THREE KITCHEN ISLAND MISTAKES

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An island is high atop the majority of kitchen design and renovation wish lists. They add counter space, storage space and create an informal area to hang out around. But not all kitchen islands are created equal. Here are three common kitchen island mistakes to avoid:

    1. Making an island too big or too small. An oversized island will make a kitchen feel claustrophobic, while a too tiny island will look strange and won’t serve much use. The standard rule is that there should be 44 to 48 inches of open space around an island. And if your kitchen is less than 13 feet wide, consider using a mobile butcher block instead of something stationary.
    2. Forgetting about the working triangle. In kitchen design, the working triangle is made up of the sink, stove and refrigerator and all three fixtures must be accessible to one another in uninterrupted lines. Placing an island right in the middle of the triangle destroys the workflow. However, moving one of the fixtures – usually the sink or stove – within the island is one way to honour this golden rule.
    3. Poor lighting. Lighting above an island – such as a trio of pendant lights – not only adds ambiance and an element of design, it is also a necessity to illuminate an area that will be used as a work space. From chopping, to writing grocery lists, to doing homework, a kitchen island is a multifunctional space that if done right acts as the heart of the kitchen.