Adding an island to your kitchen design opens up a lot of possibilities. With an island, you gain extra counter space, storage, seating, and even utility if a sink or cooktop is added to the layout. You also gain additional style and design for the rest of your kitchen.
Coordinate or Contrast
One of the style benefits of adding an island to the rest of your kitchen design is the ability to use it to include additional depth and interest to the room. For example, while it is entirely possible to use the same cabinets, color, and countertop on your island as you do for the perimeter of the room, having an island gives you the ability to change things up at the same time.
With an island, you get the chance to explore colors, shapes, and textures that can coordinate or contrast with the rest of the room. This enables you to add extra depth and interest to the space as a whole.
Lights and Darks
One way to coordinate your island with the rest of your kitchen is to think in terms of lights and darks. For example, if you have clear maple or white cabinets with a dark-colored counter around the perimeter of your room, you may want to consider a kitchen island that is espresso-colored with a light-colored counter on top. This reversal keeps your kitchen from becoming too bland, yet does not introduce anything new that could take away from the rest of the design.
Pop of Color and Interest
An island is a great way to add a concentrated pop of color and interest to the kitchen as a whole. If you love the look of painted cabinets or wild stone counters, but feel like theywould be too much for the room in its entirety, the island can be the perfect place to include these details.
If you have stained or white cabinets, consider painting your island Country blue or yellow. If your counters are fairly sedate, consider something more wild like Rainforest Brown. Because the island is in the center of the room, it can become the focal point of the design without overwhelming the space.
Flooring Change
Another way to add interest to the space around the island is to change up the flooring around the area it resides in. This helps to further emphasize the space and add more interest to the room as a whole.
For example, if you have hardwood flooring in the kitchen, consider installing slate just around the perimeter of the island to emphasize its shape. This change in texture is often enough to add dimension to the room without extra detail as well.
Cabinet Door Detail
If you want to ad
d dimension to the room in the subtlest of ways, consider simply changing the cabinet doors on the island, but leaving the other details such as counter and color the same. For example, if you have overlay cabinets around the perimeter, consider beaded panel doors on the island. While subtle, this does have the effect of adding additional interest to the room.
Up Your Style Game
Many homeowners consider adding an island to their kitchen design as a way to increase the utility of the room. When doing this, don’t overlook the way that an island can also increase your kitchen’s style and interest as well. If you’re ready to get started designing your new kitchen island, contact Bianco Renovations to find out more about what may be possible in your home.