The kitchen is undoubtedly one of the most important rooms in your home, so you want it to be the best it can be. If you’re looking to undertake home improvements, the kitchen might be your first port of call. A kitchen island may be just the thing you need to give your kitchen that something extra.

A kitchen island mainly serves as extra square footage upon which to prepare meals without jostling for space with appliances or other kitchen clutter. It can help keep said clutter to a bare minimum, as it offers roomy cupboards and drawers that can satisfy even the most craven of hoarders. The extra options for storage it opens up are nearly endless. Whether you want to use the island to hide unsightly recycling bins or stash those rarely used appliances that don’t warrant a garage or loft hideaway, the choice is yours.

An island can become a communal focal point of your kitchen, too. They’re perfect for entertaining guests, as they can be seated there while their meals are prepared around them. The kids can use it to do their homework at while you’re busy without feeling like you can’t keep an eye on what they’re doing. As well, an island can empower children, as you can use it to put things on that they’re able to reach, thereby effectively giving them their own space.

A movable kitchen island is a really dynamic addition to any kitchen, as you can use it to segment your kitchen if you’re undertaking particularly large meal prep. Alternatively, if you’re someone who sometimes needs more counter space and sometimes more floor space, then a movable island is a no-brainer.

Obviously, the bigger the kitchen, the more easy it is to install a kitchen island. The first thing to think about is how big the island itself should be. At the least, it should be two feet wide and four feet long, and that’s without any amenities. If you wish to have anything like a sink or stovetop, then you need to add on two feet to the length. The next thing to consider is the size of your kitchen. Generally speaking, if your kitchen is smaller than 8′ x 12′, then unfortunately an island will probably be more trouble than it’s worth.

If you’re planning on selling your home in the future, you might consider a kitchen island in terms of how much value it could add to your property’s resale value. Now, the vast majority of home improvements don’t add a pound for pound value to the overall price, so you need to consider the implications of cost versus personal gain from such a project. The good news is that in a 2018 remodelling cost/value survey, minor kitchen remodels gave a better return on investment than a complete overhaul, generating just over 80% of the cost into value, as opposed to the 59% from a major undertaking.

Whether you want to make your kitchen a more practical space or create a place for family and guests to feel welcomed, a kitchen island can transform your kitchen like no other addition, and is a very simple, yet hugely rewarding undertaking as well.