Kitchen Art Design islands don’t use the boring, standard styles you see all too often. Instead, they are custom-designed to meet your unique storage and style needs. This is far better than the conventional kitchen design flaw of having a few cabinets under a countertop in the middle of the room. We go out of our way to create a design and increase layout that caters to your lifestyle.
The problem with the typical cabinet-style kitchen island is that it is only adequate. It covers many needs for the average person, but never covers all of them. If you have 100 small spice bottles, the area of a typical cabinet is mostly wasted; but if you have a few large pots or pans, a standard cabinet is rarely large enough. You need storage that properly fits the items you want to keep out of your way.
Since there are so many possibilities for island-based storage, we have highlighted some of the most interesting ideas available on the market today. These address specific storage needs or provide better options for generalized storage spaces. Consider using them as a basis for your own customized designs
The Cookbook Library
If you love cooking, you probably have quite a collection of cookbooks. Unfortunately, leaving them out when they aren’t in use subjects them to grease, grime, and other kitchen debris. Putting them too far away, however, makes it so you have to go through the hassle to find the right one when it’s time to make a recipe.
The cookbook library style, shown on this page at Better Homes & Gardens, solves this by adding bookshelves to the ends of your kitchen island. There, the books are far enough away from the action to avoid any spatters, but they’re still within easy reach when it’s time to pull one out. Even better, they don’t take up your normal storage space.
The Kitchen Island Hutch
Like a desk hutch, this unit sticks up from the rear of the kitchen island. It’s a great solution for storing spices and other objects that tend to get lost in the back of cabinets. Choose shelves or cubbies to keep your smaller items handy or store commonly-used dishes. This design not only keeps everything neat, but eliminates the need to bend over to get frequently-used things out of under-counter cabinets.
Upgraded Storage and Eating Space
This unique design seen on Better Homes & Gardens requires a wider space, but if you have the room, the result has a simply breathtaking effect. On one side of your kitchen island, you have a banquette that includes a bench and table – while on the other side, you have an area for kitchen work and storage. Tall, glass-doored cabinets are great for displaying your dishes. If you don’t want to have to pay attention to how the things in your cabinets look, just choose solid wood doors instead.
A Wine Cubby Island
Wine connoisseurs and regular entertainers always seem to run out of space for their collection or space for their kitchen wine rack during a family gathering or a dinner party. Expand your wine-storage space by turning the sides of your kitchen island into bottle cubbies. This design is easy to customize to meet your storage requirements – you can have one, two, or all four sides of the kitchen island covered with cubbies. Check out these ideas on Foter for inspiration.
The Bin-Concealer
Everyone needs a waste and recycling bin in the kitchen, but few want to see them when they’re not in use. One of the most popular kitchen island storage solutions allows these bins to be hidden without hassle. Pull-out shelves, tilt-out bins, and other bin-storage methods can be used to keep trash out of sight while presenting a polished, beautiful exterior.
Looking to design a kitchen with ample storage solutions? Reach out to us and we’ll take it from there.