Get More From Your Kitchen Island

Article by: Kathryn Peltier

Many kitchen islands open directly into another room. If you don’t require seating on that other side of your island, it’s a great opportunity to make the island serve purposes other than cooking and eating. When planning for an island, consider how it can be used to your advantage, whether it’s incorporating additional display space, extra storage or even strategically separating — or connecting — other spaces. Here’s how you can make your island work harder for you.

Get More Display and Storage

These open shelves wrap around the island to create display space on two sides. This makes for a much more eye-catching addition in an open floor plan. Can you imagine staring at solid planes of material here? Meanwhile, a small countertop at the opposite end still accommodates some island seating. 

Although this island also has shelves below, the real eye catcher is the ceiling-hung shelves, which create a bright, casual cookware display. What a visual feast for diners! 

Where seating is not required, think about incorporating bookshelves along the length of your island — perfect for all those cookbooks. 

Full-height cabinets block kitchen messes, provide storage and hold a TV here. 

Get a Divider or Transition

A simple, narrow dividing wall, which seemingly arises from the island, partially hides the cooking area and creates a stunning art wall. Notice how the sculpture niche is finished to match the cabinetry, creating the transition from kitchen to the living-dining area. 

This island does double duty with a working kitchen side and a buffet dining side, but it doesn’t stop there: The beautifully detailed end wall hides any mess and creates a lovely focal point. 

In this very open space, the island ends in a fabulous display area that looks like furniture. This concept blurs the line between cooking and living areas. 

Want to hide your dirty dishes but still converse with the guests? Use meticulously detailed cabinetry as a horizontal backdrop to your dining area — much more interesting than drywall. A narrow continuation of the countertop even serves as a buffet space. 

In the same space seen from the kitchen side, small cabinets actually form the top of the dining “wall” and provide storage — bonus! 

Get Table Seating

In this kitchen a working island is paired with a built-in banquette, making an attractive, handy spot for dining. This would work equally well with a rectangular island. 

Ease a Level Change

Many homes have a step or two from the kitchen to a living area, typically with a railing of some sort. Why not create a casual dining area as a buffer between the two instead, utilizing some great cabinetry?

Key Measurements to Help You Design Your Kitchen

Article by: Steven Randel

Whether you are moving into an existing kitchen, remodeling the one you have or building a new one, understanding a few key measurements and organizational guidelines can help your culinary life run more smoothly. 

Kitchens provide storage for your food and cookware, give you room for prep and cleanup, and of course also provide a place where you can cook and bake. When it’s thoughtfully arranged, these functions operate logically, making work in your kitchen a better experience. Here’s how to get the ideal setup.

Ideally, refrigeration and dry-goods storage should be located nearest to the kitchen’s entry point. The cooking area should be located toward the dining spaces, and the sink is best positioned between those two functions. This creates what’s called a work triangle. The best work triangle is less than 21 linear feet (6.4 meters). Work triangles that exceed 26 feet (7.9 meters) make moving from one function to another inefficient in most cases.

This cutaway plan illustrates arrangements and dimensions for a modest-size kitchen. Note that the preparation area is split between the island with the sink and the corner of the kitchen. The work triangle is compact. There will always be a few tradeoffs in any space. 

Let’s take a look at the three main functions of a kitchen:

1. Storage
2. Preparation
3. Cooking

Everyone has personal preferences for what works best, so consider this a guide and not a rulebook.

Storage. As noted, designers recommend putting refrigeration and dry-goods storage at the kitchen entry point. Putting your pantry on one side and a countertop that’s 15 to 24 inches (38 to 61 centimeters) on the other is a good idea. This will allow you to easily set down items that have been taken out of the freezer and refrigerator.

The pantry can hold dry goods plus brooms and supplies like paper towels. Use drawers in this area to hold plastic bags, foil and anything that can contain food to be stored. For the cabinets in this area, you will want to have mixing bowls, cake pans, measuring utensils and any other items that aid in assembling meals.

