For a lot of my clients, no kitchen design is complete withhout an island at its center. The island has become the icon of the modern kitchen, and it’s easy to understand why. First, islands work. Because they can he accessed from all sides like the old kitchen table, they’re ideal for a variety of tasks (see “Smart Set-Ups,” below). Second, these freestanding pieces instantly become the main focus of a kitchen because they can have the look and feel of furniture. Third, islands help kitchens adjust to some of the big changes in American life in the past few decades. In June Cleaver’s l950's setup, all the appliances and cabinets were tacked to the walls of a closed-in room. Today’s kitchens are not only open to other rooms that also have to accommodate multiple cooks, kids doing homework, and even partying. The phrase I hear most often — true of my own house as well — is “Like it or not, everybody ends up in the kitchen.” A well-designed island offers a place for people to congregate while at the same time separating those who are cooking and cleaning from those who are just hanging out. When planning an island, here are the key points to consider.

Storage needs
You can gain valuable real estate on both sides of an island for storage, always a critical need in kitchens. On the public side, take advantage of shallow cabinets (installed back-to-back with deeper cabinets that face the kitchen) for serving items — napkins, cutlery, platters, etc — that don’t need to be in the food prep area.

On the working side, make sure there’s room to store the things that are needed for the activity the island supports, because an island’s strong suit is also its biggest downfall: It’s isolated. If it’s a cooking island, then pots, pans, and spices should be at hand. The space under cooktops is great for deep drawers for pots and pans. (The temptation is to hang them from an expensive pot rack, which won’t hold deeper pots or lids and gets in the way of your view.) If it’s a prep island, don’t forget storage for knives and small appliances like mixers and food processors (consider pop-ups — platforms that swing out from behind a door in the island base — or appliance garages for these), and convenient access to garbage and compost bins. If the island is going to be dedicated to cleanup, you’ll need a place for dish towels, detergent, and brushes.

Undercounter storage space is limited on islands that include a sink and/or major appliances like a dishwasher or oven; you’ll have to plan more carefully for those.

The same is true for cooktops with downdraft fans, the machinery for which must be stored in the cabinet below. One way around this is to put storage at the ends of the island. Round ends are perfect for lazy Susans, and almost any island end can accommodate open shelving or a shallow cabinet.

As with most task lighting, you want the light to come straight down onto the island. The most common choice is recessed lighting, which is relatively easy with standard-height ceilings but trickier with high ones. If the distance from the countertop to the ceiling is greater than 6 feet, you’ll need to use fixtures or bulbs specially designed to project light down rather than spread it out.

Another option is pendant lights, which hang from the ceiling. Be careful with these, though. It’s easy to end up with them at the wrong height, which can either block your view from the island or blind you with a high-intensity bulb shining directly into your eyes.

The other option is an overhead hood that extends up through the ceiling Because it’s exposed on all sides, it must be completely finished - read expensive - and it becomes a dominant element of the design. You can opt for maimfactured versions, or get a hood custom-built and finished in just about any material.

Duo Dickinson has been a residential architect for 26 years and practices in Madiso, Connecticut. His sixth book, The House You Build, was recently published.

INVISIBLE You can make an island nearly disappear on the public side by raising it 4 to 6 inches above the countertop and covering it in the same surface material as the walls.

BLENDED-IN Islands that mimic the rest of the kitchen, typically by using cabinets in the same finish and from the same mantifacturer, dont call attention to themselves. Most islands in Amerkan kitchens use this schema.

CONTRASTING This scheme allows an island to have an identity of its own. Although the cabinetry may be similar to the rest of the kitchen, the island can be given a contrasting shape, a very different color or finish, or a countertop in another material.

EXTRATERRESTRIAL This island intentionally looks as if it’s from another planet. The goal is to break out of the rectilinear scheme and make the island a unique piece of furniture with shape, color, and texture.

GETTING THE HEIGHT RIGHT
Dual-height islands can create informal eating areas, hide dirty dishes, protect non-cooks from splashes and splatters, and make kitchens more interesting. Here are the dimensions that make them most comfortable, useful and pleasing.

The height of your island’s eating area dictates the type of seating you’ll have: A 28 to 30-inch-high counter works best with a chair; a standard-height 36-inch counter is served best by a low stool; and a 42 to 48-inch counter requires a bar stool.