Narrow shaker polyurthane kitchen – Natural Allure – Image by magno kitchens – https://magnokitchens.com.au/showcasegallery/natural-allure

1. Avoiding collisions within the workflow –

There are many instances where kitchen islands are being designed without ample space to comfortably operate appliances. For instance, if you were to include a wet area. ie sink & dishwasher, in the island, then you would need to consider the following. Is my dishwasher going to fit below the bench height, factoring in the benchtop thickness and any shadow line detail?

In the world of dishwashers, we are spoilt for choice. Now available are tall dishwashers. Sometimes people do not make the distinction between a standard height dishwasher and one that is tall, and so can cause panic on install day. Also take note of what is opposite the dishwasher. Will it collide with the opening of doors or drawers opposite when open? Can someone walk around the dishwasher when it is open?

2. Island benchtop joins –

At magno kitchens, we always try to avoid a benchtop join within an island space where we can. Designing your island with a benchtop slab size in mind will create a seamless looking island top. Gain information on slab sizes and what is available in the type and colour of stone you would like to use. Some slabs come in jumbo sizes of up to 3200mm long so you can really maximise the slab size by getting the most out of it. Be careful when dealing with natural stone, such as marble. As each slab is unique, and might be a different size. You must hand pick your slab and consider the usable slab size when designing your island bench to avoid unwanted joins.

Magno Mondo – Detaild kitchen – Image by magno kitchens – https://magnokitchens.com.au/showcasegallery/magno-mondo

Luxe Living – Detailed kitchen – Image by magno Kitchens – https://magnokitchens.com.au/showcasegallery/luxe-living

3. Inadequate breakfast bar seating space –

Breakfast bar seating often gets shoved to the back of the line, but it really shouldn’t. When designing a kitchen, the more variables you can confirm, the better. Knowing what type of breakfast bar seating you would like to purchase is one to note. Often, we forget to consider how much space we need for our desired seating and end up having to choose something else we had not envisioned. First, consider how many stools you want at the breakfast bar? Second, consider the size of your desired stools? Thirdly, consider how much space you have between each seat and be careful not to overcrowd the space.

Here are some guidelines you should follow:

a – Make sure you have a minimum of 600mm sitting space for each person, elbow to elbow. More is even better.

b – Try and keep a minimum distance of 500mm between each seat to avoid making the space look and feel cramped.

c – Make sure you measure the sitting height and compare it to your benchtop height to make sure that your elbows are at a comfortable height when seated.

4. Kitchen Island lighting –

making sure you have enough lighting over your workspace is really important. Have a look at your ceiling and lighting arrangement and consider including pendant lighting over the island. It can certainly create a nice focal point and light up your work space for safety and room dynamic. There are many lighting options available. Our in-house designers can help you choose the perfect lighting elements to compliment the room. Track and pendant lighting can be great design options. The length of the island and ceiling height needs to be taken into account when choosing lighting. If you choose pendant lighting that is too big or too small, they will end up looking disproportioned to the space and can really stand out like a sore thumb.

Luxe Living – Detailed kitchen – Image by magno Kitchens – https://magnokitchens.com.au/showcasegallery/luxe-living