Preparation. Ideally, prep and cleaning space is best located around the sink. Within these areas will be everyday glasses and dishes, along with trash receptacles and the dishwasher. Allow 18 to 36 inches (45 to 92 centimeters) of countertop space on one or both sides of your sink.

Preparation areas are best kept clear of other items, since you will always be taking out bowls, plates and utensils there. Allow at least 36 inches (92 centimeters) of uncluttered countertop space for preparation in a small kitchen. Larger kitchens will have much more. This is one reason that islands are so popular. They provide broad and well-lit surfaces on which to perform the majority of kitchen tasks.

Cooking. The cooking centers should be arranged around the range, cooktop and wall ovens. Place pots, frying pans and baking sheets in the vicinity around your burners and ovens. It is a good idea to place small appliances such as toasters and coffeemakers in this area also, as it will leave your preparation areas unobstructed.

Allow 21 to 36 inches (53 to 92 centimeters) of countertop on either side of your cooktop. If possible, place wall ovens with a free countertop immediately next to them so that you can set down hot food immediately. Place seasonings, breadboards and potholders in nearby drawers and cupboards. Keep serveware toward the dining area.

Recommended Dimensions of Kitchen Elements

The dimensions of all the pieces in your kitchen are important to get right to make the best use of your space. A common refrigerator width is slightly less than 36 inches (92 centimeters). The problem is often the depth. In recent years some manufacturers have designed them to be much deeper than a 24-inch (61-centimeter) base cabinet. You can still buy shallower freestanding refrigerators, but you have to pay close attention to the dimensions listed in its specifications to be certain. The other option is built-in configurations, but they are significantly more expensive. 

Look for a depth of 30 inches (76 centimeters) or less, excluding handles, unless you can design your kitchen space to accept a deeper unit. Another thing to consider is the swing of the refrigerator door. Always examine the swing direction to see if it will meet an obstruction.

Here you can see how the height of the cabinets plays an important part in the configuration. Upper cabinets are normally positioned at 18 inches (46 centimeters) above the countertop and are 30 to 42 inches (76 to 107 centimeters) in height. Consider that your average maximum reach over and into an upper cabinet is 70 to 80 inches (178 to 203 centimeters) above the floor. Cabinets set at above 7 feet will likely need to be accessed with a step ladder. Cabinets above 8 feet are not practical for the majority of people; however, they may serve as storage for seasonal or decorative items, to be reached with step stools and ladders. 

The standard dimensions for base cabinets are 24 inches (61 centimeters) deep and 36 inches (92 centimeters) high. In general people are getting taller, so some homeowners are bumping up the counter height to 38 inches (97 centimeters).

Another important dimension to consider is the distance between cabinets. Entry points can be as little as 36 inches (92 centimeters) when there is a cabinet on only one side. Stay at least 42 inches (107 centimeters) from the face of a cabinet to the one on the other side; 48 inches (122 centimeters) is even better, but going beyond 60 inches (152 centimeters) is too wide in most cases. However, if it is a U-shaped kitchen, you could get away with up to 96 inches (244 centimeters).

10 Ways to Set Up Your Kitchen for Healthy Eating

Article by: Becky Harris

It's remarkable I’ve never had scurvy, because until recently, I rarely ever ate vegetables or fruit. So this year my New Year’s resolution was to eat more produce. Prior to 2014 a half-rotten banana would linger, very lonely, in my fruit bowl for a week, and I never made time for cooking either. However, as I try to establish new habits (including not spending an obscene amount of money per week on takeout), I find I love a baked sweet potato with crumbled goat cheese on it, or to slow cook quinoa (something I’d never tried before) with apples in the Crock-Pot. What has helped me the most was setting up my kitchen for healthier eating success.

As the first month of the new year comes to a close, don’t get discouraged if you’ve slipped on some of those resolutions. Instead, make reaching them easier on yourself by getting the right setup. Here are some ideas to get you started. 

