Benchtop, Island, or Both? How to Decide on the Best Option for Your Kitchen
Benchtop, Island, or Both? How to Decide on the Best Option for Your Kitchen
You’ve made the decision to renovate your residential kitchen and it seems an endless array of important decisions requires your attention. At Archant, we know how exciting the prospect of a redesign can be. In fact, one of the best parts of what we do is seeing the amazing before and after images from clients who have remodeled their NZ homes.
Yet, before choosing details like the colour palette or cabinet handles, it’s critical to decide on the layout of your space. Perhaps the biggest consideration comes down to this one question: Are you going to just have a benchtop, or would the addition of an island be a welcome feature?
In this article, we’re going to unpack the main factors and help you decide on the right setup for your kitchen. There are essentially 5 areas you’ll want to consider. These are; available space in the kitchen, seating needs, storage potential, overall workflow, and cost. By the end, we believe you’ll have the necessary information to guide your design decisions.
1) Do You Need Seating in the Kitchen?
One of the greatest aspects of an island is the versatile extra seating it can provide. From stools that get neatly tucked away, to dining chairs, an island can be used as a convenient breakfast nook. Its usefulness isn’t isolated to the morning, as it continues throughout the day. An island doubles as an amazing place to food prep while still entertaining and enjoying time with friends and family. In an open floor plan kitchen, there is a free-flowing benefit to an island that benchtops positioned along the wall don’t provide.
Of course, if your family chooses to sit at a dining room table and have more formal gatherings, you may not find the seating aspects of an island necessary. Keep reading though, as there are other benefits of an island to unpack as well.
2) What Kind of Storage Do You Need?
We love working in kitchens with ample benchtop space. Having an uncluttered surface makes cooking and cleaning an efficient undertaking. It’s not just the space on top that matters though, but underneath as well. Once you include an oven, dishwasher, essential drawers, and cabinetry, the challenge of finding available storage becomes a pressing issue.
This is another area where a kitchen island can be super helpful. We’ve seen some very functional islands that made smart use of the space beneath. This includes pantries, wine racks, drawers of cutlery, and deep cabinets for large pots and pans. You can choose to have these elements tucked behind doors, or more visible for a design element that’s easy to access.
Photo by Nanda Rammers | Twin Rivers Interiors
3) How Much Available Space Do You Have?
By now, you may be leaning towards adding an island to your kitchen design. This can add value to your space but be sure to measure first. You’ll want to plan the island size to fit comfortably without restricting movement in the kitchen.
You may be surprised at just how much space they take up. It’s not only the physical island to factor in, but the space around it. Most experts recommend leaving a minimum of 1 metre of open area on all four sides of the island. This will allow unobstructed access to the cabinetry and other appliances.
If you have an expansive kitchen, you can be more creative with the island shape and size. Our large format porcelain sheets can be seamlessly joined to extend the design. Even so, you’ll want to maintain that empty 1 metre of space on all sides to prevent any issues.
4) Do You Have a Workflow?
All the benefits listed above may sound good on paper, but they’re meaningless if not enhancing your kitchen workflow. Ideally, the kitchen setup should allow you to move freely from the refrigerator to the sink, followed by the food prep area, and the oven. While this is a perfect world scenario, we know not every kitchen is configured as thoughtfully.
When you are renovating your kitchen, it’s a real opportunity to fix any issues with the flow of your space. If it’s laid out properly, everything becomes more efficient. This means fewer traffic jams with others using the space, and less unnecessary time spent walking in circles to cook dinner.
5) What Will it Cost?
If you’re ready to forge ahead with your kitchen design and include an island, you may be pleasantly surprised at the cost. At Archant, we use generously sized slabs of porcelain (3200 x 1600mm). This means with just one slab of raw material, we can craft a standard-sized benchtop and island.
For more involved designs or sizing needs, we can accommodate that as well by joining additional slabs. The more complex layouts will require additional labour but are indeed possible to create.
To help you get an estimated price, we have created a fast and convenient online tool. Just choose the layout you’d like and follow the prompts to get an instant cost estimate.
What Does the Ultimate Kitchen Look Like to You?
At Archant, we believe the best kitchen designs are spaces that are not only beautiful but also compliment your efforts with convenient functionality. As you can read above, an island is a fantastic addition to a kitchen. It allows for more seating, flexible storage, and streamlined workflow. Of course, they do come at an added cost. Yet, as thousands of our customers around NZ have discovered, the value an island adds is worth the investment.
Photo by Sampford Cathie
Let’s Discuss Your Kitchen Renovation
As you can see, 2023 is a great year to maximise the value of your kitchen renovations. We want to help you build on that momentum. Our New Zealand showrooms are staffed with experts who are happy to offer guidance every step of the way. From sinks, taps, benchtops, islands, splashbacks, decorative surfaces, stylish handles, and more, we want to make your dream kitchen a reality.
Related Links:
Why 2023 is a Prime Year for a Kitchen Renovation in New Zealand
6 Key Things You Should Know Before Designing a Kitchen Island
How to Optimise Porcelain Sheet Size for Kitchen Benchtops and Island Design (A Complete Guide)
What Should I Budget for a Porcelain Benchtop in New Zealand? A 2023 Pricing Guide
5 Luxurious Ways to Upscale Your Kitchen Design in New Zealand
How to Buy a Benchtop that Fits Your Family Needs for 2023 and Beyond
Searching for the Best Benchtop in NZ? How & Why to Get a Porcelain Surface
5 Creative Add-Ons to Enhance Your Porcelain Benchtop in 2023
How to Design a Durable Overhang for Your Porcelain Benchtop and Kitchen Island
