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What Is Better: Kitchen Island or Kitchen Peninsula?

What Is Better: Kitchen Island or Kitchen Peninsula?

Thinking of renovating your kitchen and giving it a new look? Well, you need to consider some important factors. 

Kitchen renovation is not always about how well the kitchen functions and what layout it has been given. Rather, you ought to find the most classic and attractive kitchen interior design. Making a decision about adding a kitchen island or peninsula is a pivotal decision. In addition to expanding your kitchen’s functionality and flow, which option is best for your home?

In this article, our home interior design experts have shared some key tips along with a detailed difference between kitchen island and peninsula. Find the one that best fits the needs of your kitchen and enables it to be used to its full potential. As much time as you like together over a hot meal, we want to make sure your family feels comfortable here.

What Is a Kitchen Island?

There is nothing more classic and perennially popular in kitchen interior design than kitchen islands. With space surrounding the islands on all sides, kitchen islands are free-standing, just like the landmass. In open plan homes, this creates a spatial barrier between the kitchen and dining room while allowing for an uninterrupted flow of movement between the kitchen and the rest of the home. 

House at Wilkinson Road

In open plan homes, kitchen island creates a spatial barrier between the kitchen and dining room while allowing for an uninterrupted flow of movement between the kitchen and the rest of the home.

What Is a Kitchen Peninsula?

Unlike a free-standing installation with space around it, a peninsula extends the cabinets and counters in an existing kitchen. A kitchen peninsula is more suitable to be incorporated in a smaller space. can also act as a divider between the kitchen and dining or living room.

Source: 26GD House

A kitchen peninsula is more suitable to be incorporated in a smaller space. can also act as a divider between the kitchen and dining or living room.

So, How Can I Incorporate Kitchen Island and Kitchen Peninsula in My Home?

When incorporating a kitchen island or a kitchen peninsula in your residential interior design or commercial interior design, there are a couple of factors to consider. Here are a few simple questions to ask yourself when you are confused which one from the above-mentioned to choose from. 

1- How Much Kitchen Space Do You Have?

The decision between an island and a peninsula may be most influenced by the size of your kitchen. In a small kitchen, having an island is anything but practical. 

House at Wilkinson Road

In addition to being larger than peninsulas, kitchen islands also require more clearance space due to its four accessible sides. This is to retain the flow of movement and avoid a cramped area. These elements add to the overall space requirement for an island in a kitchen, especially when more than one person is using the space at the same time.

Source: 26GD House

Peninsulas don’t take up as much room as islands in an open kitchen. It is a go-to option if the kitchen space is limited. Just like a kitchen island, a kitchen peninsula can also double up as a breakfast counter or dining table and that is an added value to the space.

2 – What Are Your Design Preferences?

One of the benefits of having a kitchen island is allowing flexibility in the design theme. Having it installed physically away from the rest of the kitchen counter, a kitchen island can have a different style so that it can stand out from the rest of the area. The dissimilar finish of the cabinet will be less noticeable and that intention can make a kitchen island the main feature of the space.

A kitchen peninsula on the other hand, is an extension of the cabinet next to it, ideally the common approach is to have the same material application as what is applied to the rest of the cabinets. While both have their own strength, it still relies on homeowner preference. Ultimately you will be using the space more often and it is crucial to have what you love so that you will enjoy being in the space.

3 – How Easy Is It To Install Your Built-In Kitchen Appliances?

Kitchen Peninsula and Kitchen Island have different set-up for the primary kitchen appliances and electronics. It depends on your kitchen appliances location and their quantity. Though both set-up can be used to install your appliances, a kitchen peninsula will offer an easier solution. Gas pipe, electricity, water supply, and drainage lines are easier to connect, since one end abuts a wall or existing cabinets. On the contrary, having those pipes and wires installed in a kitchen island means having it buried under the floor that needs to be done during masonry and tiling works. Due to the more complicated preparation and work, this will lead us to the last but equally important point: COST. 

4- How Much Are You Willing To Invest In Your New Kitchen?

Based on the previous points to consider, generally a kitchen island will require a higher budget. Why? Because physically it has 4 exposed sides. It means more material usage and therefore more cost. In terms of size, typically a kitchen island will be either longer or deeper than a peninsula because it is standalone and does not require to follow the rest of kitchen cabinet depth. Hence, higher in cost. Lastly, the extensive work affected due to the location of a kitchen island that is away from the wall, requires longer pipe and wires to crawl underneath the flooring, therefore more material that leads to more budget involved.

Conclusion

While kitchen islands and peninsulas can both serve you well, you have got to make a decision which of the 2 are going to be suitable for you depending upon your physical space. We recommend that if you have got an oversized kitchen area, the Kitchen island could also be the right choice for you. If you have got a smaller kitchen area, the Kitchen peninsula offers the right solution.

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