I’m painting the kitchen this week! More on that soon but we’re also ready to think about our kitchen island. Our kitchen doesn’t currently have one, but there’s enough room and I can seem myself sitting in there talking to Mr. DIY while he cooks dinner, listening to the details of his day. He’d also like to have a kitchen work table to provide more workspace and storage. My morning multi-tasking of eating breakfast and checking emails would certainly be more easily balanced at a kitchen island than in the living room on the love seat. Ever try to eat with one hand, hold a steady hot cup of tea with one hand, click and type with one or two hands and play mug guard with one hand (safe from kitten jumps)? Wait, how many hands is that? I’ve mastered the multi-tasking with only 2 hands but sitting in the kitchen where the sun comes in through the French doors would be more motivating not to mention, easier.
Being DIY’ers, building our own is an option although we’ve never built anything ‘substantial’ in the way of furniture yet but buying might be a option. Here is my favorite kitchen island inspiration. I’d love to build it ourselves using reclaimed wood.
Looking at ‘inspiration’ and ‘window shopping’ is dangerous! How many kitchen carts are too many? (Looking around at the foot stool/ottoman/bench addiction…no such thing AFD (accent furniture disorder), right?)
This kitchen island is a perfect match for our dining room chairs…
How cute is this one for a small kitchen?
While looking for inspiration, I came across this kitchen cart which would be awesome on the patio for beside Mr. DIY’s Big Green Egg (his other love of his life). Pretty and functional! Great Father’s Day gift idea. 🙂
Do you have a kitchen island? Is it a huge built-in permanent fixture or a movable cart? Do you love having an open floor space or are you happy with the extra work space and the seating that an island provides? Inquiring minds (of two specific DIY kitchen renovators) want to know! 🙂
Our kitchen just wasn't wide enough for an island. I tried several layouts, and our best option was a U which kept us from having an island. As far as building it goes, I say go for it. Can't wait to see what you end up with.
We just got rid of our permanent island for a slightly smaller moveable one with open storage from Ikea.
http://welcometoheardmont.com/2011/03/adding-green-in-our-kitchen/
(You've seen it before, but it's worth mentioning that several weeks later, we still LOVE it!)
Good luck with your island, whether you DIY or buy! 🙂
Meredith @ Welcome to Heardmont
I removed some cabinets from one wall of my last kitchen, and used the cabinets to build a movable island. Loved it — it added counter space and function to the space. In the beach house reno project, there is an island planned, but it isn't fitting into our initial budget, so it will have to come in the next phase of the remodel… or maybe I'll build it myself 🙂
~Amanda
When we redo our kitchen, I'd really like to have one. We're very low on counter space to work! Right now, we have a rolling island/storage cabinet that we use if we need it. Not ideal, but it works.
My hubby's BGE is the other love of his life as well. And mine, too, since I get to eat all the yummy food he makes.
I have a kitchen island that is on the smaller side and is a movable piece – it is made of reclaimed wood and the sides are finished with old painted 6" moulding – it has a shelf on the bottom and we have three stools that we use for eating at it. I love that it is handcrafted from recycled materials and is the workhorse of the kitchen – perfect when extra prep space is needed and ideal for serving appetizers when entertaining
We have a nonmovable small kitchen island. H's bday present to me is to get a new extended countertop so we can put some barstools there! I'm thinking butcher block and then later on, redoing the rest of the laminate in something else. Right now it functions mostly as a catchall for junk (arghhhh), but I think with a bigger countertop and counter-height stools, it could be more of a focal point. We had a pseudo-island (peninsula) with stools in our old house and I want counter stools again!
I LOVE my new kitchen island! I just built one last month and blogged about it. I used Restoration Hardware's as my inspiration, topped it with carerra marble and just LOVE it. Plus, since I built it myself it cost 1/4 the price of what it could have cost!!
I have a few posts about it:
http://mygreenbraecottage.blogspot.com/2011/03/restoration-hardware-inspired-island.html
and:
http://mygreenbraecottage.blogspot.com/2011/03/restoration-hardware-inspired-island_13.html
I don't have a huge kitchen, it's kinda squeezed in there, but I LOVE it every day!!
Hugs, Celeste