Kitchen Island Designs & Uses

In design today, a showpiece kitchen island is one of the most popular and desirable features of kitchen floorplans — and for good reason! From cooking gourmet dinners to sitting and enjoying a glass of wine with friends, a beautiful kitchen island can easily become the center of modern living when properly designed for your life and your space.

As one of Southeast PA’s top kitchen remodel companies, at Choice Home Remodeling, we design and install a wide variety of islands! Check out our kitchen island designs and If you’re planning on a renovation, island or not, consider us the team to call.

How to Get Started on Designing Your Kitchen Island

In the meanwhile, there are a few questions you can ask yourself when considering incorporating an island into your design:

    1. Is my kitchen big enough for an island?

When considering home remodeling, many homeowners wonder is my kitchen big enough for an island. The answer depends on both the size and shape of the kitchen.

While a wide variety of kitchens are perfect for islands, some spaces won’t accommodate when it comes to giving you a well thought out kitchen plan. Consider the walkway spaces on all sides around the island, as well as the space required to sit around it comfortably.

When deciding if your kitchen is big enough for an island, we recommend having a minimum 3 feet of clearance on each side to make sure you won’t end up feeling crowded. On the contrary, a properly sized and appropriately shaped island can actually make your kitchen feel larger and grander.

    1. What will be the primary use for my island?

It’s a basic principle of art: form versus function. Not only does an island need to be appealing to the eye, but it must be as functional as it is beautiful.

This can mean different things to different people, and one benefit of working with a designer is having an experienced professional to help straddle the line between useful and pretty. A good step toward determining an island design is to figure out what it will likely be used for. Here are a few of the most common kitchen island uses we see:

      • Eating

Eating the majority of meals as a family sitting around the kitchen island is both convenient and practical. A kitchen island can be the functional centerpiece of your kitchen. Just imagine eating Saturday morning breakfast and Chinese takeout all gathered around your showpiece kitchen island.

      • Cooking

A well-equipped island can make cooking great for the chef (or two) in your house. Oftentimes the presence of an island in a kitchen can allow for improved flow and room to work. Kitchen islands can come with built-in stovetops, sinks, and microwaves.

      • Entertaining

Why go out when you have your own luxury space? A two-level kitchen island with barstools is perfect for entertaining your guests. Complement the design with a wine storage shelf and a refrigerator, if that’s your thing.

      • Activity/family gathering

Whether it be homework or another family activity, an island is a great spot to gather.

    1. How should the island visually play into the rest of my design?

From one to two tiers, paints to stains, butcher block tops and everything in between, the way your island looks should nestle in with the rest of your space. This doesn’t always mean an exact match to every other cabinet in your kitchen, but an overarching theme that should be maintained. From there, the options are endless.

Dress it up or blend it in, keeping in mind again how you plan to use your new space. Talking to your designer about the pros and cons of different finishes and their wear-ability may help narrow down the multitude of choices.

Kitchen Remodel Experts in Lancaster PA

If you are starting to get a clear picture of your dream kitchen and island, give us a call. We can further work to refine your vision with you. In addition, we can also definitely answer that all-important question: is my kitchen big enough for an island. As one of the biggest kitchen remodel experts in Southeast PA, we can help you design your dream kitchen island and meet your budget.

Contact us to start the conversation today!

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Quality work! These boys are hard workers and you can tell that they don’t cut corners! We are so delighted with our new windows! Thank you Choice home remodeling! One very happy customer here!
Response from the owner:Thank you for the review Britini! Our team strives for their best and ensuring satisfaction. We are thrilled you had such a positive experience with us.
A huge thank you to the Choice team for making the stress of choosing and installation of new windows and slider door seamless. Each person that we encountered was Professional, knowledgeable, kind, skilled and took Pride in what they do. They did a fantastic job, from protecting the floors, showing kindness to the dog and working in the brutal cold for 3 days and taking the time to show me all I needed to know about these windows and door. I will have them back to do the last door and 2 windows.

Family owned, local business. Thank you. Love the windows/door.
Response from the owner:Thank you for the kind review Tamera. We pride ourselves in having a team that cares. Let us know when you are ready for your remaining projects!
I had 7 windows and 1 glass replacement installed using Home Choice Remodeling. I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for a quality company. I needed windows that were good quality but not extremely expensive. I learned about Okna windows from the salesperson - I had never heard of them before. I am glad I listened because they were very affordable and are much higher quality than my current windows. During install day, the crew was very respectful and were in and out in much less time than I expected. They laid drop cloths down and made sure to leave the space exactly as they found it. I am cvery happy with the results. Great company!
Response from the owner:Thank you for the review Amanda. We are very happy to hear your expectations were exceeded. We want to make sure our customers are getting the best service and products that work for them.
Beautiful custom Pella windows in my historical family cottage. Thank you to Evan Kratz and crew for the loving care they gave the place!
Response from the owner:Thank you Jenny for the review. Windows look great!