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Out of all the kitchen design ideas to come along in the last 20 years, the kitchen island is by far the most popular. If you go house hunting, it will be very hard for you to find a new construction home with no kitchen island.
In order to have an island, the kitchen must be big enough or else it will just look silly. However, for kitchen areas that are big, the island adds depth and functionality. The kitchen island gives you more work space as well as more storage area. It allows you to have more room on the other counter tops along the walls as some of the appliances might be either stored in the island or put on top of it.
The kitchen island also just looks good, if done right. Probably the most important aspect of installing a island in your kitchen is making sure you have enough room to not only make it look right, but also to have enough room to maneuver. If it is in too small a place will end up being a disaster as it will look strange and take away room to work. You also have to have room for the kitchen stools you will want to put around the island so that people can sit and enjoy themselves.
When deciding what kind of island you would like to have, you need to decide whether you want something elaborate and custom built or something on the simple side. The more expensive kitchen islands now come with sinks, stove tops, small refrigerators, and washing machines. If you want all of those your kitchen should be quite large and it should look like it fits in and is not forced in.
A simple island with just a surface can still be one of the better kitchen design ideas if you don't have the room or budget to go with something more fancy. If your kitchen is not a "Martha Stewart" kitchen, don't feel like you have to get the whole deal. Something simple is often the thing that looks the best.
