kitchen island – Paradise Kitchens

6 Kitchen Island Design Mistakes That You Need to Avoid!

admin — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 05:32:25 +0000

A kitchen island bench can increase the storage and countertop space of the kitchen, highly desired in the kitchen. However, not all types of islands work flawlessly for all kitchens. When planning a functional island for your kitchen, stay away from the common kitchen design problems listed below:

1. Blocking the Workflow

Ideally, position your kitchen island away from your work triangle (i.e. stove, fridge, and the kitchen sink), so you can work efficiently in the kitchen without any obstacles. It can make a difference, especially in open-plan layouts in smaller homes. If your island gets projected into the sitting area, an island may not be a feasible solution for your space.

2. Too Small Kitchen Island

A kitchen island should be ideally 3 feet long for it to be usable. If you don’t have sufficient space, you should go for a mobile butcher block station or a plain table if all you want is a bit more food preparation space. If you’re installing a breakfast bar on the outside and not opting for storage, you will get only one set of cabinets deep; otherwise, you will get two sets of cabinets deep. And the breakfast bar will jut out and would be around 12-18 inches. That means you will need added space for any trim.

3. Too Big Kitchen Island

You may be having a spacious kitchen, but if you fit an oversized island, it will make the space congested. As a general rule, you need around 41 to 49 inches of open space around your island. Conversely, if your kitchen is less than 13 feet wide, don’t install the island. And if you have a U-shaped kitchen, you should leave at least 11 feet wide open space to fit the island without causing congestion.

4. Fitting Too Many Seats at the Bar

A breakfast bar is an excellent feature of a kitchen island that many people want to have. When determining how many seats to add, make sure each person gets at least 24 inches of space; else, when they eat, their elbow may strike each other by accident.

5. Inadequate Kitchen Lighting

Appropriate kitchen lighting is vital! Inadequate lighting could trigger an accident while chopping food because you cannot see what you’re doing, so you might cut your finger. A trio of pendant lights is a classic way to boost light over an island. Besides, infuse the capability of dim light if you use the island for eating as well. That’s because good lighting for food preparation can get very bright when you sit for eating, so dim light offers more convenience.

6. Not Planning for Island’s Function

A kitchen island can function as a storage, food preparation area, washing, cooking, or serving. Even before you plan for an island, you should decide the function that your island will accommodate. It will have an impact on the width and depth of your island, particularly if you require more space to fit in appliances. Besides, having a large and wide island will facilitate you to set up multiple kitchen stations in it – for instance, a Kitchen sink and a cooktop. If you’re setting up different kitchen stations on the island, then you can’t add the seats to the island for dining.

Get a Clear Idea about Your Kitchen Design!

An island should seamlessly blend into your kitchen without congesting the place. Get the help of Paradise Kitchens – an established professional kitchen design company to get the desired outcome that you’ll be happy with for years to come. Give us a call on 02 9757 4400 or get a quote, having over 30+ years of experience. We can ensure you’ll love your island for years to come.

The post 6 Kitchen Island Design Mistakes That You Need to Avoid! appeared first on Paradise Kitchens.

Kitchen Island Bench or Breakfast Bar: What’s Best for You?

admin — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 01:30:17 +0000

Irrespective of whether you want to accomplish a contemporary, transitional or traditional kitchen renovation project, you may have thought of adding a kitchen breakfast bar or island bench. Before you choose, it is vital to know how they serve the purpose.

Kitchen Breakfast Bar

A breakfast bar adds counter space to a kitchen but has a higher height than kitchen counters. The breakfast bar is fixed to an existing kitchen countertop or wall and equipped with chairs or stools and features three usable sides. The kitchen breakfast bar is best suited for narrow kitchens and transitional areas between kitchens.

