Freestanding Island With Seating Tags

This undated photo shows a kitchen in a Santa Monica, Calif., home designed by Betsy Burnham. Although tiny pendant lights were once popular, designers now tend to choose more substantial overhead lighting above kitchen islands and select fixtures that can express the homeowners’ personal style. (Laura Hull/Betsy Burnham via AP)...

In smaller kitchens, an island unit could potentially make a cramped kitchen feel full and cluttered. To create an illusion of an airy space, choose light colors on the surrounding cabinets and countertops....

Lastly, your cooktop needs ventilation. Do you want a range hood mounted in the ceiling and looming over your kitchen island? “There are downdraft vents,” Kirschner says, “but they tend to not work nearly as well” at ventilating your cooking space as overhead ranges do....

An oven can also be added as a “secret drawer” to the island, ideal for warming dishes and storing meals for later. Grills can be built into the kitchen island, allowing another area for meal preparation and cooking....

It sounds lovely — having your stovetop in the island, so you can chat with someone seated there while you’re cooking. But things splatter, Kirschner points out. And tearing up the floor to add power and gas lines can be expensive if your kitchen doesn’t already have these utilities in...

This unit organizes the room and opens the possibility of adding new appliances and cooking utensils while maintaining a clean and uncluttered space....

An oven can also be added as a “secret drawer” to the island, ideal for warming dishes and storing meals for later. Grills can be built into the kitchen island, allowing another area for meal preparation and cooking....

Although the surface of the kitchen island is suitable for cutting and chopping, appliances add value by fully utilizing the middle-of-the-kitchen space. To truly maximize the use of your island, consider installing a stove top directly into your kitchen island or purchasing a mobile cooktop....

And do you want one level or two? Burnham loves the clean lines of one level surface. But Kirschner sometimes designs an island with two levels — one at counter height for cooking prep and a lower level at table height, so you can sit in chairs rather than bar...

Other tiered sections can be used for cleaning, cutting or even countertop appliances like stovetops and built-in grills. You can divide a multi-tiered kitchen island with separate colors to accent a small kitchen island space. ...