There’s More To Island Counters Than Placement

For people looking to improve their homes, working with kitchen remodeling companies to upgrade the heart of the home is a natural choice. One popular addition in recent years has been installing an island counter. Traditional kitchens have directed users to use more of a “conveyor belt” system, moving along wall counter from one phase of cooking to the next.

However, having an island counter means extra, open food preparation space and opens up a lot of possibilities. However, you have to think about what you really want from your counter and kitchen experience before you get one installed.

The Space Factor

Before any kitchen remodeling companies start putting an island counter in, the first thing you have to determine is whether the kitchen space even makes this feasible. In older homes, kitchens could sometimes be small, narrow rooms, with no possible extra space.

If you find yourself in this situation, you may need to consider tearing down walls and opening up your kitchen if an island counter is a priority for you and your home improvement plans. It’s important to remember that having an island counter means you need to ensure there’s still enough room for foot traffic between counters. If there isn’t, having an island counter improperly positioned can actually make a kitchen less convenient to use.

Usage

Is your island counter going to be primarily used for food preparation, or is this part of a larger kitchen concept where the kitchen doubles as a dining room and meals are going to be eaten on the counter? How you plan to use a counter can have different outcomes for the type of island counter you choose and even its placement.

For example, if an island counter will never be used for dining, the counter placement may be closer to the other counters along the wall. This facilitates easier access for the user to turn back and forth getting ingredients, using appliances, and other functions. On the other hand, if the counter is going to be where meals are shared, considerations may need to be made for the placement of chairs and legroom.

Shape

Another factor that a lot of people don’t always consider is the shape of the island counter. This may be for decorative or functional purposes, but the counter doesn’t have to be in a traditional rectangular shape. If it suits purposes, an island counter can be custom built to be in a circular or “U” shape, for example, before being installed. Island counters can even have varying heights if that’s something that makes more sense for your kitchen needs, with one counter being at standard height while another portion is lower to the ground.

You can also use this to advantage by adding extra electrical outlets. This gives you a place to plug in other appliances or recharge devices like phones and tablets. Adding in outlets to an island counter increases the convenience both for cooking and for other activities taking place in the kitchen.

When talking to kitchen remodeling companies, make sure you figure you what you want from your kitchen counter experience.