Narrow long kitchen islands
8 Narrow Kitchen Islands With Function to Spare
Islands are workhorses in the kitchen. They offer an additional surface area, apart from the perimeter countertops, that can be used for food prep, serving or as a place to perch and hang out with family and friends. Those with space-challenged kitchens often think there’s no way they can squeeze in an island, but you’d be surprised at just how compact you can go.
STEPHEN FLETCHER ARCHITECTS
Stephen Fletcher Architects
1. The minimum recommended width of a kitchen work aisle is 42 inches for a single cook and 48 inches for multiple cooks, according to the National Kitchen & Bath Association. A walkway should be at least 36 inches wide. In a small kitchen, it can be tough to accommodate a standard-size island, which typically measures 25 to 40 inches deep, and still have adequate space for aisles and walkways.
Key Measurements to Help You Design Your Kitchen
Douglas Design Studio
Douglas Design Studio
2. But there’s quite a bit of flexibility when it comes to the size and orientation of a kitchen island. It should be designed and placed to provide an additional surface without being in the way of crucial kitchen tasks. Many homeowners actually prefer a compact island because it allows for better flow — it’s easier to get around when moving from one area to another.
Of course, you don’t want to make the island so tiny that it’s no longer useful. The previous two islands are fairly skinny but still offer enough surface area to be useful for various kitchen tasks.
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Shawn St.Peter Photography
3. It’s important to think about the function of your island. Do you need additional storage space at the base of the island? Can it be open, such as this island, or do you need closed storage? If it’s going to be an open shelf, think about what you will store there, as it will take center stage in your kitchen.
Whatever is stored there could become a grease and dust collector unless it gets frequent use.
Gepetto
4. Or perhaps you need an island that serves as an in-kitchen hangout spot. Sure, you’re not going to serve a multicourse meal on an island like this one designed by Hubert Taschereau of Gepetto and Laure Guillelmi, but it’s the right size for a couple of people to sit, visit and enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. If you plan to set a stool or stools around the island, consider placing them so that the person seated doesn’t get in the way of the cook.
HOLAH Design + Architecture
Holah Design + Architecture
5. Clearly, a narrow island is not going to be able to house a sink or a cooktop, but it can still be useful as a landing area when taking items out of the refrigerator or oven. In fact, for safety’s sake, if your kitchen lacks a surface next to your range or cooktop, you may want to add a small island nearby so that you have a place to set hot things without having to walk too far.
KuDa Photography
6. An island needn’t be a fixed piece of cabinetry. This cool industrial-style kitchen features a free-standing cart as its island. Think about adding wheels so that you can move the island around the space as needed. Just be sure you can lock the wheels to keep your island from wandering off.
Shop for rolling kitchen islands and carts on Houzz
Beth Simmons Interior Design
Beth Simmons Interior Design
7. Size your island to best fit the geometry of your space. If your kitchen is long and narrow, then you’ll want a long and narrow island. However, if your kitchen is more square-shaped, such as the one shown here, then an island that is similarly shaped will fit and function better.
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Long And Narrow Kitchen Island Design Ideas
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Long and narrow custom walk in closet features white cabinetry with a white built in island showcasing nickel hardware and a glass countertop.
Tara Fust
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Galley style kitchen features flat front cabinets with nickel pulls and a marble countertop with sink and nickel gooseneck faucet.
Studio Thomas James
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Modern galley style kitchen features a glass front wine cooler under white flat front cabinets and a sink with a nickel gooseneck faucet.
Studio Thomas James
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Expansive gray and black walk-in closet features a long and narrow black island lit by black hanging shade lights.
Hendel Homes
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Gorgeous kitchen features a beadboard ceiling dotted with pot lighting and a stainless steel pot rack suspended over a long and narrow kitchen island topped with white marble fitted with a curved prep sink and gooseneck faucet atop a black herringbone floor.
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Mint green kitchen with narrow island lit by mini vintage glass lanterns features mint green cabinetry with marble look countertops and brass pulls, a stainless steel range hood on square white tiles over a cooktop, black and white wallpaper and wooden floors.
Lisa and Leroy
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A farmhouse sink with a polished nickel gooseneck dual faucet kit is fitted to a gray center island lit by clear glass and rope pendants.
