Add An Island To Beef-up The Kitchen

Ask most homeowners and they'll tell you that there'scooktop or the main sink, or to install a second sink as
not enough countertop space in the kitchen, no matterthe focal point of a second work triangle.
how much or how little they have.- If the cooktop will be located in the island, with a wall
Whether you need a second work station, a spaceoven elsewhere, consider pull-out trays or drawers
from which to serve an informal buffet, or just a placebelow the cooktop to store pots and pans. If the island
to toss the day's mail, kitchen islands are popularwill be a second work station with a prep sink for
solution to the lack of kitchen space. According to thecleaning veggies and the like, NKBA suggests including
National Kitchen & Bath Association, over 50 percenta pull-out wastebasket in the cabinet below.
of kitchens created include islands.- Be sure to plan for the mechanicals necessary for
With the wide range of in-stock, ready-to-installthe locating the cooktop or sink in the center of the
cabinets, accessories and trim moldings availableroom. For the sink you'll need supply and drain lines, and
today, it's possible to create an island that will be justfor the cooktop a ventilation system-either an
right for your kitchen, at less cost than if you turned tooverhead unit or a downdraft model. Both the plumbing
a custom cabinetmaker.and downdraft unit will require breaking through the
If you are planning a kitchen remodel that will include anfloor. That's fine if you have a basement or a crawl
island, consider these tips:space beneath, but could present problems if the room
- Most importantly, there should be sufficient spaceis on a slab.
between the island and other work surfaces to allow- If your island will separate the kitchen and family
for opening cabinet and appliance doors, and for tworoom, it can become a multi-purpose unit that shows a
people to work without jostling one another.different face to the family room. The use of shallow,
- Depending on your specific needs, the island can beglass-fronted doors can be used as display space,
located so it functions as an integral part of the workwhile the kitchen side uses standard-depth base
area. It can also serve as a divider between thecabinets for no-nonsense storage. The generous
kitchen and the family room.countertop is ideal for staging a buffet.
- Adding an island permits a reconfiguration of the- And finally, don't forget about adequate lighting.
classic "work triangle" of refrigerator, cooktop and sink,Without it, the island will lose much of its functional
because it is an ideal place to relocate either theappeal.