How to Achieve The Kitchen Island Of Your Dreams
Selling your house? A stunning kitchen island is one definite way to make a big first impression on potential homebuyers.
It’s no secret kitchens sell homes. When it comes to the kitchen, the kitchen island is a home renovation which never goes out of style. Mastering the perfect kitchen island is another story.
That’s why we’re giving you five, top secrets every homeowner should know in order to achieve the perfect kitchen island.
Over the past twenty years, kitchen islands have continued to evolve with modern home designs. Although kitchen islands continue to sell homes, many homeowners struggle to actually master the art of this feature. Before we unlock our top, five secrets to achieving the kitchen island of your dreams, let’s take a look at some reasons why many people fail at kitchen island renovations.
Reasons for Kitchen Island Failures:
Not Enough Space
- Be mindful of space when designing your kitchen island. Often homeowners are anxious to achieve the kitchen of their dreams, they forget how much of a difference a few inches of space can make when designing their kitchen. Industry standards recommend kitchen pathways to be at least 32 inches wide. Paths within a cooking zone should be 42 inches wide for a one-cook kitchen and 48 inches wide for a two-cook kitchen. It’s important to place the cooktop away from high traffic areas. You don’t want the younger ones running into any catch handles and causing dangerous spills.
Dangerous Setups
- Once you have designed your kitchen with enough space for people to move around safely, it’s time to start thinking about where put all the appliances. Another common mistake homeowners make when designing their kitchen is not putting enough thought into determining a kitchen island’s function. Careful design decisions make recycling, cleaning, eating, meal prepping and cooking easy. Poor design decisions can cause the kitchen island to be used as a place to store sharp knives or dangerous cooktop placements. Bottom line, be sure to make your kitchen island a place for both safe cooking and game-night entertainment.
Incorrect Use of Color
- Another common mistake homeowners make while designing their dream kitchen island, is forgetting about the importance of color in room designs. Often homeowners drown out their design renovations with too many dark paint colors or design finishing. Make sure you take advantage of contrasting color designs. Use the top of a kitchen island as an opportunity for dramatic wood trimmings or bright color finishes. Brighter, contrasting colors create the illusion of a bigger kitchen.
Bottom line: kitchens sell homes.
According to the National Association of Home Builders, kitchens are the second most popular home renovation project behind bathrooms. It’s no wonder homeowners are so eager to install the perfect kitchen island, kitchens remain a staple in the American home.
Now that we’ve discovered three popular reasons homeowners fail to accomplish the perfect kitchen island renovation, let’s look at the must-have tips. Discover our top, five secrets for uncovering the kitchen island of your dreams.
5 tips for mastering the perfect kitchen island:
Create a focal point
- The eye typically reads from left to right and up to down. We can’t stress enough the importance of this basic human trait. Our first essential tip, while designing a kitchen island renovation, is to create a focal point for your kitchen. We recommend adding a suspended hood on top of an island cooktop. Suspended hoods are an effective way to create a focal point for the room.
Dare to Be Unique
- You’re going to love our next kitchen island renovation secret. When designing your dream kitchen island, don’t forget to be yourself. Choosing to copy the latest design styles into your home are not always the best design decision. Wooden cabinets, floral wallpaper, and pearl white countertops which were once popular in the 1980s and 1990s have now become a design trend of the past. Adding your personal design touch to a kitchen island renovation sets your kitchen apart from the rest. We recommend using unique building materials, like recycled wood. Wooden panels and white bead boarding are two unique design choices which make the ultimate touch.
Design for Premium Functions
- Don’t be afraid to knock down walls. Remember industry standards recommend kitchen pathways to be at least 32 inches wide. When designing your kitchen island do not force the structure into your kitchen design plans. The most stunning kitchen islands allow people to safely move around while the food is cooking. Opt for extra wall outlets for more electricity and double up on highly used appliances like microwave ovens and mini refrigerators in the kitchen. These extra features allow your kitchen island to remain a practical use of space while also keeping guests away from the cook in the kitchen.
Choose Custom
- You won’t regret spending the extra money on custom-built island features. Cottage-style islands, for example, allow for both raised bar stool seating and cooktop working stations. Spending the extra money on custom island designs allows for more diverse activities. Custom design finishes, like flush-set sinks or matte, don’t show dirt as much as other glossier finishes. Don’t be afraid to choose custom features for your kitchen island renovation. The extra money will be worth the investment.
Keep it Simple
- With so many different design choices it’s easy to get swept up into design confusion. Don’t forget the basics. Remember, people come into a kitchen for home cooked meals and conversations. Be sure to make the essential functions of the kitchen accessible. The refrigerator, for example, should have enough space for both the passersby and the person cooking. The last thing you want after spending the money on an expensive kitchen renovation is for your refrigerator door to hit your houseguests while they’re sitting in the kitchen.
You now have the secrets to unlocking the kitchen island of your dreams.
Follow these renovation tips to achieve a kitchen which never goes out of style.
At re:fab, our team has been providing residential painting and renovation services for homeowners for over 30 years. We have worked on a variety of kitchen renovations for both residential and multi-family property owners.
Visit re:fab online to learn more about our renovation services for residential properties at: https://refabpro.com/
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