Planning A Kitchen Island

Hello there! After a week long, spring break staycation, things are finally getting back to normal around here. The older kids are back to college and the younger ones back to school. I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend- ours was exceptionally nice this year. I probably say that every year but it's just so nice having the family all together! 

I've picked up a couple of jobs over the break, one of them being a kitchen design. The focal point of this particular design is the island. In my recent guest post at West Pear Avenue, I discussed how important it is to consider how you actually live in your kitchen. This particular client explained that her daughter and her daughter's friends hang out around the existing kitchen island all the time and that they all like to cook and prepare food together. That got me to thinking about islands like these:

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A second consideration is that a wall between the kitchen and an adjacent sitting room was just removed. Now there is a clear line of sight directly from this sitting room, as well as the front entrance, right into the kitchen. That got me to thinking of islands like these:

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One last consideration is that a cramped eating area could be eliminated if enough seating could be incorporated into the island or possibly a small, (potentially portable) table could be incorporated.

Something like this:

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 I wish I had enough room in my own kitchen for any one of these awesome islands. 

They definitely would encourage gathering in the kitchen!

Do you have an island and is it the "hot" spot in the kitchen?

PS I've really missed reading all of my blog friend's blogs! I'll be making my way around to see what you've all been up to :)