Storage, Storage, Storage

The best thing about adding a kitchen island to your kitchen is the ample amount of extra storage that comes along with it. The extra cabinetry you gain with an island is the perfect place for larger appliances that might be taking up counter space or prime perimeter cabinet real estate. Moving some of these items to your island storage opens other areas in your kitchen for storage—maybe you’ll consider converting some of the perimeter cabinetry into a custom pantry. Or maybe de-cluttering your countertops means you can take advantage of some backsplash storage—hanging some of your most used and aesthetically pleasing utensils on bars on your backsplash.

Another popular storage solution homeowners take advantage of on an island is a stow-away trash can. This keeps your trash and recycling concealed and out of the way. Depending on your kitchen’s footprint and how large of an island you can install, you might even opt into including a mini-fridge or a cubby for wine bottles too.

A Whole New Cooking World

Some people choose to bring the entire life of the kitchen to the island. Perhaps you want to put your stovetop on the island so your dinner guests are right in the action. Another perk to this is that you won’t have your back to them as you prepare the meal. Add a small sink to keep your prep separate from your cleaning. Consider adding a section of butcher block to your island to make chopping and cutting a breeze. You literally won’t have to leave your island for one thing until it’s time to clean it all up.

Really Dining IN

A lot of kitchens have a dine-in area or breakfast nook with space for a kitchen table to eat meals. What if instead of having space for a separate table, you made your kitchen island a place to eat. Simply adding an extended piece of countertop to tuck stools underneath makes dining in your kitchen a great option for those not-so-formal meals that don’t require gathering around the dining room table. With the shift in family dynamics and home design in general, many homeowners are opting to nix the dining room altogether. The kitchen is often the heart of the home so why not enjoy your family meals there too?

(home)Workstation

If you’ve chosen to extend your island countertop to create a space to eat, you’ll soon realize that people just start sitting there. Maybe your partner sits there to hear about your day while you prep dinner. Maybe your guests sit there to help chop an onion or other veggies for you. And if you have kids, you might find that they set up shop there after school to do their homework, talk to you about their day, or even to get in on prep as well. Invite your kids to be where you are even if they are doing something on their own. Having a kitchen island allows them to be near you and to share their lives with you.

With more and more people working virtually from home, you might find that you yourself are using your kitchen island as a workstation. Maybe it has become your home office from 9-5 and then is transformed into a functional kitchen when it’s time. Be careful though, working in such close proximity to the snacks (and the wine) can be dangerous.

As you can see, kitchen islands offer endless opportunities for function and design. Have fun with it! Create storage solutions that fit your specific needs. Add colors and materials that fit your unique style. And most importantly, choose a design that you know you’ll love for years to come. If you don’t know where to start for your kitchen design or you’re ready to make your ideas come to life, your local Kitchen Solvers is ready to help you make your kitchen dreams come true!

The post Favorite Uses for a Kitchen Island appeared first on Kitchen Solvers.

• Project Location: Sunrise, FL
• Remodel type: New Cabinets
• Type of door style: Shaker
• Remodel style: Transitional
• Color: White
• Countertop: Quartz
• Countertop color: Light Gray with Dark Gray Veins
• Backsplash: Quartz Light Gray with Dark Gray Veins

 For more information about this project, please visit Kitchen Solvers of Fort Lauderdale’s Gallery page.

• Project Location: Plain City, OH
• Remodel type: New Cabinets
• Type of door style: Shaker
• Remodel style: Modern
• Color: White
• Countertop: Quartz
• Countertop color: Mara Blanca
• Backsplash: Villa Artisan Mist

 For more information about this project, please visit Kitchen Solvers of Columbus’ Gallery page.

• Project Location: McCook, NE
• Remodel type: New Cabinets
• Type of door style: Shaker
• Remodel style: Transitional
• Color: White
• Countertop: Butcher Block

 For more information about this project, please visit Kitchen Solvers of McCook’s Gallery page.

• Project Location: Gulfport, FL
• Remodel type: New Cabinetry
• Type of door style: Manhattan
• Remodel style: Transitional
• Color: Snow white for uppers and Naval for lowers
• Door Material: Maple
• Countertop: Quartz
• Countertop color: Miami Vena with 4in Backsplash
• Backsplash: White subway tile

For more information about this project, please visit Kitchen Solvers of Gulf Coast’s Gallery page.

• Project Location: Clearwater, FL
• Remodel type: New Cabinetry
• Type of door style: Portland
• Remodel style: Transitional
• Color: Snow white for uppers and pantry and Gale force for lowers and island
• Door Material: Maple
• Countertop: Quartz
• Countertop color: Port Rush

For more information about this project, please visit Kitchen Solvers of Gulf Coast’s Gallery page.

• Project Location: Corpus Christi, TX
• Remodel type: New Cabinetry
• Type of door style: Shaker
• Remodel style: Transitional
• Color: Slate
• Countertop color: Entzo
• Backsplash: 12 x 12 Chevron glass mosaic

 For more information about this project, please visit Kitchen Solvers of Corpus Christi’s Gallery page.

