A kitchen island is an excellent way to provide you much-needed storage for the center of your kitchen. But if you want to get something beyond a wheeled cart, you will make some design decisions. One of those decisions goes back to the size and design choice of the cabinets.
What cabinets work for a kitchen island? Typically, you want cabinets that don’t allow anything to stick out and bump your kneecaps. Countertops should hang over these cabinets by about one inch. Standard cabinet heights are typically about three feet tall at about waist level.
Regardless of whether your island is there for prep space, cooking, or dining, you almost always will have to address storage. With cabinets being the ultimate form of storage, below are some extra tips you should consider when choosing island cabinets.
Tips When Choosing the Best Island Cabinets
Tip One: Choose Something Functional
While having a conversation starter in the middle of your room is excellent, you want to make sure it’s functional. If you need more storage, pick an island that provides you with that. If you a dining area, invest in some stools and an expanded countertop.
Make sure your island provides utility before you start building it.
Tip Two: Match Your Existing Cabinets
Whether you choose complementary or exact designs, you want cabinets that complement each other. For example, two colors of different shades would work well together. It provides your kitchen with a natural form of depth.
Choosing different shades also ensures you don’t have to worry about clashing colors. For example, brown and black is a dark color combination that will absorb much of the light in your room.
Tip Three: Leave Enough Room for Walking
This tip isn’t limited to cabinets, but it’s a good reminder that you should keep in mind with all islands. Regardless of what you are using it for, you want to make sure you have enough room for at least two people.
Choosing 42 inches is typically best, as it allows multiple types of people to enter. This process can be essential if you have walkers or wheelchairs running through your kitchen.
If you plan on using this for dining, account for another person’s width. That’s why it’s best to have a dining island with stools facing away from the counter areas.
Tip Four: Budget an Extra 20% for Unseen Costs
Before you start thinking of your island, make sure your budget can handle it. You might assume you’ve saved enough for the bare minimum, but something almost always comes up during significant projects.
This possibility is especially true if you’ve got a sink or oven as part of your project. Don’t allow some unseen cost to stop you from getting a good kitchen island. Always budget a bit extra for when something goes wrong.
Conclusion
The cabinets in your kitchen island should have handles behind the countertops and blend in your kitchen. Costs of this sort of project can be as high as $5 thousand.
To avoid falling back on the old island cart option, contact Bertone Woodworking to ensure that your designs stay within budget.