Kitchen Breakfast Bar – Vital Characteristics:

The kitchen breakfast bar is the perfect choice for small kitchens in apartments because it saves space and provides excellent practicality. The kitchen breakfast bar mounts onto one of the kitchen walls and is customisable to suit any kitchen regardless of the size or design of the space.
People having a fast-paced lifestyle will benefit from a kitchen breakfast bar, as they don’t have enough time to sit down and dine at a dining table. Using a kitchen breakfast bar can help you to save more space in your home to entertain and relax.
In places, particularly apartments, where a dining table is not an option, a kitchen breakfast bar is a brilliant alternative, as it facilitates access to prepare food and dine at the bench by adding two or three kitchen bench stools or compact chairs.
A kitchen breakfast bar will help you to make changes in the future easily than an island bench.
When compared with the kitchen island bench, the kitchen breakfast bar is a cost-effective option and needs less space and customisation.

The Kitchen Island

The kitchen island bench is a freestanding counter commonly placed in the centre of a kitchen. It can work as an extra counter and help in meal preparation. Besides, you can install an additional kitchen appliance or anything that can enhance the functionality in the kitchen. Some homeowners add sinks or stovetops to kitchen islands, and others prefer to leave them as is. Moreover, a kitchen island can accommodate handy storage space. The kitchen island is best suited for square kitchens.

Kitchen Island – Vital Characteristics:

With custom woodwork, you can include pull-out pantries, cupboards, regular conventional drawers, and dishwashers inside the island bench.
An island bench space can serve as a second dining table when required.
Island benches are perfect for U-shaped kitchens because they open up space, offering enough space to move around on all four sides of the island bench.
It is beneficial for large families as it offers an open path for footfalls compared to the kitchen breakfast bench that is fixed to the wall.
Moreover, you can consider using a wheeled island bench if worried about space. Wheeled island benches can be easily moved around to suit your requirements and can double as workspaces.

Combination of Kitchen Island & Breakfast Bar!

A spilt kitchen island will provide you with the perfect height of 36 inches in the counter area, meant for workspace use. And the other side raised counter area of up to 42 inches wherein bar stools or chairs will easily slide under, used for dining and entertaining.

The Bottom Line

It is essential to have a clear-cut idea about the design of your kitchen renovation project! A kitchen renovation project calls for considering multiple things, such as the layout and the size of your kitchen, and the functionality you require to match your lifestyle.

If you are planning for kitchen design or renovation in Sydney, then call on 02 9757 4400, book a free consultation or contact us for expert advice to choose either a kitchen island or breakfast bar to suit your room space and storage requirements. You can also get a quote for your dream kitchen today!

The post Kitchen Island Bench or Breakfast Bar: What’s Best for You? appeared first on Paradise Kitchens.

Types of Kitchen Islands & What Should You Consider When Installing One?

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 09:42:26 +0000

If you’re a homeowner, in all likelihood you’ll want to make your kitchen as functional and convenient as possible. Well, you can accomplish it in two ways viz. (1) By adding modern and efficient kitchen appliances and (2) Opting for a kitchen renovation. If you choose to renovate your kitchen, then you’re free to customise your kitchen layout as per your needs such as adding kitchen islands or opting for an open-plan design.

A kitchen island should seamlessly blend with your kitchen interiors and space. If you need some kitchen island ideas to choose the best for your kitchen, then quickly go over the different types of kitchen islands listed out below.

Different Types of Kitchen Islands

U-Shaped Kitchen Island

A U-shaped kitchen island can enhance efficiency in your kitchen. You get ample space for storage and for keeping your small appliances. You’ll have a spacious area for doing your daily kitchen chores; besides, you can add chairs for meals.
On the flip side, a U-shaped kitchen requires plenty of space, which also means you’ll need more time to clean the large space every day. When you have less time to finish the kitchen work, you’ll find it taxing running from one end to another.

L-shaped Kitchen Island

An L-shaped kitchen island facilitates you to install cabinets for storage, so you can get more storage space. If you have decent space in your L-shaped kitchen to install a kitchen island, then it will also increase your workspace around your kitchen. If you also have a helper while food preparation and cooking, then it can house more than one person easily.
On the flip side, this layout isn’t a practical option if you have a small kitchen. It will consume a considerable part of your kitchen area and won’t leave space for other kitchen appliances such as your dishwasher.

