Kitchen islands have become the focal point in many homes, and there are plenty of reasons why real estate pros are spotlighting them in their listings.
Kitchens have transformed into multifunctional spaces in recent years, and the kitchen island is turning it into a social gem. “The island gives families with children the opportunity to combine cooking, homework and socializing, the latter being especially valuable,” Lene Halse Hornemann, designer and owner of Multiform Design Center Copenhagen, told Houzz. “And for couples whose children have moved away from home, it’s the idea that one person can cook and the other can sit with a glass of wine on a bar stool by the island and enjoy the moment.”
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Twenty years ago, the open floor plan took root, blending the kitchen and living room spaces. The kitchen island is proving to be the divider of these spaces, and a place to come together, says Anna Grethe Jørgensen of Kvik.
The kitchen is getting a cozier vibe. It “now often accommodates an armchair or a sofa, because it needs to be a room people enjoy spending time in,” says designer Jannie Kjær of Multiform Aalborg.“The kitchen has become the plaza of the house, and many visitors never even go beyond it.”
Aesthetics of the kitchen island are just as important as its function too, designers say. “In the future, we will see islands being made of different materials than the rest of the kitchen, so they will stand out as a design object, a beautiful icon of furniture design and quality,” Hornemann told Houzz. “The kitchen will change character and consist of more free-moving furniture of different materials and designs.”
Designers also predict kitchen islands of the future will boast even more seating and room for dining.
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Source: “How the Island Is Shaping the Kitchen of the Future,” Houzz.com (July 21, 2019)
