One of the first topics of discussion when we begin a kitchen remodel project is layout. More specifically, we discuss the layout that is best for your space based on your and design preferences. Should we plan a design centered around an island, or should we consider incorporating a peninsula? While both layouts have a lot to offer, let’s look at the pros and cons to determine what’s right for you.
The kitchen island is arguably the most popular kitchen layout thanks to the emergence of open floor plan design and a desire to integrate the kitchen with the rest of our gathering spaces. Whether it’s family gatherings, meal prep, or helping with afternoon homework, today’s kitchen is the preferred gathering spot for many activities. Having an island as part of your design offers versatility in both function & aesthetic that cannot be rivaled.
Unlike the peninsula that can end up with hard-to-reach storage spaces and tight corners, the island offers easy access from all four sides. It creates a circular flow throughout the kitchen with the island as the central hub.
Kitchen Island Or Peninsula?
An island is the central hub, the homework spot, the buffet bar, the meal prep station. It used to be that the chef was isolated from the rest of the home, but thanks to the island, this is no longer the case. Islands allow the party to flow into the kitchen, without getting in the way.
An island can add a much-needed pop of color or a contrasting focal point, which can be challenging with the peninsula. You have the choice of matching the island style to the rest of the kitchen cabinetry & countertops. Or you may consider using the island as a contrasting design element, changing cabinet & countertop color, hardware, and other decorative details.
National Kitchen & Bath guidelines require an island to have at least 42 inches of clearance on all work-space sides and 36 inches for non-work-space pathways. This makes it very challenging in smaller kitchens to have the required amount of room and still accommodate an island.
Kitchen Peninsula Designs That Make Cook Rooms Look Amazing
Natural gas, electricity, water supply, and drainage lines require a more specialized installation when relocating these to the center of your space. Extra work = extra cost.
On average, a kitchen remodel that includes an island will be more expensive than a kitchen with a peninsula. This could be attributed to many things. More decorative style options can lead to added costs, as well as the added expense for electrical & plumbing installation.
A peninsula layout is essentially a kitchen island that is attached to one wall of your kitchen. Peninsulas are ideal for smaller kitchens and easier to incorporate into the kitchen design, especially when working with an existing space. They can be just as versatile as an island without the added space requirements needed to accommodate an island.
Kitchen Peninsula Ideas That Are Pretty And Functional
A peninsula is the perfect solution for smaller spaces or for long narrow kitchens that cannot accommodate the space needed for an island. Peninsulas take up less square footage which can be valuable in a tight space.
Natural gas, electricity, water supply, and drainage lines are easier and less costly to install when they can be run through existing cabinetry rather than under the floor.
One big disadvantage of peninsulas is the dead space that can occur where the peninsula and the perpendicular wall & cabinetry meet. It can be challenging to access the corner storage areas in both the base and upper cabinetry. A good solution for this is utilizing carousels or lazy susans in those hard-to-reach areas.
Your Guide To The Most Popular Kitchen Layouts
Another drawback with peninsula kitchens is traffic jams, especially if there is only one way in or out. A kitchen designer can help problem solve through designing a space that prevents this from happening.
Typically, because the peninsula is a continuous part of the main kitchen cabinetry, the color & style of both the cabinetry & countertops will remain the same. This creates a unifying and more open feel in a smaller space. However, it can feel limiting with the introduction of another color or material in your kitchen.
Although your design preferences play somewhat into your decision, ultimately it comes down to the size of your physical space. If you have a large kitchen area with ample space to maintain flow on all four sides, the island may be the perfect choice for you. If you have a smaller kitchen where trying to accommodate an island takes up more space, giving you less of a work surface, the peninsula offers the perfect solution.
Kitchen Island Shapes Explained: From Peninsulas To U Shape
We know that deciding on a kitchen layout can be an overwhelming task. Our designers at Dalton Carpet One would love help you through the process. Take that first step to turning your dream kitchen into a reality. Contact us today, and tell us about your project!
