Kitchen islands and peninsulas add style and beauty, increase efficiency, and define borders while bringing people together in the kitchen. They act as the kitchen’s hub allowing you to prepare, cook and clean up while maintaining conversational and visual contact with family and/or guests nearby.

Islands and peninsulas not only serve as a place for meal preparation, but also a snack bar, extra eating area, self-service buffet area, or even a small office desk space.  If you add plumbing, gas lines and proper wiring, you can then add a sink (or second sink), cooktop, dishwasher, microwave, under-cabinet refrigerator, icemaker or wine cooler.  The possibilities are endless!

In smaller kitchens, islands and peninsulas can increase storage, especially if you choose to put cabinets and drawers on both sides. In larger kitchens, islands and peninsulas are especially useful in minimizing the work triangle, helping define traffic patterns and acting as a room divider. In an extra large kitchen, many find two islands are better than one.

Islands
A kitchen island, as the name implies, is freestanding and in the center of the kitchen.  An island works well in U and L-shape kitchens, decreasing the distance between work centers and directing traffic outside the work area.

Peninsulas
Unlike a freestanding island, a kitchen peninsula has one end attached to a wall or adjoining cabinets, usually at a right angle. A peninsula can be as versatile as an island but doesn’t require as much surrounding floor space.

Islands and Peninsulas Design Tips

• Comfortable work zones that are easy to maneuver in and provide good access are critical to a well-planned kitchen.  Commonly a kitchen work triangle is based on the location of the sink, the cooking area, and the refrigerator. An island often contains the cooking or sink work center. Many kitchens today have additional work zones for a second sink or baking area.
• Recommended aisle spacing for the working side of an island is 42”. Passageway isles should be 36”.  Consider a peninsula if your space is more restricted.
• Consider the location of appliances such as refrigerators, ovens and dishwashers that require space for doors to open completely and allow safe passageways.
• Don’t install an island between kitchen work zones that are on opposite walls. A smart work triangle will minimize distance between work zones not create a barrier.
• In larger kitchens, a second island could be used for task-specific countertops, such as butcher block for chopping or marble for rolling pastry dough.

Merillat offers online tools that can help make it fun and easy to define your style, find inspirational design ideas, and experiment with a variety of door styles and finishes, counter tops, flooring, and other features. Doing your homework here saves you time in the showroom and gives your designer the information he or she needs to take your kitchen to the next level.

Today’s Dream Kitchen Sweepstakes winner Kimberly Osburn envisioned a dramatic color change for her new kitchen: going from bright white cabinets in her existing kitchen to Merillat’s new Kona finish—a bold, espresso-colored brown.

The Osburns’ vision also included making better use of the space available in her narrow galley kitchen. An avid baker and host, Kimberly craved an efficient work triangle and improved traffic flow for entertaining. Her husband Joshua needed a generous workspace with ample storage to contain plenty of paperwork.

With a clear vision of what they hoped to achieve, Sandra set to work.  Since cabinet space and storage features are a top priority among today’s homeowners, she developed an innovative floor plan to maximize every available inch. Base and wall cabinets extend the functional space of the kitchen into the adjoining dining room, creating a stylish bar and perfect gathering place—outside the kitchen—as well adding valuable counter and storage space.  A multi-purpose island and generous desk area provide extra space to work, eat, prep, or entertain, as the occasion demands.

By combining the couple’s tastes and lifestyle with a designer’s understanding of flow and function, the Osburns’ new kitchen is a makeover that’s much more than skin deep.