Have a kitchen island installed for a designer kitchen

Before starting any work, it is first necessary to think about the practicality and integration of a kitchen island for the general comfort of your house or apartment. Its convenience allows you to cook standing while chatting with guests, to gather around the unit for a family breakfast or just to have a few drinks with friends. 

In addition, kitchen islands can end up replacing the table used for meals and transform your kitchen into a real dining room. You can choose models that are already built or customise the kitchen island of your dreams yourself. Square, round, rectangular etc., its customisation is almost limitless and will answer to all of your desires and expectations. By opening your kitchen to your living room, you can allow a formerly closed and secondary room to become an integral part of a vibrant living area in your apartment or house.

It is important to keep in mind several criteria that come into play when starting the installation of a kitchen island. If you live in an apartment where the kitchen is relatively small, the development of a kitchen island can be complicated as a minimum space of 1,20m is necessary to navigate comfortably around it. Moreover, to have a decent height of ceiling is preferable. Indeed, a central kitchen island for cooking and have meals is usually 90cm high with a hood placed above, which requires to have a fairly significant ceiling height. 

The technicalities of plumbing and the possibility of installing outlets will also be crucial in your project to install a sink or appliance on your unit. Therefore, the first thing to do is to think about the entire project and determine the dimensions that will suit your new living space. Finally, your budget will have an impact on the number of options available to you in the installation of your kitchen island.

There are different types of kitchen islands, which adapt to all tastes and needs:

The kitchen island for food preparation:
As a worktop, this model is by far the most accessible and can accommodate many drawers, storage and decorations. It is preferable to equip this unit and to place it at the centre of the house or apartment so that it becomes the living heart of the room, with sideboards to facilitate the service. It is very easy to install, presents no constraints and generates little cost. However, it is important to think of installing plugs to connect a toaster, food processor or electric kettle. If you want to innovate, you can consider installing a USB port to charge your devices for a connected home.

The washing kitchen island:
Requiring the installation of water inlets to include a dishwasher and / or sink, this kitchen island will become the main piece of furniture in the kitchen. This option will be easier to install if your property features a basement. However, it is complicated to provide this type of kitchen island when it is equipped with a floor heating system. It must first have a sufficient slope to allow water to drain as efficiently as possible.

The cooking island:
This type of kitchen island is the most modern and stylish one. You can enjoy a hotplate, a built-in oven or even a refrigerator, that can be directly integrated into this central piece of furniture. It will be necessary to make electrical connections if you choose the induction or the electric hob. Also, it is essential to keep in mind that professional assistance will be mandatory if you choose gas stoves instead. In addition, an air extraction system must be installed above the hobs. However, it is possible to install a central hood, many existing models are true decorative objects that will add an elegant touch to your kitchen. Finally, it is recommended to favour the placement of the hood motor in another room such as a laundry room or a scullery, in order to avoid potential noise pollution.