When it comes to kitchens, more counter space is always a plus! This is perhaps why utilizing a kitchen island have become so popular. But kitchen islands are good for more than just counter space. Check out some other great uses for your island: 

Cart or Furniture

If you don’t have an island in your kitchen but would like one, even if you don’t have a whole lot of space in your kitchen, there is a simple solution that will not cost a ton. Simply add a kitchen cart to the center or edge of your kitchen. The top of the cart can provide extra counter space and it will likely have some built in storage and hooks! Or a piece of furniture can serve as a kitchen island as well making your possibilities endless, from this chest of drawers to the tiny square stand.

Seating

If there is a slight overhang on your island, all you need to do is pull some stools up! If you’re island does not have such an overhang, you can simply extend the counter top using brackets to hold it up or build extra cabinets on the ends like in this example. This also gives it a nice homey feel! Another option is to create a multi-level surface: a work service at standard counter top height and a higher bar top area that stools can be pulled up to. For guidelines on appropriate dimensions for counter tops, bar tops, and seat heights, click here.

An Additional Sink

This may be hard to do unless you have a built in kitchen island and if so the intricacies of the plumbing may be intimidating. But think of what all you could do with an extra sink! We like to think about the multiple designated uses each sink could be given and it sure would be a relief to have many dishes spread between multiple sinks rather than piled up in one. There are many many choices should you decide to install a sink (or update your current one) at plumbtile.com!

EXTRA CABINETS

If your kitchen island does not have storage or cabinets, get some as soon as possible. The island should not be just taking up space but creating more space! Here are some great examples of kitchen islands which include cabinets or even open shelves to store more kitchen items which everyone has way too many of.

Hanging Items

Don’t forget about items in your kitchen which can be hung. Hanging can free up so much space in your cabinets and counter tops . In one picture you will see a towel hung on the end of the kitchen island, in another pots and pans are hanging above the island. Your island like many others may have lighting hanging above it but in some cases there may be space to hang both the lighting and some pots and pans. It’s not difficult to add hooks, racks, etc. to your island and hang everything that you need to have handy in the kitchen.

All photos from bhg.com