The trend toward having two kitchen islands has grown in recent years and it’s a design feature that’s become even more popular among homeowners during the pandemic.
Kitchens have become more of a focal point of the home in the past year—a space for cooking, eating, working remotely, trying out new hobbies and helping the kids with their schoolwork. Many homeowners these days need more overall counter space, but they don’t necessarily want one massive island sitting in the middle of their kitchen. For many homeowners, creating two custom kitchen islands instead of one has become a more appealing and functional design option.
Having double kitchen islands as opposed to one divides the kitchen into a socializing area and a working space. Two islands can give you more space to prepare food and gather guests in your kitchen, and it can improve the traffic patterns and flow of your space. With two kitchen islands, you also get more storage space.
Homeowners who have two islands often dedicate one solely to function—food prep—and add a dishwasher or a second sink to the island, and then reserve the second island for eating and entertaining. As you design your custom home and kitchen, consider the following when deciding between one or two kitchen islands.
1) How big is your kitchen? The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) says an open kitchen that contains an island should have a minimum of 42 inches on each side of the island to make the space feel functional. Whether you’re planning for one island or two, consider the size of your space and what will fit without making the space feel cramped. If your kitchen is especially large, having two islands can give you more options for how to use the space. If you have a small space, it’s probably better to stick to one.
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2) How much do you cook and entertain? If love to cook and entertain and you spend a good amount of time in the kitchen, having two kitchen islands may well be worth the investment. One of your islands can include an area for bar stools and function as a spot for guests to keep you company and relax with a drink without getting in the way as you prepare a meal. Or, it can double as a second, more intimate dining area. If you rarely cook or have guests over and you tend to eat out more often than not, a single island might suffice.
3) What’s your budget? When you add one island to your kitchen, you’ll need to budget for a countertop, cabinets and any appliances or fixtures you might want to add. When you have two islands, your materials increase and so do your costs. You’ll want to think about how your kitchen figures in to your overall home design and budget. Perhaps the kitchen is the most important room in the house for you. If so, it may be worth it to dedicate more money to your kitchen than others rooms by incorporating two kitchen islands into your design.
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If you choose to go with two kitchen islands, you have a number of design options. Two popular layouts include parallel islands and T-shaped islands. Parallel islands tend to work best in large square kitchens, while T-shaped islands—either connected or separated by a few feet—can be a good choice for smaller spaces.
Also, think about the shape of your kitchen. For a wide and short kitchen shape, you can put two islands side by side instead of building just one long island. That way, you can cross the room in the middle, and you don’t have to go around a long 12’ island. If your kitchen is deep and long, you can put the islands parallel to each other or build them in a T-shape.
Islands also don’t have to match. One island could be open underneath to allow for stools while the other could include plenty of cabinet space. With both islands, you can add interesting accents like unique pendant lights above each and a variety of hardware.
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As you plan out your custom home, you have a lot of decisions to make. For many families, the kitchen often does become the focal point of the house, so it’s worth putting some extra thought and planning time into designing the room.
At Arieli, our experience in design and building can help you figure out whether one or two kitchen islands makes the most sense for you and your family. If we discover that two islands are a better fit, our team will help you plan out how you’ll use each island, and then customize them for your family’s unique needs.
