Last Updated on May 27, 2013

A kitchen island is not only functional but decorative as well. The island makes preparing meals more convenient because you have additional surface space. It also helps direct traffic around the kitchen in an efficient manner, much like a round-about in a roadway. Islands also offer additional storage space, which is useful when the cabinets are not sufficient to hold everything you need. Most modern kitchens open up into other rooms and the island assists in this transition.

Size and Function

Kitchen islands can be set up to suit your personal tastes. There are multiple ways of doing this.

Hollow out one side of the island and place chairs there to create additional seating space if you often have large meal gatherings.

Add extra stove tops. This gives you more options when preparing your meals and speeds up the cooking and preparing process at the same time.

Use multiple levels. An island doesn’t have be the same height throughout. Have a lower area for people to sit at and a higher section for cleaning or food preparation. This helps families interact with each other more conveniently when meals are being made.

Size-wise, an island should be four feet long and two feet deep at a minimum but still provide ample space on all sides for people to walk by. The kitchen should therefore be at least eight feet deep and 12 feet long to consider island installation.

Decorative Design

Islands are often a mixture of wood and granite. Granite is durable, easy to clean and aesthetically pleasing, making it ideal for both island and countertop surfaces. It is also heat-resistant, which is important in any cooking environment to make sure your pots and pans won’t damage it. Granite can also be colored in various ways to fit the design of your specific kitchen.

The shape of the island is important to the kitchen design also. Shaping the island so it curves outward from the stove helps to create a defined cooking area while the curves help prevent people from hurting themselves on the edges. This also opens the kitchen up more that a traditional rectangle.

An island is the focal point of the kitchen because of its size and positioning so you can also place photos, fruit baskets, crafts and other decorations on the top of it to further personalize the room and help it blend in with the rest of the house. The woodwork on the island should usually match that of the kitchen cabinets so the island doesn’t call attention to itself unnecessarily.

Island Planning

Make sure the dishwasher and oven have plenty of room to open fully before installing an island to prevent annoying and costly renovations later. You should have enough room between the edge of the doors and the island to walk by safely to prevent tripping. The island should also have outlets for you to plug in small appliances. Small grills or sandwich makers generally are not permanent kitchen fixtures and only come out when needed so you need convenient places to set and use them.

If you have cooking surfaces on your island, you’ll also need proper venting, making a vent hood or a downdraft fan a must. If you use a downdraft fan, you’ll also need a second exhaust fan installed in the ceiling. It’s also important to see what you’re doing and ambient lighting isn’t adequate to light a workspace. Install lights directly above the island to both improve the working area and to also improve the island’s appearance.

Granite reflects light nicely and this helps make the island look more attractive from a distance. Special lighting is needed if the ceiling is more than six feet above the island surface because otherwise the light diffuses out instead of down and the island won’t be illuminated effectively.

Other Considerations

Always check local building codes prior to having an island installed to make sure all regulations are being safely met.

The stove, sink and refrigerator traditionally form the points of a triangle in the kitchen to maximum efficiency of movement for those working in it. An island can either disrupt or enhance this, depending on its placement and what you use it for.

Avoid using harsh cleaning detergents on a granite island because the stone may stain permanently. Mild soap or liquid dish detergent is usually enough to remove any dirt or grease that accumulates and this keeps your island in peak condition.

For more kitchen island design and construction tips, check out this great post on This Old House.

Author Bio: Donna M. is an interior designer and freelance writer for Insurance Providers. She enjoys offering her expertise to homeowners looking to go beyond the average designs below the average budget.

Last Updated on January 8, 2020

Granite Transformations’ Mosaic Tile Is A Versatile Product Suitable For Residential And Commercial Remodeling Projects.

Granite Transformations’ mosaic tile is a versatile product suitable for residential and commercial remodeling projects.

 

When it comes to remodeling projects, it is often difficult to think of design ideas of how to create a unique space. Granite Transformations often solves this challenge by adding our popular mosaic tile in innovative ways to transform a kitchen, bathroom or commercial remodel into an area with a distinctive personality. Mosaic tile is an elegant and smart product to incorporate because of its ability to adapt to nearly any space of your home or business, adding color, depth and character.

 

Kitchen Backsplash

Using our mosaic tile for a kitchen backsplash is the most popular use of this stunning product. With a variety of styles and colors to choose from, our tile can fit in seamlessly with any style of kitchen. You can choose a colorful tile to add personality to your kitchen, or choose more of a muted color to add texture. Plus, what makes our product unique is that it arrives to your home or commercial space pre-grouted. This means that the installation is easier, cleaner and faster.

 

Bath Tub Decoration

Our mosaic tile adds dimension to a typically uninspiring portion of the bathroom: the bathtub. As you can see by the image below, adding our mosaic tile brings attention to the bathtub, while transforming the area to create a spa-like atmosphere.

 Mosaic Bath Tub Decorating

Mosaic Mural

Due to the variety of colors of our mosaic tile, we can help you create a stunning mural which will stop people in their tracks. Plus, the tiles are also weather-resistant and require little upkeep, making them especially suitable for outdoor design projects

 Mosaic Mural

 

To find out if Granite Transformations’ mosaic tile and other products are right for your remodeling project, schedule an in-home consultation now.

Last Updated on January 6, 2020

When it comes to DIY home improvement projects involving your kitchen or bathroom, cutting corners by doing projects yourself may come back to haunt you with even bigger costs. Improvement projects in these areas of the home are tricky and require highly skilled professionals to execute properly. At Granite Transformations, we provide you with an expertly completed install with beautiful products at a guaranteed estimate.

A popular reason why homeowners try to attempt home improvement projects themselves is because they believe this lowers the cost of the job. This is not always the case due to unforeseen costs involving the renting or purchasing of the expensive, specialized equipment you need to complete these installations. Additionally, you should consider how much your time is worth since these projects take a lot of time to research and execute for non-professionals. Plus, in the event that a project goes awry, you may end up paying more than you would have in the first place.

Granite Transformations is the perfect alternative to do-it-yourself projects. During your in-home consultation, we provide you with design advice as you choose your desired products and colors to meet your remodeling needs.  We can accommodate all your remodeling needs with our large selection of gorgeous granite countertops, recycled glass surfaces, mosaic tile and cabinet refacing.  At the end of the in-home consultation, we give you an honest, all inclusive estimate which encompasses the cost of materials and installation. After the materials have been made to fit your needs, a team of our expertly trained installers will install the products in as little as one day!

This means that you get the expertise of a professional designer, contractor, installer and more, all for one cost. Plus, because our estimate is guaranteed, there will be no added or surprise costs like with other remodeling services. You also get the added benefit of a lifetime warranty with Granite Transformations products.

To learn more about how Granite Transformations can accommodate your home remodeling needs, schedule an in-home consultation with your nearby location now.