.

Think about whether the sitting area needs to be closer to the fridge and pantry – this is another way of managing who is walking in and out of the kitchen, and who can be kept on the outside edges of the island bench – for safety as well as to avoid overcrowding in the kitchen.
Lande Architects
Some people like to drop down part of the island to table height (around 740 millimetres) rather than the standard 920-millimetre-high bench. This can work really well in some kitchens, but do be careful that you don’t inadvertently limit your storage and appliance options by having a really large table section on the island.

Browse more stunning images of Australian kitchens on Houzz
MMAD Architecture
5. Do mix materials
Too many kitchens have enormous island benches that might provide a lot of bench space, but effectively take over the space and look like a big lump in the room. Using different materials can break down the scale of an island bench. But balance is key; too many materials and details start to look messy and fussy.

When you’re choosing materials and colours for your island, make sure they harmonise with any hues in the adjoining rooms.
BBH Projects Pty Ltd
6. Do make the island as long as possible without a join

Blake Riley, director at Blakes Of Sydney says:
Slabs of stone come in a range of lengths, but if your kitchen is big enough for one measuring around 3,000 millimetres x 900 millimetres, you’ll have the perfect-size island for preparing food and entertaining.

The maximum length of some brands and materials is 3,000 millimetres, so if you choose such a brand/material, keep the length at 3,000 millimetres or less, so the benchtop can be made in one piece without a join. Joins on islands are not aesthetically pleasing, so avoid this if you can.

A minimum width of 900 millimetres will enable you to have seating stools on the back side of the island, so your family and friends can sit up at the island to eat or marvel at your cooking!
Blakes Of Sydney
7. Do integrate generous drawers…
For functionality purposes, it’s imperative to have your cutlery drawer on the island and potentially your bowls and plates too. This gives easy access to the important everyday items you usually use an island for, such as serving up food.
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Blakes Of Sydney
…And a pull-out bin
Having your bin integrated into the island just below your work surface is another important functional element – it allows you to simply scrape the scraps straight into the rubbish.

It also helps you stay part of the action with family or friends when cleaning up the kitchen and helps keep your floor mess-free.
eat.bathe.live
8. Do prioritise functionality

Jenefer Gordon, principal designer at eat.bathe.live says:
Think about how you will be working in the space and include functional fittings and storage to suit. If this is going to be your main preparation area, include a minimum of 1,000 millimetres of clear bench space and easy access to knives and chopping boards. Also ensure that your bin and sink are close by.
Ryan Linnegar Photography
A peninsula can work as effectively as a freestanding island benchtop when well-designed

9. Do consider alternatives if you haven’t got the room
An island bench that is too small will result in a cramped workspace, rendering it useless, so ensure you have enough space for it.

If you’re working with a smaller space, a better option may be a peninsula bench.
Let's Talk Kitchens & Interiors
10. Don’t be afraid to be bold
The island bench can be a great place to make a statement, so if you’re eyeing off some feature cladding or a bold benchtop surface then consider this your place to use it.


Your turn
What are your must-haves for a kitchen island? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images for inspiration, like this story and join the conversation.

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Get more kitchen insights in Renovation Education: A Classic White Kitchen with Pretty Extras
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Comments (17)
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  • HU-862945093
    4 days ago

    So true Cathie: the on practical reason for having a sink in your island bench would be to provide for rinsing and cleaning ingredients during preparation to avoid having to go too and fro from a general purpose sink. This is better done in a sink that never has detergent in it anyway.

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    Fit
    3 days ago

    Oops! Hit submit a bit early on that one. Here's the rest of the info.

    Designer Series Soft Close Bin - 450mm Cabinet - 2x36L - White · More Info


    Find out more about the Tanova ranges on our website here (link to the model in the image above, but there's lots of others to choose from!) or in our Houzz project here.


  • Cathie Brown
    3 days ago

    Where's the spot for a small compost bin?


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