Adding an island in a smaller kitchen is a very common kitchen design mistake. When it comes to kitchen islands we generally think of additional storage and another preparation surface in the kitchen, but the reality is that kitchen islands can take a lot of your space and they’re not always a ‘good-to-have’.
Including an island that interrupts your workflow or placing it in the wrong spot can be a disaster, especially in a smaller kitchen.
Take a look at our first example of an IKEA kitchen that’s too small to house an island:
You don’t even have room to open the appliance doors. This island also obstructs the workflow.
This is the same island within a larger kitchen (150″ x 150″). The dimensions of the kitchen are more reasonable but the island size is still not very functional even when the space to walk around is adequate:
These are the minimum dimensions to include a tiny island within your IKEA kitchen.
If you’re dreaming of an island that can accommodate your whole family, keep in mind that you’ll need a kitchen that’s at least 12′ 6″ x 15′ 6″ to keep a minimum of 42″ around the area:
This IKEA kitchen is spacious but not all kitchens can have such a large island.
Related entries:
- Common kitchen design mistakes: What’s the appropiate space between a peninsula and cabinets close to it?
- IKEA kitchen islands: What are the recommended dimensions?
- IKEA kitchen design tips: Walkway and traffic clearance
[...] you’re wondering about clearance spaces in more detail, take a look at this past blog entry about common kitchen design mistakes with kitchen islands we [...]