| Ask most homeowners and they'll tell you that there's | | | | cooktop or the main sink, or to install a second sink as |
| not enough countertop space in the kitchen, no matter | | | | the 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 space | | | | oven elsewhere, consider pull-out trays or drawers |
| from which to serve an informal buffet, or just a place | | | | below the cooktop to store pots and pans. If the island |
| to toss the day's mail, kitchen islands are popular | | | | will be a second work station with a prep sink for |
| solution to the lack of kitchen space. According to the | | | | cleaning veggies and the like, NKBA suggests including |
| National Kitchen & Bath Association, over 50 percent | | | | a 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-install | | | | the locating the cooktop or sink in the center of the |
| cabinets, accessories and trim moldings available | | | | room. For the sink you'll need supply and drain lines, and |
| today, it's possible to create an island that will be just | | | | for the cooktop a ventilation system-either an |
| right for your kitchen, at less cost than if you turned to | | | | overhead 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 an | | | | floor. 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 space | | | | is 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 two | | | | room, 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 be | | | | glass-fronted doors can be used as display space, |
| located so it functions as an integral part of the work | | | | while the kitchen side uses standard-depth base |
| area. It can also serve as a divider between the | | | | cabinets 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 the | | | | appeal. |