If you want to spruce your kitchen up and add extra counter space, then a kitchen island is the best option to go for. They don’t need to match your granite or quartz countertops. Here are things to know before adding a kitchen island to your space.

Utility

A kitchen island can be used for a lot of things, but you need to figure out what exactly you need it for. You need to have a utility for any new addition you make in the kitchen because that’s going to determine the practicality of the item. The same goes for a kitchen island. Whether you need it as an extra countertop, or you need it as a makeshift dining table in the kitchen or you simply want to change up the look of the kitchen with it, you need to determine what you’re going to use the island for.

When you ask yourself this question, it gives you an answer that you know you need. There can be times when you don’t even need a kitchen island, rather it’s just your thought process. So, always figure out the purpose of a thing before you go ahead and install it. Your perspective will completely change.

Space

The next order of importance is the availability of space in the kitchen. Not to be confused with dimensions, the space of your kitchen will also determine the fact whether you really can fit a kitchen island in the space or not. Usually, people can act pretty hastily when getting a kitchen island and the next thing they know is that their space is all sorts of crowded and that’s not ideal at all.

This is why you need to take a step back and figure out the available space in your kitchen. If you have space to fit a kitchen island, then you’re good to go, otherwise, you might need to think of other ways to increase counter space in the kitchen, because an island won’t fit in your existing space.

Dimensions Of The Island

Now comes the dimensions of the kitchen island. If you’re new to the whole kitchen island trend, then you might not know what dimensions are the best. Well, the general size of a kitchen island depends, but the height shouldn’t be more than 36 inches.

The counter space can be big or small depending on your preference, and mostly the height also matches the rest of the countertops. If you’re having a hard time figuring out the dimensions of the kitchen island, then you can take the available space and measure the general dimensions of a kitchen island, which you can easily find online anywhere. If the dimensions fit within the space bracket, then you’re good to go. To avoid problems, the measurements and installation should only be done by an expert.

Ease

Additions are made to the kitchen when you know you want something that will make your life easier. The same goes for kitchen islands. Although a kitchen island isn’t for everyone, you still need to weigh out the pros and cons and what it can do to make your life in the kitchen easier.

A lot of the time, people don’t think about this factor and they end up getting a kitchen island, but it doesn’t bring a wave of ease as they anticipated. So, always do your research and figure out whether a kitchen island is even good for you or not.

Placement

The next thing which comes up when thinking about getting a kitchen island, is the placement of the actual island. You might think that it’s not as important, but you couldn’t be more wrong. A kitchen island can be placed either in the center of the space or along the far side of the kitchen, but you need to figure this placement out.

You need to see where the island needs to go. This can be done by figuring out where the counter space needs to be and what place in the kitchen will aid in your productivity if there’s a kitchen island there.

Mobile Or Stationary?

You might or might not know about this, but Kitchen Islands aren’t stationary anymore. They have come a long way and now there are portable kitchen islands as well that you can roll around like carts.

They are pretty nifty because you don’t need to think about the placement of the island anymore and you can get away with placing the island anywhere and rolling it around afterwards from one place to another. So, when getting a kitchen island, you can consider the moving option too.

Material

Material selection is also a very important factor to consider when getting a kitchen island. There are a lot of materials that you can choose from. There is wood, granite, marble, quartz, soapstone, limestone, quartzite, solid surface, and porcelain; the options are virtually endless.

What you can also do is match the island material with the rest of the granite kitchen countertops Raleigh NC or you can also go for a combination of different materials. This will also look amazing and your kitchen island will be the center of attention literally.

Seats Or No Seats?

This is something that a lot of people go back and forth on. If you want to use your kitchen island as a small dining table in the kitchen, then you might need to consider adding seats or stools as well. However, not everyone wants to make their kitchen island a dining table, so that is pretty much up to preference.

You need to figure this out too before getting a kitchen island, because this will completely change the utility as well. This decision will also impact the design and size of the kitchen island. So, be smart and use your visualization to see whether a small dining table/kitchen island would look good in your kitchen.

Maintenance

Next up is maintenance. Maintenance is also something that people think about a lot when buying anything for their kitchen and kitchen islands are no exception either. You want to get an island that doesn’t require a lot of maintenance because the last thing you need is to slave over the material and take care of every little thing.

That’s why the right material selection is paramount. Certain materials are more robust than others, while some are very fragile and need constant care. So, research well and find a material that won’t drag you into the abyss of maintenance.

Adding Storage

Last but not least, you also need to figure out whether you want the kitchen island to be a freestanding solid slab or if you want to sneak in some extra storage. Let’s be real, everyone loves more storage and there are a lot of ways by which you can add storage to the kitchen island.

You can have cabinets and drawers installed on the island and those are perfect for storing pots and pans. However, you need to think about all of this before getting an island.

Conclusion

Kitchen islands are multifunctional and beautiful and they add a very modern feel to the kitchen. So, now that you know much about adding a kitchen island, find a granite company Durham NC and a kitchen remodeler to get started.