Galley Kitchen Island

If you’re having an open-plan kitchen layout or thinking to renovate your kitchen to an open-plan kitchen design, then a galley kitchen island is an ideal choice. It can be accommodated in small-sized kitchens and it’s quite efficient when it comes to storage and layout. Besides, you can add bar stools and transform the area into your dining space where you can sit together to have your meals.
The galley kitchen island design is pretty straightforward and functional especially for small kitchens; however, they aren’t the best choice for spacious or large kitchens.

Kitchen Island with Full Functionality

The kitchen island with full functionality appears as a smaller, independent kitchen, as it gets a kitchen sink, drainage, and adequate workspace for preparing food.
On the flip side, you’ll have to bear additional costs, as you have to add plumbing and an extra sink. If you can afford it and have the required space to install one, go for it otherwise opt for other conventional kitchen islands.

Rolling Cart Kitchen Island

A rolling cart kitchen island is quite handy and has mobility. It can be easily moved as it comes with wheels and is portable. Place it in an accessible place or move it around your kitchen as per your requirement. Besides, it is a cheaper alternative and more compact than the rest of the models.
Ensure your rolling cart kitchen island has a wheel lock otherwise it might roll around your kitchen, inflicting damage to your other kitchen appliances.

Non-Portable, Small Kitchen Island

The non-portable, small kitchen island is too petite, similar to the rolling cart kitchen island, but they don’t come with wheels.
On the flip side, it could prove to be awkward and inconvenient due to its minuscule size for some homeowners who would contemplate buying a bigger model to work efficiently in the kitchen.

Circular Kitchen Island

Typically, kitchen islands come with straight lines, rectangular or square, so if you want something unique, opt for a circular kitchen island. It will still allow you to add storage or arrange stools for meals.
On the flip side, this design doesn’t facilitate easy access to storage space and so it may not be as resourceful as the other types.

Do You Want to Install a Kitchen Island? Here are the Key Factors That You Should Consider!

U-Shaped or L-Shaped Kitchen Layout: If you have a U-shaped or L-shaped kitchen layout that is pretty common across Australian homes, then the good news is you can add a kitchen island with an approximate size of 40×40 inches while 31 & ½ inches walking space is recommended for this space. This space is perfect for one person only, which means if there is more than one person in the kitchen, it will feel packed and congested because of the small area.
Walking Space around the Kitchen Island: Kitchen islands consume the centre space in the kitchen; thus, you need to take care of the walking space around the island. Preferably, the walking space should be at least 36 inches wide for you, which will enable you to walk and move around your kitchen with ease.
Determine If You Can Fit a Kitchen Island in Your Kitchen: Space is an important aspect to consider when you’re thinking to install a kitchen island in your kitchen. Suppose, after installing the kitchen island, if decent space isn’t left for you to move around in the kitchen, then it can make your kitchen look cramped. Thus, you should evaluate the current space of your kitchen and what things you need to adjust so that you can install a kitchen island.
Renovate Your Kitchen: If you don’t have decent walking space around your kitchen, then opting for a kitchen renovation is the best thing to do. Book a free consultation with the experts at Paradise Kitchens to know about your kitchen renovation options in Sydney. You can call us on 02 9757 4400 or get a kitchen quote online to estimate your kitchen makeover cost.

The Bottom Line

A kitchen island can help you in many ways including facilitating for a generous food preparation space, extra storage to store your items, and can swap as a dining space with stools or compact chairs placed by, so you and your family can have meals together.
It is paramount to select a kitchen island that flawlessly suits your existing kitchen interiors.
If you feel that space is too cramped in your kitchen, then a kitchen renovation is the best thing to do, and you can visit our kitchen showroom or get in touch with Paradise Kitchens, we are leading professional kitchen designer company to assist you.

The post Types of Kitchen Islands & What Should You Consider When Installing One? appeared first on Paradise Kitchens.