At Dalton Carpet One Floor & Home, we know how important it is for you to feel confident in your flooring selection. Therefore, we strive to ensure that the floor we’ve created together, is as beautiful as the one you envisioned. If not, we’ll replace it for free. That’s what we call The Beautiful Guarantee®.A kitchen island is a popular item on many homeowner’s kitchen wishlists. But what if you don’t have the space in your kitchen to devote to a kitchen island? The next best thing, in my opinion, is a kitchen peninsula. If you looking for ways to add more counter space, storage, and functionality to your kitchen, a kitchen peninsula might be the perfect design solution.
As a piece of land that is surrounded by water on three sides but remaining connected to the mainland. In the kitchen, a
Practical Kitchen Peninsula Ideas For Your Remodel
Has the same concept but referring to the cabinetry and countertops instead of pieces of land. A kitchen peninsula contains cabinetry and countertops, surrounded on three sides by open floor space, but connected to either the adjacent countertop or a wall on one end.
Today, the kitchen is one of the most beautiful and desirable features of a home, but that wasn’t always the case. For centuries, the kitchen was a less desirable room that had hot uncomfortable fires, was busy, full of bulky equipment, and was not a place where guests would gather. Food prep and dining were very separated tasks. As exciting new cooking technologies became available, food prep became easier, cleaner, less labor-intensive, and comfortable. We began rethinking the designs of these spaces and these new tools and convenient cooking spaces were seen as luxuries. The kitchen quickly transformed into the welcoming, heart of the home we know it as today.
As these lifestyle evolutions took place, the kitchen began opening up to the rest of the home. Small pass-throughs on kitchen walls started to appear allowing the cook to communicate and see their family and guests while they prepare meals. Soon followed removed walls and kitchen peninsulas. Early kitchen peninsula designs featured wall cabinets installed above the peninsula bases. Often they were the same height as the perimeter wall cabinets, creating a little eighteen-inch open space to the dining side which gave a kind of closed off from the rest of the room feeling. Over time the peninsula wall cabinets became shorter and it seems that now they have disappeared completely leaving just the base cabinets.
Peninsula Or Island?
U-Shaped, and even Galley kitchen layout designs. Peninsula cabinet layouts can be either a continuation of the base cabinets along the wall extending the kitchen or creating an L-Shape or they can be an independent run of cabinets that attach to a wall extending the layout. Adding a kitchen peninsula is an easy way to transform or expand the layout of your kitchen. For example, a Galley or a Straight Wall kitchen layout can be extended longer in length or transformed into an L-Shaped layout with the help of a kitchen peninsula.
This Single Wall kitchen layout was extended into a larger Galley kitchen layout with the addition of the kitchen peninsula. Design by Bath Plus Kitchen, Virginia.
This L-Shaped kitchen design was transformed into a U-Shaped kitchen with the addition of a kitchen peninsula. Dura Supreme kitchen design by Boyer Building Corporation, Minnesota. Photography by Mark Ehlen of Ehlen Creative Communications.
Kitchen Peninsula Ideas & Layout
Peninsula cabinets can be accessed from three sides, two sides. or just the kitchen side with a panel covering the back and end cap. Kitchen peninsulas are a popular place to incorporate kitchen appliances, sinks, and/or seating at either counter height or bar height. It all depends on the available space and how you want your kitchen to function.
This kitchen peninsula is multi-functional. It functions as the cooking zone, seating for two, a beautiful space to display decorative, and storage for kitchen necessities.
While a kitchen peninsula is not exactly the same as the ever-so-popular kitchen island, it does have its advantages. Peninsulas don’t have space requirements that a typical kitchen island does and with the accessibility only on three sides, it can function as a sort of barrier keeping the traffic flow out of the main work area while still providing the extra prep and storage space. They can be the perfect solution for achieving an open floorplan in a smaller kitchen.
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