While health experts say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, dinner might actually be better. Dinner is the time when families gather and cook and talk about their days. Eating your favorite meal with your family is something to look forward to, but having a formal sit-down dinner every night might not be possible. Your kitchen island, though, is the ideal place for a family to gather and get a bite to eat – before that next basketball practice or Girl Scout meeting.
Making your kitchen island a little more dining friendly isn’t hard. In fact, with a little planning, you can make your kitchen island your new favorite place to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
1. Consider the seating
Maybe you don’t even have seating around your island. You should. Depending on the height of your island, a few bar stools or higher chairs can add comfort and style to the space. Be sure to space chairs or stools so that everyone has enough elbow room to sit and eat if they want to.
2. Use placemats and napkins
Making the island a little more dining room-like can add a more comforting feeling to a meal. Having some placemats in a drawer in the island or in a stack at the end (clear away the mail first), can make it easier to remember them and grab them before you start eating.
3. Think about the lighting
No one wants to eat in the dark. Pendant lights can bring ambiance to your island and create a warmer space for eating.
4. Extend your island
If you need some extra space to make room for the whole family, consider extending your island. A renovations specialist, like those at Alair Homes, can help you plan the best way to make your kitchen island bigger. Consider, too, if you want the island extension to be standing height or if you want an area that is table height. Having both heights might make it easier for small children to eat in the same space without being separate.
5. Create a bubble island
This is an area of the island that juts out in a half circle – so you have a separate work and eating space all in the same area. If you like to cook or entertain, this can be ideal – allowing you to serve and cook at the same time. This type of set-up takes less floor space and enables everyone to see each other.
6. Try a perpendicular island extension
Creating a kind of T-shaped island. This works well if you have a great room or more space in the room next to the kitchen than in the kitchen. Consulting a designer can help you decide how to make the best use of the space.