Kitchen islands have been a common feature on homeowners’ wish lists for years now, but as our lifestyles have changed, what was once a wish has developed into a staple for a modern, functional kitchen.
Lisa Mende, a Charlotte, N.C.-based designer who participated in a fall interiors event at Atlanta Decorative Arts Center (ADAC), said that as formal dinner and cocktail parties have become less frequent and entertainment styles have become more casual, islands have become pivotal to our social lives.
“You can put hors d’oeuvres on the island, and you can gather around it,” said Mende, “and if the (host) is preparing something in the kitchen, people can be in there.”
Mende said fast-paced lives need a gathering space that is more casual and accessible than the formal dining room. An obvious solution is the island.
“Many times during the week at my house, people are eating at the bar and not sitting around the table,” she said.
It’s not just that islands better fit our laid-back styles, though; they have also become a catch-all for adding function and style in the kitchen.
“The trend has become such that the island is kind of the make-up for other areas in the kitchen that we don’t have,” Mende said.
Changing function
Islands are being upgraded to make them as convenient and useful as possible.
“There are so many uses for an island that it depends on what the functionality of the family is,” said Mende, who recently put charging stations in her own island.
All sorts of gadgets can go into a kitchen island, from charging stations and herb gardens to storage and cooktops. A popular choice is an induction cooktop that stays cool to the touch so that the whole surface can be utilized when it’s not in use, said Mende, a member of the design council for Thermador.
“We don’t think of it just as an island anymore; it’s also a multifunctional asset in the kitchen,” said Mende.
Jessica Murphy, designer and owner of Her Cave Atlanta, a licensed general contractor, said homeowners are trending away from placing stoves and sinks in their islands, so they can leave the surface space free for prep and socializing. Murphy recently reworked one client’s island to remove the cooktop.
“Her cooktop was in the island, and she hated that, because she couldn’t use the island as a gathering place,” she said. “The cooktop took up so much room.”
The same goes for sinks, she said, which are also moving to the kitchen perimeter. Other appliances, especially those built into the island base and not on the countertop, are wildly popular, though.
“The microwave drawer is a big thing these days,” Murphy said.
All sorts of appliances can go in an island: wine fridges, steam ovens and refrigerated drawers.
“I’ve had clients that use the bottom drawer as the ‘OK drawer’ for kids,” said Mende. “They can have whatever snacks are in there.”
Even the toe kicks of islands are getting makeovers, with fold-out stools, baseboard doggie bowls and undercabinet lighting. A strip of lights around the bottom of the island can be handy for ambiance and midnight snacking.
“At night when you come into the kitchen, it’s like a nightlight,” said Mende.
Changing form
As the island’s function evolves in the kitchen, so too may its form. Homeowners are adding banquettes, moving the island off center and mixing materials. In particular, waterfall countertops, which extend the counter line down the sides of the island, and mixed material counters, which combine a standard countertop with wood, glass or another surface, are gaining popularity.
“If the island is really large, you’re going to have a seam in your countertop anyway, and so you’ve got to kind of do something to hide that. One thing that people are doing is putting a wood top on a portion of the island,” Murphy said.
But it’s not just large islands that are getting a makeover. Smaller islands can be moved off center and provide added storage. Marietta contractor Thomas Drew positioned one small island off center so as not to block the back porch or butler’s pantry doors. Even in the small space, it manages to provide prep space, seating and storage.
“Two people can sit there, and it’s used very much,” said Drew, owner of DBD Renovations, “and I know the owner also uses it when she entertains.”
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