One of the fun things about creating content for the Wellborn Blog is that there are so many wonderful tidbits to share with you. A few weeks we had been sharing Island Designs with Wellborn Cabinetry found on the popular remodeling site www.houzz.com. We found tons of “Unbelievable” designs created with our cabinetry by designers all over the United States and we were very proud to share those with you. For our last post on the series of Islands I wanted to share inspiration with hand drawn perspectives created by one of our Wellborn Cabinet designers. To help you decide your island taste…. layout needs…. space allowances…. etc. So we hope this helps you a little in your island creations.
Island One: A balanced design on the island sink side with the legs on each side – Are furniture legs important to you? Is is important to have areas to display items or will you need hidden storage? Seating at bar height on the back of the island – Is it important for you to have seating at the island? Does your family plan for this to be a gathering spot? The raised bar is a nice touch to hide the sink activity from the hallway coming into the kitchen.
Island Two: Another balanced design with a raised seating area that shields the island cooking activity from the rest of the home or kitchen space. The raised seating – eating area protects the island dwellers from the cooktop activity to a point. Several things to notice with this design – Storage, Storage and Storage but still with design accents that create a nice design from the column with the corbel, base moulding and the required hood with a decorative onlay.
Island Three: Movable Table design with butcher block countertop, minimal storage but “right in reach” display storage at bottom.
Island Four: favorite design of all time – why? This island could be used in almost every space of your home it’s mobile and just enough space to work on and just enough storage with your extra utensils, extra oven mitts and even a space for extra bowls or pans right when you need them. 
Island Five: This island rocks – Storage (hidden and decorative) design details like the corbels and base moulding, a full sink and seating for dining!
A few quick things to remember when designing an island:
1. Know your structure – if you are wanting a sink or dishwasher in your island design make sure plumbing is possible. If you are wanting a cooktop and needing a hood or choosing a downdraft cooktop make sure that is ample room for exhaust either above or below the island.
2. Seating: Try out the three levels of seating that people use at islands: Table, Island and Bar Height. Really think about multi-users, aging in place and what feels most natural to your family. I personally love a kitchen to have a mix of seating heights to accommodate anyone who might be in the kitchen.
3. The Island is an excellent place to show a “little” personality, a “little” pop of color and a whole lot of love!