Graystone Custom Builders
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A pair of Robert Abbey Bling Chandeliers hang over a white quartz waterfall kitchen island fitted with an extra wide stainless steel sink and two gooseneck faucets lined with ivory leather counter stools.
Laura U Interior Design
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Six gray wicker stools sit at a long white center island finished with a sink and polished nickel gooseneck faucet lit by two clear glass globe pendants.
Kathryn Lilly Interiors
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Alyssa Rosenheck - Brianna Michelle Design features a long marble topped kitchen island lit by Precision 1 light pendants and gray kitchen island bench.
Alyssa Rosenheck
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Brown basketweave stools with blue gingham cushions sit at an extra long white wainscot kitchen island fitted with a quartzite countertop lit by white hanging shade lights hung beneath a sidelight.
McCann Design Group
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Kelly green spindle stools sit at a long center island lit by glass globe lights.
Annsley Interiors
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A gray jute rug sits on a wide plank wood floor behind a long island accented with brass pulls and finished with a steel and brass pull out faucet lit by white and gold lanterns.
Amy Storm and Company
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A white and gold linear chandelier lights an apothecary style island topped with a long marble top holding a sink with a brass gooseneck faucet.
Meghan Carter Design
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Modern long and narrow pantry features stacked brown floating shelves and white flat front cabinets.
Studio Thomas James
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Kitchen features mini vintage glass lanterns over a slim white center island, mint green cabinetry with marble look countertops and brass pulls, a stainless steel range hood on square white tiles over a cooktop, black and white wallpaper and wooden floors.
Lisa and Leroy
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Two white and gold Goodman Hanging Lamps light a long and narrow kitchen island topped with a white and gray marble countertop and framed by a dark stained wood floor.
Picture Perfect House
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Hudson Valley Lambert Pendant over a long kitchen island with white quartz countertops, white leather island chairs and a nickel gooseneck faucet.
Tara Fingold Interiors
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A gray wire brushed oak island lined with brass trim is finished with a sink boasting a steel and brass pull out faucet.
Amy Storm and Company
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Amazing kitchen features three black industrial pendants illuminating a long and narrow taupe center island fitted with stacked dishwasher drawers topped with white marble.
Lovette Construction
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Spacious kitchen features black nuevo chi stools at a black and white island with an induction cooktop under an island hood and white cabinets with long brass pulls.
Lux Decor
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A recessed white wood panel refrigerator is accented with brass pulls and is positioned on a dark stained wood floor facing a long and narrow white island topped with a white and gray marble countertop lit by two Goodman Hanging Lamps.
Picture Perfect House
Long island in custom kitchen interior
Unlike its geographically isolated cousin in the ocean, the kitchen island often acts as a central gathering place. Our kitchens are becoming more and more connected to living spaces, they are no longer exclusively utilitarian, but take on a social image. A modern kitchen island now serves a lot of functions, and the longer your central piece of furniture, the more options you can shift to it.
The typical length of a kitchen island is between 7 and 10 steps. In our publication, we invite readers of the online magazine Ideas for Kitchen Interiors to consider long tables that start at 3.
6 m. Large kitchen islands have a number of advantages that can be obtained with careful planning. Let's get acquainted with the options for selecting a table for your taste.
Flexibility
Our homes can perform many functions needed in everyday life. It's great if dwellings can meet long-term needs that tend to change over time. Long islands are the result of such ideas, they act as flexible workstations.
Modern functional kitchens should not only serve the purpose of preparing food, but also a place where you can host friends, get together with the whole family and even solve work issues.
The main design idea for the kitchen area above was to convey respect for the landscape. The interior spaces are located in such a way as to focus the attention of residents to the external nature. This was done, among other things, by eliminating possible obstructions to the view, partitions and unnecessary furniture.
Therefore, the long island turned out to be very useful, because it performs the functions of storage, a cutting place, cooking and sorting products, eating, and simply serves as a gathering point for households.
The architects chose a clean, minimalist, thoughtful and aesthetically subtle option, devoid of any visual ornamentation. But the designers left the opportunity to modify the functions of the kitchen island in accordance with the changes in the desires of the owners.
