- #1 - The island is a magnet for mess
- #2 - Appliances look awkward on the island
- #3 - The cat will call it home
- #4 - It kills the conversation
- #5 - No one sits at the island
American films always tend to romanticize the idea of a kitchen island and soon it becomes every homeowner’s dream to have one.
That dream can quickly become a nightmare. If you think you are going to have cozy nights every evening and drink wine with your partner while you cook, think again.
It always represents space, luxury, intimacy, but no one talks about the real problems that it brings along with it.
Here are 5 reasons why you should reconsider the kitchen island idea because, to be completely frank, it isn’t as loved as you think it might be:
#1 – The island is a magnet for mess
You literally just clean it a second ago and you can already see the mess piling up once again.
An island is a non-stop cleaning activity and this is something that you really want to avoid.
It is almost as if its natural instinct is to be clutter with, well, clutter. How easy is it to come into the kitchen and throw the newspaper, the bills, your bag, and other rubbish onto the island?
Your kitchen will go from a pristine escape where you can enjoy cooking to something you want to avoid completely.
#2 – Appliances look awkward on the island
The main counters of the house usually serve as a place for the stove, the sink, and the microwave.
You would think that having a kitchen island would give you more room for the smaller appliances you always have to take out and pack away.
However, once you start packing things onto the kitchen island, everything is on view – including the wires. This makes for a very awkward, not to mention messy look.
Even if you have everything arranged in a neat sequence, it will still be the focal point of the kitchen which could ruin the whole atmosphere.
#3 – The cat will call it home
Cats love jumping on things and as it is, many cats enjoy walking around on normal counters in a kitchen.
The kitchen island will only be a new place for the cat to jump on and sleep.
If you have an open kitchen, it is going to be very tricky trying to keep your little kitty out of there.
Before you know it she will be licking the plates clean after licking herself or worse – she’ll catch her own dinner outside and bring it onto the island to enjoy!
#4 – It kills the conversation
This problem usually has to do with the open plan of the kitchen once you have a kitchen island.
If you are entertaining and you have to make snacks, there is nothing better than cooking whilst your friends chat with you.
A kitchen island, however, kills the conversation. When you are working on it, the food you are preparing becomes the focus and everyone stops talking.
So, yes, you get your dream of being a homemade Jamie Oliver and you might feel like you are on a cooking show but your guests might not always appreciate that.
#5 – No one sits at the island
This brings us back to the fantasy of having your partner sitting opposite you or your children doing homework whilst you are busy cooking but honestly, no one is going to sit there.
The stools are never comfortable and if people are sitting there it only means that you are busy whipping something up (see ‘It kills the conversation’).
And this means that everyone is watching you. No secretly licking the spoon or breaking cheese with your hands. Who wants that type of pressure?
Even though kitchen islands can be beautiful, reconsider it when you renovate your home.