• Project Location: Corpus Christi, TX
• Remodel type: New Cabinetry
• Type of door style: Shaker
• Remodel style: Contemporary
• Color: Sand
• Countertop: Granite
• Countertop color: Luna Pearl
• Backsplash: 2 x 6 Night Sky

 For more information about this project, please visit Kitchen Solvers of Corpus Christi’s Gallery page.

The post Spotlight Kitchens of April – New Cabinetry appeared first on Kitchen Solvers.

If you work from home, then one of the most important things you can have to increase your productivity and your success rate is a dedicated home office. However, if space is at a premium in your home, finding the right location for your home office can be a difficult task. Fortunately, when you need a home office but can’t find a space for it, there is one solution you may not have considered: a kitchen office.

By carving out a small portion of your kitchen, you can have the office space that you need and deserve. Read about how you can make the most of your kitchen office and find out how you can get help designing your office space from kitchen professionals.

Make it a Cooking-Free Zone

A mistake that many homeowners make when building a kitchen office is failing to separate their office space from their kitchen space. Whether you want a kitchen office for business or household usage, you need to make sure that it is its own dedicated space and that the kitchen does not infringe on it.

One of the best ways to keep your kitchen and your kitchen office separate is to construct your office away from the action. Build your kitchen office away from your big kitchen equipment like your refrigerator or stove. While it can be tempting to place your office near the refrigerator so you can take quick snack breaks, it’s better to make sure you won’t be bothered while working in your kitchen office. Tuck your office into a corner and increase its utility.

Think About Electronics

When you’re trying to locate the perfect spot in your kitchen for your kitchen office, one of the most important things to keep in mind is how you plan to use your office. If you’re mostly planning to use your office as a quiet space to work on paper records and physical projects, then you can place it pretty much anywhere. However, if you plan to use computers and smart devices in your kitchen office, then you need build your office near electrical outlets.

Placing your kitchen office near electrical access means being able to charge your phone, hook up a computer and even install a telephone if your office space needs it. It’s always a better idea to have electricity and not need it than to have to move your kitchen office once you find that you do require electrical hook-ups.

Storage is Key

When you’re working at your kitchen office, you want to make sure that all of your materials and supplies are within reach. This means that you need to seriously consider your storage options before you begin building your kitchen office. Because kitchen office space is often limited to one degree or another, you need to consider storage options that are low profile, but still offer you the level of utility that you’re looking for.

For example, if you’re trying to keep track of many important documents, then you could consider installing smaller filing cabinets in your kitchen office. If you feel like cabinets take up too much space, you could use shelving. Whatever storage option you choose, make sure it fits the space you have to work with and doesn’t make your kitchen office feel too crowded.

Keep Track of Your Documents

Many homeowners that decide to install a kitchen office do so in an effort to create an informational hub for their family. The kitchen office becomes a place where you can leave notes, where your children can do homework and where you can store all the important information related to your family’s life. If this is what you’re looking for out of your home office, then there are a few tips and tricks you can make use of.

First, if you have the space, install a corkboard or a whiteboard in your kitchen office. This will provide a space where you and your family can place notes and reminders that will be sure to be noticed. Secondly, dedicate at least one of your kitchen office drawers to family documents. This can include appointment cards, homework assignments and even pictures.

Your Kitchen Office is Still a Part of the Kitchen

While you need to make sure that your kitchen office is not affected by people using your kitchen, your office is still a part of the larger room, which means you can dedicate a small portion of your office to certain needs of your kitchen.

If you use shelving in your kitchen office, you can use one of those shelves for your most used cookbooks. Another good idea is to place a rolodex in your kitchen office that is filled with recipes instead of phone numbers. This will give you quick access to your family’s favorite recipes when you’re ready to make the transition from working in your office to cooking in your kitchen.

Brighten Your Workday

In any workspace, the key to getting the level of utility that you need is making sure that have access to bright lighting, and this extends to kitchen offices. Without the right lighting level, working in your kitchen office can feel like a chore, reducing your enjoyment of this space.

Since the best type of lighting is natural lighting, you should try to build your kitchen office near the windows in the room. Building near windows will provide you plenty of light throughout the day and make your kitchen office much more enjoyable. If having your kitchen office near your windows is not an option, you should make sure that there are lamps or overhead lights near your kitchen office.

Bright lighting is the key to making the most of your kitchen office.

Build a Kitchen Office with Professional Help

Building an office in your kitchen is one of the best decisions you can make as a homeowner. It gives your family a convenient workspace and increases the utility of the most useful room in your home. If you’re interested in building a kitchen office in your home, then you need to get design and construction help from the professionals at Kitchen Solvers.

The Kitchen Solvers team can examine your kitchen and tell you about your options for building a great kitchen office that meets your needs. Visit one of our locations today to get started.

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The post Making the Most of Your Kitchen Office appeared first on Kitchen Solvers.