Islands... for your Kitchen

I would say that most people would call me an island girl. Nothing excites me more than a relaxing day on the beach with my toes in the sand and a drink in my hand. However, today... we're talking about islands in the kitchen - which {almost, just almost} gets me more excited than the real ones... especially if it means a bigger kitchen or more counter space.

Currently, we live in a tiny little cottage - BUT - I'm already brainstorming for our rental house {aka, the bachelor pad we own} upgrade or one-day a house of our own.  Either way, one thing has been decided and that is - A LARGE kitchen will be involved!

Jesse and I have both decided that an island will be necessary. We like to entertain and we like to cook - so what better way to have good, working space.

I really like the bar stools on this one, and I like that the counter top {and height} match the other counter tops. Love the chandeliers too - but Jesse is more of a baker's rack kinda guy - he would LOVE to have copper pots handing from the ceiling one day... I think maybe he picked it up from his childhood or maybe a movie, but he is looking for copper pots every time we step in the antique store.

Love these two designs as well, however - I'm not sure how much I like the different color of the cabinets. I think I also like it to be one level, not split like the second one.

Love this idea - especially the beer and wine cooler - how perfect for entertaining {and more space in the fridge}. This coming from a girl that grew up with a regular fridge and a "beer fridge" ... which is still very much in use at the parents' casa today. I wouldn't dream of not having a separate place for our beer... and extra food too, of course!

I've been making plans for the rental house {bachelor pad} renovation - which, one day - will have an island in it. Currently, we have one big open room that includes the kitchen, eating area/bar and den. Putting in an island would really make the kitchen feel like a "real" kitchen... and some new counter tops and appliances would help as well. But, for now - I'm on the search for a cool island that could be worked in... and new counter tops for the whole kitchen!

The first question we need to cover, is do we have enough room?  Kitchens.com gives us great advice on how to determine where to place an island, and if it will fit! This was my favorite tip they shared:

"Don’t block the work triangle. The work triangle is the path from the primary sink to the refrigerator to the cook top or range. According to National Kitchen & Bath Association guidelines, an island should not intersect this triangle by more than 12 inches. If you break this rule, you’re just making it awkward, inconvenient, and potentially unsafe to get around in the kitchen."

Makes total sense - I guess when it comes to designing a new kitchen, you never think about the small things.  I have learned that I need to do a great deal of reading and research before we dive right in - that's for certain!