The eat-at kitchen island is now as de rigueur as energy-efficient appliances. It’s revolutionized the kitchen experience, joining diners and chef . We couldn’t possibly live without the island. Or could we?
While the kitchen island is not going away anytime soon, there’s been renewed interest in bringing back the kitchen table. If you’re considering one yourself, the staff at HartmanBaldwin Design/Build and others have some great advice for making it work.
HartmanBaldwin Design/Build
While most of HartmanBaldwin’s clients still prefer to get a kitchen island if they have room for this, some families are bucking the trend. All these homeowners “are artists and wanted a very long dining table inside the kitchen where they could love large dinner parties in addition to a space to work on their art projects,” says Karla Rodriguez, HartmanBaldwin’s advertising director.
Kitchen tables double as homework space. Islands obviously offer great prep space, as they frequently incorporate a sink, dishwasher and trash disposal. However, if you’re able to find room for those features along the outside of your kitchen, you might have the ability to eschew the island to get a fundamental dining table which could double as a great workstation. “With this particular kitchen we knew the clients would have enough workspace, thanks to the size of the table and its proximity to the cooking Valve, that gives them all the benefits of an island without a genuine island,” says Rodriguez.
“With today’s modern family, we find that a growing number of homeowners are requesting that their kitchen design include a workstation for everybody,” says Tim Campos, HartmanBaldwin’s marketing coordinator. “The very simple reason: The kitchen has become the general hub for the family, and clients want a space which also accommodates everyday tasks such as homework, crafts etc..”
While eat-at islands surely offer a suitable platform, some people prefer the warm homeyness of a central table.
HartmanBaldwin Design/Build
Completing the look. This 11- by 22-foot kitchen Los Angeles had a feeling of formality for supper parties, so the HartmanBaldwin design group gave it a refined elegance — including room for artwork — while addressing the family’s comfort. A vibrant concrete flooring balances the art-filled walls. “Since our clients walk around barefoot in their house, smooth concrete has been the perfect selection for appearances while still being cool on the toes,” Rodriguez says. “We added that the carpet to soften the space and warm the toes when they are sitting at the table.”
Melissa Lenox Design
Will you have enough storage? “Many men and women request a island to substitute a kitchen table because they need the additional storage a island offers,” Campos notes. If you want a table rather than an island, “make sure the rest of the kitchen chimney has ample space for tools and supplies,” he advises.
This kitchen is based on a customized table by Terra Amico made from salvaged wood. The table is paired with six black seats from Pottery Barn. A furniture-like black cabinet holds glasses and tableware, freeing up space from the perimeter cabinets for items which may otherwise have been stored within an island.
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Sea Pointe Construction
Not having a island allows the kitchen’s span to be valued from every angle while letting the amusing area take center stage.
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Sage Kitchens
A single dining table is a great way to integrate a workspace which seamlessly switches to a dining space, but it’s also a place where people face one another — rather than the cook — to get a type of amassing most islands do not provide.
Here a classic table set with antique seats conveys an old-fashion texture to this otherwise white kitchen with Sage Kitchens. A small rolling island at the background can function as an additional workstation when needed.
Futral Construction
How big should your kitchen table? That is an important detail to work out. “Avoid any slice that’ll purify the distance,” advises Rodriguez. “The keyword to a design of this sort is ‘equilibrium.'”
Many dining tables extend to accommodate bigger groups — that is something most fixed islands can not do.
What’s the perfect shape? Round tables with pedestal bases allow a cozy exchange involving diners. Their shape enables lots of people to squeeze near without anybody having to straddle a corner spot. Nonetheless, in a huge galley-style kitchen such as this one, a rectangular or rectangular table can fit more people without anyone’s becoming awkwardly close to the cabinetry.
This countertop-height table is 3 ft wide and 71/2 ft long, providing seating for six people to join easily with one another in the heart of the kitchen. When the table’s not in use for a dining area, the seats can be pulled away to create easy access to the spacious workstation.
See more about choosing the proper shape of table to your area
Tip: When you’re adding a table to your kitchen whether or not carefully consider how appliances and cabinets with doorways — specifically, refrigerators and dishwashers, will interact with all the dining table and seats once the doors are fully open. A table’s dimensions (including its own extensions and seats when occupied by guests) should never compete for space with spacious appliances or cabinets.
Clayton&Little Architects
Lighting the kitchen table. “Lighting is something to pay careful attention to when working on a tablecentric design,” says Campos. The same as lighting within a island, a fundamental table’s lighting design needs to provide decent task lighting in addition to warm ambience to set the right mood for entertaining.
More about light your kitchen right
Uptic Studios
Your turn: Have you ditched the kitchen island in favour of a dining table? Tell us how it’s working for you and post a photograph below!