Contemporary Kitchen by Hartland Landscape Architects & Designers Bright Green 

1. Keep fresh herbs and spices handy. Herbs make healthy food much more savory and flavorful, which will help you cut down on less healthy choices like salt and butter. Plus, check out how gorgeous you can make an herb garden look in the kitchen. This vertical garden by Bright Green is a living work of art.

I realize keeping things alive indoors can be a challenge for a lot of us. Growing herb plants need fresh air and sunlight to thrive. Simply keeping herb jars handy in a cabinet next to the stovetop is the low-maintenance version of this suggestion. 

Traditional Kitchen by Santa Cruz Media & Bloggers Shannon Malone 

2. Enjoy making pretty still lifes out of your produce. This sounds silly, but it works. Put out a large platter, a fruit bowl or that cake stand you never use and play with arranging. 

It will inspire you to keep the kitchen stocked with an array of colorful fruits and vegetables, and they’ll always be the first thing you see when you enter the kitchen for a snack.

Modern Kitchen by Dallas Photographers Emily McCall 

3. Play favorite tunes while you cook. Have a radio, docking station or speakers set up so that you can enjoy catching up on NPR or listening to a favorite podcast or playlist while you cook. 

Try to get several things done once you’re on a cooking roll. I’ve been putting my quinoa and apples in the Crock-Pot while I bake sweet potatoes, whip up mini quiches in muffin tins and cook spaghetti squash in the microwave. This means all of my healthier choices will be easy to grab for the next few days, and I’ve only spent an hour in the kitchen. 

Kitchen Products 

4. Add other electronic devices that you like to use in the kitchen. If you’re addicted to cooking shows, bring a TV into the kitchen so you can keep up with Julia, Emeril or Giada. If you love to keep track of new recipes on the Internet, make an iPad station a part of your kitchen. 

Contemporary Kitchen by San Marino Interior Designers & Decorators Charmean Neithart Interiors, LLC. 

5. Organize the pantry in an attractive way. Keep your healthy items front and center and make low-cal snacks easy to grab. Hide your secret chocolate stash in case of a total craving (sometimes you just have to have it), so you don’t get tempted by looking at it every time you open the pantry cabinet door.

Eclectic Kitchen 

6. Keep a tea station handy. Making tea is a wonderfully relaxing ritual, and if you get the munchies, you may find that the scent and warm comfort of tea take care of them (if not, by all means go munch). 

Contemporary Refrigerators And Freezers by New York Appliances GE Monogram 

7. Organize the fridge. Take everything out, give it a good cleaning and keep all this great food you’ve made and produce that needs refrigerating front and center.

Dining Room 

8. Use smaller plates. Every diet-tips article I’ve ever read seems to advocate this — tricking the brain into seeing an overflowing, full plate. I tend do doubt how well it works, because just like with my clock that’s set 10 minutes ahead to trick me into getting up earlier, my brain does the math. However, there is something about having to get up for seconds that gives me pause, so why not give it a try? Stock up on smaller plates and see how they serve you.

Traditional Kitchen by San Leandro Architects & Designers Struthers Dias Architects 

9. Make sure your small appliances are available. If you have to go digging through a messy cabinet and looking for all of the pieces, chances are that you won’t use it. Let the Crock-Pot, juicer, food processor and other small appliances clutter up the countertops if it will make you slow cook that chicken chili or quinoa. 

Down the line you may decide to install an appliance garage (below) or other special cabinetry that allows easy access to your small appliances. 

Kitchen by Albertville Kitchen & Bath Designers Vetsch Custom Cabinets 

Farmhouse Entry by Stowe Architects & Designers Cushman Design Group 

10. Keep sneakers close at hand. Cooking requires a lot of standing, so have good support for your feet while you work. Keep you sneakers stashed in a drawer, closet or mudroom nearby.