• First of all, kitchen islands work. Because they can be accessed from all sides, they're ideal for a variety of kitchen uses and functions.
• Second, these freestanding pieces instantly become the focal point of a kitchen because they can have the look and feel of furniture.
• Third, islands help kitchens adjust to the evolution of how Americans have come to use kitchens. In our parents' and grandparents' kitchen, all the appliances and cabinets were tacked to the walls of a closed-in room. Today's kitchens are not only open to other rooms but they are also used for many things other than just cooking. It's become the nerve center of most homes where kids do homework, friends and neighbors visit, Moms have their desks and more.

How often do you find everyone congregating in the kitchen? Everyday, right? A well-designed island offers a place for people to get together while at the same time allowing for cooking and preparation and cleaning.

What are important considerations when planning out the kitchen island?

Islands have to work to make them earn the space they occupy. Here are the four things islands can do and some design suggestions for each function.

Cleanup
•Pull-out garbage bins next to the sink.
•Easy access to dish and silverware storage.
•Storage for dish towels, dish soap, etc.
•Clearance for the other opposing appliance doors in the open position.

Food Prep
•Prep sink and butcher-block counters are good additions.
•Outlets for small appliances.
•Refrigerator and cook-top close by.
•Access to garbage bin or disposal.

Cooking
•Heat-resistant countertop (stone, tile, metal) for hot pans.
•At least 18 inches of space on either side of cooktop or range.
•Overhead vent hood or downdraft fan (with second exhaust fan in ceiling).
•Raised eating area out of the range of spatters.

Informal Dining
•Counter height/width designed for standard-size chairs/stools.
•Softly contoured edge profile is most comfortable for leaning on.

Size and Placement
Kitchen islands do take up space. At minimum, an island should be 4 feet long and a little more than 2 feet deep, but it must also have room for people to move and work around it. Don't even think about an island unless your kitchen is at least 12 feet long and 8 feet deep.

Storage Needs
Be sure to use the valuable real estate on both sides of the island, the "working" side and the "public" side. On the public side, use the space for things that don't need to be in the food prep area leaving the cooking side for quick access to often-used utensils, cookware and serving dishes.If it's a cooking island, then pots, pans, and spices should be at hand. If you decide to hang pots and pans, store lids under the island counter. If it's a prep island, don't forget storage for knives and small appliances like mixers and food processors (consider pop-ups — platforms that swing out from behind a door in the island base—or appliance garages for these), and convenient access to garbage and compost bins. Under-the-counter storage space is limited on islands that include a sink and/or major appliances like a dishwasher or oven. You'll have to plan more carefully for those.

Ventilation
There's simply no way around ventilating an island dedicated to cooking. The most common solution is a downdraft fan behind the cooktop. In many cooktops and ranges it's incorporated in. This is the solution for those who prefer a look without a bulky overhead hood. However, downdraft fans are not up to all cooking odors. To handle the stronger odors, include a second exhaust fan mounted in the ceiling. The other option is an overhead hood that extends up through the ceiling.

Lighting
You will want excellent lighting. For islands, that means dedicated lighting. You want the light to come straight down onto the island. The most common choice is recessed lighting, which is relatively easy if you have standard-height ceilings but trickier with high ceilings. Another option is a hanging fixture known as a pendant light suspended from the ceiling above. Be certain to get the height right for all uses and whatever type of lighting you choose, we recommend that it can be dimmed when you don't need maximum brightness for working.