Thinking about renovating your kitchen? Designer kitchen islands can go a long way toward opening up your space and increasing its efficiency. There are many options for customizing this central design element, from mixing building materials to installing new top-tier appliances. Sleek, modern kitchen island arrangements ultimately give you more storage to work with and offer a platform for increasing the functionality and livability of the entire space.
Kitchen Distributors places your custom kitchen vision at the center of the design process to create a personalized space that matches your lifestyle and preferences. Our team brings over 70 years of kitchen design expertise to every project to create spaces that balance aesthetic appeal with functionality. Contact us or visit our Littleton kitchen design showroom to speak with our team of design professionals and start your project today.
Questions to Ask Before Adding a Kitchen Island to Your Space
Planning a new custom kitchen is an opportunity to dream big. With selecting layouts, decorative styles, colors, and building materials, there are quite a few decisions you’ll need to make. Here are a few of the questions you should ask before making formal plans for redesigning your kitchen island.
What Aspects of Your Existing Kitchen Require the Most Improvements?
Review your current kitchen arrangements and identify which elements within the space need to change. For many homeowners, a lack of space is one of the primary reasons to begin a new kitchen remodeling project. For others, it might be the visuals or design style of central elements such as the cabinetry and countertops.
What Appliances Do You Want to Replace?
Your kitchen appliances don’t always have to be pushed toward the sides of the space. You can place your main appliances, such as your stovetop and sink, at the center of everything, which adds a more flexible dynamic to the space. You can also add new appliances, such as a drink cooler or secondary refrigerator, in place of the usual cabinetry.
How Will Your New Kitchen Island Function?
Your new kitchen island can be so much more than extra counter space. There are plenty of options and opportunities for installing appliances, building seating arrangements, or even including this centerpiece on one of the key corners of your kitchen workspace triangle. Multi-functional surfaces and spaces are one of the key facets of luxury kitchen design.
Looking for more assistance with planning your kitchen? Download our kitchen design checklist today.
Designing the Modern Luxury Kitchen Island
Working with a luxury kitchen designer in assembling your space allows you to customize your space from start to finish. You don’t have to be confined by current kitchen design trends. Your kitchen island becomes an opportunity to set the tone for your space and maximize its value as a unique visual centerpiece. Here are just a few of the design considerations that a professional kitchen designer can walk you through when arranging your new space.
Balance and Proportion
Designing a kitchen island layout for your space starts with considering the fixtures metrics and measurements, including both depth and height. A balanced architectural arrangement, where there’s still plenty of space for foot traffic in and around the room, is essential. When you’re standing on one side of the installation, you should be able to easily reach the middle of its surface. Relative to the rest of the space, the kitchen island shouldn’t take up more than a third of the available square footage.
Countertops and Cabinetry
Cabinets and countertops collectively take up a considerable portion of your kitchen’s visual space, which means it’s always best to invest in quality. Professional kitchen designers can help you find options that you won’t find anywhere else and connect you with contractors that make customization easy. Marble and quartzite are two of the most popular choices for luxury countertops, though the former can be considerably more of a challenge to properly maintain.
Top of the Line Appliances
If central appliances such as your stove or sink are a part of your island ideas, you’ll need to think carefully about their placement. Drink coolers and other supplementary appliances usually belong towards one side of the kitchen, outside the primary work triangle. Kitchen Distributor’s exclusive design partners, such as Cove and Miele, offer homeowners the chance to customize the front surface of their dishwasher and other appliances so that it blends seamlessly with the existing or newly installed cabinetry.
Luxury Kitchen Island Lighting
The light fixtures above your kitchen island should offer both practical and aesthetic benefits. These installations are often an opportunity to add more dramatic flair to your space, with artistic designs that introduce timeless yet modern glamor. At the same time, they need to function well as task lights. Smart home lighting solutions are always an option if you’re looking to make your space more luxurious.
Improvements in Functionality
Award-winning kitchen designs don’t skip over a single detail. To improve the functionality of your kitchen island, consider the placement of your outlets and the height of your countertops. Multi-level kitchen islands are always an option when you’re working with a high-end kitchen design firm. On the far side of the island, you may also want to build a seating arrangement, so that the room becomes more than a workspace.
An Elevated Kitchen Design Experience
A kitchen island constructed with durable, timeless building materials is a solid foundation for any luxury kitchen design and fits with almost any design style. To learn more about building a custom kitchen for your home, speak with the experts at Kitchen Distributors today or visit one of our three Colorado kitchen design showrooms.
Kitchen Distributors is an award-winning kitchen design team that turns your dream kitchen in Denver, CO to a reality. From concept to full-service construction, we take care of all the details of your future kitchen design, so you can focus on what matters.