30X40 Design Workshop

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Designing a Long Kitchen Island

In this video I discuss design considerations for extra-long kitchen islands. We dig in to the benefits: added prep, seating, counter and storage space - among others. I also highlight special considerations: traffic flow, seams and more you'll want to pay attention to when designing a long island. As our kitchens have become more and more connected to our living spaces, they’ve changed from being solely utilitarian to being social gathering hubs. The island is often a central player in having a whole host of functions now, and the longer it is, the more function you can pack into it.

Typical kitchen islands range between 7 and 10 feet; the long islands in this video begin at 12 feet and they have definite advantages; however, they're not without a few special planning challenges.

Specifics covered: - Circulation - Clearances - Flexibility - Focus - Function - Spatial definition - Seating + dining - Materials