After holiday time, the routine settles back in. There are schedules to keep, and tasks to complete. Optimizing the day-to-day to get family quality time seems to be an impossible mission. But there are ways to make it happen. Making the most of the meal’s preparation time can turn out to be a clever idea. If you have an island in your kitchen, even better.
The advantages of having an island in your kitchen
An island in your kitchen is multifunctional and allows people to walk around it. It may have storage space, work as an extension to your counter, and you can even place some appliances on it. If it is integrated into an open-space kitchen, it helps to limit and visually organize the kitchen/living room space.
Besides these very practical functionalities, intrinsic to the dynamic of a kitchen, having an island will allow you to be closer to your children and your family. Further, then complying with its daily purpose in the kitchen, the island can be where your children do their homework and where we can quickly finish some assignments from work while preparing a meal. Around an island, there is space for many activities and interactions.
But, in order for us to fully take advantage of all the functionalities an island may have, what shall we consider when building it? Or, how to reorganize a pre-existing one?
Where to place it?
You can start by deciding its location. If your kitchen is “U” shaped, the island should be at the center. In the case your kitchen has an “L” layout, the island will limit the space between the open space area of the kitchen and the living room. If the island also has wheels, you can move it and change its positioning as needed.
In the case your kitchen has a different layout and/or a small area, most likely it is not appropriate to have an island.
What is the proper dimension?
It is important to decide the size of the island, depending on the area there is available in the kitchen or open space. Remember to always leave room for people to get around and for potential equipment or compartments that may open, such as cupboards or electrical appliances. As such, we recommend leaving at least one and a half meters free in all directions.
Should I integrate the sink on the island?
Usually, a kitchen island can include different equipment, from the sink to electrical appliances, such as a dishwasher machine, microwave, oven, stove, etc. It all depends on your routine and what is the main reason for having a kitchen island. If the purpose is to promote family interaction, the island should include at least the sink. You probably have noticed that the sink is the core of all activity in the kitchen. When considering including the sink in the island, think that it will allow for greater dynamics with your children who can also be on an area of the island doing their homework, and/or your spouse who may also be working on the island.
So, yes, you should consider including the sink. We recommend doing it harmoniously with what we call the “work triangle”. The stove, sink, and refrigerator should be within a minimum distance of 1.2 meters and a maximum distance of 2.7 meters.
RODI has a wide range of sinks with ideal functionalities to be included in kitchen islands, namely:
Invictus | Invisible 70 | Evo 105 | Una 75 | Composite 50 Nero | Urban 105
Before including equipment and electrical appliances in kitchen islands, there are several points to consider. Therefore, always ask for details and information from the respective retailers.
There is no doubt the kitchen is increasingly becoming an area to socialize. To prove it we have a growing tendency to create open spaces that unite the kitchen with the living and dining rooms. It is crucial to think in detail about the equipment, electrical appliances, decoration, and, above all, the layout and how all these elements can interconnect. Then, you can enjoy not only a fully multifunctional space but also an aesthetically amazing one. Get inspired by this and other projects by the Portuguese TV show Querido, Mudei a Casa!, with which we have been partners since 2018!
And now that the children are back in school, read this article about some activities that you can do with them to enjoy more quality time with your family and get the most out of your kitchen island.
