Dreaming of a kitchen island? Think you don’t have the space? Think again.
The addition of a kitchen island is sure to enhance your kitchen’s curb appeal and your lifestyle in many different ways. Especially with home much time we’ve all been spending at home. Now is the perfect time to re-think your living space.
Make your kitchen work for you
We bought our home off-plan a year ago and only had a showroom in Malton and a brochure to go off. Looking at the plans and remembering how it was in the showroom we visited, we couldn’t get our heads around the breakfast bar installation. It essentially cut the room in half, leaving wasted floor space in the kitchen and left a smaller dining area. So we wanted to explore how our kitchen could work better for us without breaking the bank. One way was to open up the kitchen completely but we lost vital cupboards and I knew it would be something we regretted doing later down the line.
Turning our Pinterest dream into reality
Niki then came to the idea that we needed an island instead of a breakfast bar, but Taylor Wimpey didn’t provide such changes within our options. After scouring Pinterest (dangerous), we came across an island we loved but were unsure if we had a big enough kitchen, or budget, to accommodate such a large piece of furniture.
The one that sparked our kitchen island dreams:
We decided to visit a few showrooms in the area to find out if we could turn our Pinterest dream into a reality. Neptune, Red Brick Mill and The Main Company were top of our list, but it wasn’t until we started chatting to one of the designers from The Main Company did we know it was truly possible.
Click here to visit my kitchen inspiration board on Pinterest
The Main Company – kitchen and flooring specialists
For those of you who don’t know The Main Company, it’s situated on the A59 between Harrogate and York in a village called Green Hammerton. It’s an amazing barn/warehouse which has been turned into the most charming showroom, specialising in flooring, kitchens, and wood furniture.
I’m a big one for independent companies and The Main Company was started in 1978 by the Main family and to this day it’s a family business. As a little girl, I grew up with a custom-made Main dresser in our dining room so it feels pretty special to now be commissioning our own piece which will see our family grown up around.
What to think about when considering a kitchen island?
Our designer, Tom, was great. He talked us through the options available to us and helped us understand what an island can offer. Here’s some questions you’d need to consider when designing an island:
- The size of the room is important. Do you have least 1m of space all the way around the island? This will also give you the maximum size of your island.
- What storage do you need?
- Are you considering installing compliances and therefore require electricity?
- Do you want a sink or even a sunken bucket for ‘champagne on ice’ moments?
- Is seating important to you? You may want to consider a breakfast bar.
- Are you using the island to divide a space form kitchen to dining or kitchen to living?
Designing a bespoke kitchen island
Having shown Tom the floorplan of our kitchen, the maximum island size we could get was 1m wide by 1.7m long. Small but it was going to be perfectly formed by the time we’d designed it.
We opted for the Brighton style, which is one of their more popular designed for its classic Shaker design and reasonably priced because of the way they design it. Essentially there’s lots of options to choose from and it was a case of just picking and choosing each segment to fit the space. Options are endless from the standard cupboards and draws to built-in chopping boards, wine coolers and even baskets. We kept it simple and chose a pull-out bin/recycling system, three draw unit and a cupboard.
Tom worked up the design using our floor plans so we could see how it would all work together and, after much deliberation on the countertops, we were set on the design. A beautiful intelligent eggshell in Nova Blue (especially mixed for The Main Company by Little Greene) with a Lagoon Silestone top.
How much does a kitchen island cost?
Islands aren’t cheap, the craftsmanship that goes into these along with the fitting which took a whole day in total, certainly helps in understanding the cost. For this island, you are looking between £4,000 and £6,000 but they can reach into the tens of thousands for the ultimate kitchen island or cheaper if you wanted something a little smaller.
It’s more than extra storage
An island is more than just extra kitchen storage, already in just a few days of it being in the kitchen, it’s become the heart of our kitchen where we gather. It’ll be a great space for baking, brunch with friends, and a bar for when we eventually do get to have a housewarming!
Hand on heart, it’s one of the best pieces we’ve bought for the house. The Main Company were brilliant and ever so helpful in the design process. Plus, I have heard a kitchen island can add serious value on to your house. Take a look at some of the other amazing islands they’ve created:
Get in touch with Tom at The Main Company on 01423 330451 or email sales@maincompany.com
P.S. This post was done in collaboration with The Main Company. I received a discount on the island I purchased in return for this post and social activity. All views my own.
