Selecting the right granite countertop shape and style for kitchen islands
Making sure that you choose the right shape granite countertops for your kitchen island is crucial. This relates to how you will move around the kitchen itself, how you will use the space and what size of granite countertop you will need to order.
Getting this wrong can result in you having an awkward kitchen that is difficult to cook in – and who wants that when you’ve got a big Tennessee BBQ to prepare?
Where to place your kitchen island
The first consideration should be placement. No matter what size or shape you choose, you’re going to need to get around the kitchen island efficiently. An ideal aisle size, created by the distance between the kitchen countertops and the island, for a single cook, is 42 inches. If two cooks are in your family you’ll be better off with 48 inches. This extra six inches is to keep butts from bumping as you move between your island and kitchen countertops.
Choosing the right size for your kitchen countertop island
Finding a size that works for your kitchen is tough. You must consider proportion as a large kitchen countertop island becomes an obstacle, rather than a help. A small kitchen countertop island becomes useless in a hurry. The common rule of thumb is to make sure that it is the same width as the counter, and that it maintains the 42 or 48 inch aisle all the way around the other kitchen countertops.
Shape of the kitchen countertop island itself
Most people will opt for a standard four sided square or rectangle shape. This is all that is possible in most closed off kitchens. If your kitchen has a more open plan, you can start bringing in angles to help close off the kitchen space, while still having the open feel provided by not having walls.
Think about how L, V, Y and U shapes can fit in your open plan home. These interesting shapes may be more costly to build, and will make for some interesting granite top cuts, but they give the benefit of added shelves, drawers, towel racks and – most importantly – wine racks.
Once you have started to finalise the size of your kitchen island, start taking a look at the granite countertops that we have on offer at our Nashville location. You’ll be sure to find one that will fit your vision – in size, shape and color – as we typically have over 60 choices on offer!