Focus
One of the undeniable advantages of a long island is that it allows you to change the traditional orientation of kitchen tasks. You create a workspace large enough to allow all kitchen functions to be performed in one place. Preparing, preparing and cleaning up takes place around the table. Family members can sit here for dinner.
As a result, you minimize the need to move around the room, much less space will be smeared, more time is left for communication with family and friends. The design of the island in the picture is based on the principle of the laboratory and proves that even very large furniture can "feel the light" and be open. I like how, with the help of a competent and proportional layout of the room, it was possible to create a kind of communal version of the kitchen.
Function
The larger the island, the more roles it can play. In this kitchen, it has become the focal point, where most of all the functional components of the cooking area are located. By expanding the centerpiece of the furniture, the designers were able to equip it with storage systems, a sink and several kitchen appliances. As a result, there was no need to create a wooden countertop. And now, complete with industrial lamps, the whole room looks like a comfortable, convenient and versatile loft.
Of course, the installation of long islands is only possible if there is ample room. For example, the furniture pictured above was custom-designed, handcrafted from walnut and is a great way to combine functionality with luxury.
Arrangement in space
Often our kitchens are full of chaos and disorder after preparing dinner or lunch for the whole family. Of course, no one wants to see the mess left after cooking while eating.
Many modern spaces are interconnected, a combined kitchen-dining room is not uncommon, such a room offers us a lot of space where there is absolutely nowhere to “hide”.
Designers solve this problem in the following way - they extend the island almost across the entire width of the room and install a sufficiently high plinth-screen along the entire length.
As a result, the chef is slightly separated from the dining area, we definitely won't see his mess. But at the same time, the one who prepares the food is part of a large space not separated by doors. The plinth here also works as a standalone garage door unit that hides kitchen appliances.
The island can be used as a kitchen divider. Its cladding on the side of the working area and the dining area can be made of wood and carry the functions of convenient storage systems.
The spatial definition of this room was to create an island the same length as the counter top of the kitchen cabinets. Stylish furniture for the kitchen, combining wood and natural stone, performs not only a functional, but also an ergonomic task of symmetrically dividing the room.
Living and dining areas
A very popular choice of islands integrated for relaxation.
Such a system can accommodate not only all members of a large family, but also guests. A comfortable place to stay will accommodate 7-10 people without embarrassment of each other.
In small kitchens or rooms where there is no possibility of a living room, a long island can play the role of a dining table. Such smart designs allow rational zoning to leave room for comfort, coziness and relaxation.
Aisles
It's important that your kitchen island fit comfortably within the room, leaving the necessary aisles for essential tasks. The basic rule is to provide at least 1m of working space around the island, even if you will be staying there.
Of course, there are space layouts that dictate the need for designers to deviate from existing minimums and reduce distances for work areas. In such cases, it is often necessary to reduce the depth of kitchen cabinets in order to win the necessary centimeters.
Materials
One of the most important decisions is the choice of materials for the production of furniture, which must contrast with the overall kitchen environment or match it.
In the photo above, the island contrasts with the wood cabinetry, but matches the backsplash and countertops. The complexity of this dialogue is added by multi-level pendant lamps, and comfortable, but original chairs to match the island.
Long islands should not dominate space just because they are massive. The focal point in this kitchen is the wall of wood cabinets. A long snow-white island is a logical addition. Preparing, sorting, cleaning, washing and cleaning areas are very harmoniously arranged opposite each other.
Special considerations
The benefits of long islands are undeniable, but they are not without drawbacks. Please note that large sizes also mean a long way from one end of the product to the other, and this is not always convenient, especially if you have to go this way several times a day. Therefore, it is important to immediately decide what and where will be stored, how to place the main appliances, such as a dishwasher, for example.
After all, loading and unloading with going to the opposite end of the island will be a tedious task.
Establishing clear zones within the island is one way to mitigate these problems. You also need to decide on the width of the kitchen island so that there is enough space for sitting and working.
Linear spaces are simply made for long island configurations. Due to the narrow size of the kitchen in the photo, the choice of a large island was obvious. As a result, it is difficult to tell where the kitchen ends with its functionality and the seating area begins with its relaxing atmosphere. Here, the long island acts as a Swiss folding knife that has many functions without taking up much space.
