10 Kitchen Island Mistakes That Are Making Your Space Look Smaller Than It Actually Is - Tasting Table

"There was a time when kitchen islands were considered the remit of luxurious, sprawling homes with ample room to spare. But with newer design evolutions bringing forth space-efficient, compact islands, you need not relegate this dream to the back of your mood board any longer. There is an island for every size and style, but it does help to ensure that a few elementary kitchen island mistakes don't end up making your space look confined and congested."

"For starters, you'll need to ensure that the size and shape of your chosen island allow for the bare minimum of clearance required for walkways. An overambitious overhang can eat into your available floor space, while poor placement can create bottlenecks in crucial spots around the kitchen. Chunky silhouettes, top-heavy designs, and oversized decor are silent thieves that detract from the illusion of space that you are hoping to create."

"Not sure how to sidestep all these landmines when adding an island to your kitchen? Help is at hand. Laura Medicus, interior designer and owner of Laura Medicus Interiors, taps into her experience to draw up a roadmap of the common kitchen island mistakes that are sneakily cramping your space. By avoiding silhouettes, colors, and finishes that visually confine the room, the addition of an island can maintain a sense of breeziness in your kitchen even with limited space available."

Kitchen islands can fit homes of any size when designed for space efficiency. Proper island size and shape must preserve minimum walkway clearance to prevent congestion and bottlenecks. Overambitious overhangs, overly deep islands, and poor placement reduce usable floor space. Chunky silhouettes, top-heavy designs, and oversized decor visually shrink the room. Choosing narrow, proportional shapes like squares or rectangles helps maintain flow. Lighter colors, streamlined finishes, and restrained decorative elements support a sense of openness. Thoughtful planning and scaled proportions allow an island to add function without cramping a small kitchen.

Read at Tasting Table