Seam availability
If your kitchen island is over 2.5m long, you will be faced with a more limited choice of seamless kitchen countertops. The island shown in the picture is 42 cm wide and over 6 m long. In these extreme dimensions, the architect, of course, had to struggle with the seams.
Natural stone can be the most limiting factor in material selection for a long worktop.
If you decide to use wood or stainless steel, then there will be many more options.
Actually, seams are not so bad as you might think. Although it all depends on how long you plan to use such a countertop. This kitchen island is 15m long and over a meter wide. At the same time, it has several centimeters of thickness of the marble countertop.
And look carefully at the photo - can you determine the places where the seams are located, and there are at least two of them. Due to the characteristics of natural stone, veins can be used as joints for joining.
In addition, one can simply recognize that the seam exists, it emphasizes that this is a natural material that is limited to industrial extraction and processing.
Photo courtesy of: Adam Wilson Custom Homes, Jennifer Weiss Architecture, CORE Architects, Ira Frazin Architect, Union Studio, Ibarra Rosano Design Architects, Jennifer Weiss Architecture, Rudolfsson Alliker Associates Architects, Touzet Studio, Ruhl Walker Architects, Challenger Living, THE RURAL BUILDING COMPANY, Ibarra Rosano Design Architects, Found Associates.
Small kitchen island: space-saving open design
Would you like to have a long kitchen island, but the small kitchen you have at your disposal just doesn't have room for it? Or maybe you are wrong? No need to think about a massive and heavy design object. In the interior of small rooms it is not necessary to enter only the countertop!
When searching the Internet, you will come across many options when the kitchen has a table and the modules are located along the wall. This configuration has its advantages. While you won't get a whole lot of extra storage space, the work triangle takes up less space than you need in a small space.
If all you need is an extra surface to work in your kitchen and perhaps one cabinet or shelf, here are a few examples you can use for your kitchen. But before you buy something similar, look at how the furniture will fit into the overall style of your interior.
In addition to the countertop, this miniature kitchen features a handy open island with a bottom shelf as an additional prep surface while cooking.
It is ideal for a small kitchen.
Narrow and long table top with shelf
If you think your kitchenette might be too narrow for an island, consider a long, narrow table like the photo above.
Black worktop with high metal legs
Kitchen island with metal legs and laminate top makes the space light and airy. And open shelving instead of a closed headset looks elegant and very cute.
High wooden table with bar stools
The traditionally shaped island table completes this fine contemporary kitchen.
Metal Open Island
Technically it's a peninsula because it's connected to the main set, but this model can be used as a separate island and positioned wherever you want. Metal finishes add an industrial touch to the space in this beautiful summer house.
Kitchen expert Rebekaj Zaveloff says: “I love open kitchen islands for small spaces because you don't need an extra table. This provides excellent access to salad bowls, pots and pans.
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Vintage kitchen with simple furnishings and retro open island
Retro island brings character, patina and personality to this culinary area. The designer has done an intricate job, beautifully incorporating vintage items such as the Morton`s Salt plaque, antique clock, countertop, stool and cart into the interior. These elements add just the right balance to a bright kitchen without being overwhelmed by vintage accessories.
Open island with light wood top
This island has several drawers that can be used as a great storage system for oversized items and kitchen utensils. How do you like the contrast of blue paint and rich reclaimed wood?
Harmony of white color and wood tone - 50% to 50%
Here the island was in place, as if it had always been there. It perfectly matches the long and narrow kitchen. Proper placement of the table allows you to easily open the oven, dishwasher, storage systems and the refrigerator door.
Dear visitors of the resource Kitchen Interior, and now I would like to invite you to admire several models of free-standing open islands. By the way, you can order all these items from a carpenter or other craftsman or find them in a retail store.
Marble top on metal base
This island, combining vintage and modern details, will cost $1299. It will fit perfectly into a traditional style kitchen and add some modern character to it.
Rustic outdoor island on wheels
This industrial-vintage-modern look will set you back $795. Rollers do this model universal. It can also be used as a sideboard in the dining room or as a bar cart during a party or picnic.
Metal Open Island with Wood Top
This $733 countertop showcases the combination of two materials, and the light wood lid makes it suitable for any, even the smallest, kitchen and all those who love to cook.
Long table with metal legs
This version is very similar to the previous one, only it is longer, does not have a lower metal shelf and costs $1426.
