Add an Island for Kitchen Convenience

My husband and I keep talking about getting an island put into our kitchen. It's a big trek from the sink to the stove and there's wasted space in the center of the kitchen.

He does a lot of the cooking and would love having additional prep space convenient to the stove. He wouldn't have to compete with the toaster oven, the coffee pot and other space hoggers that narrow down our work areas in that room.

So we've been looking at model homes for ideas and measuring our space. Below are some of the ones we're considering. I hope soon to show the one we selected so there will be a finished project.

(photo of the Solivita model home taken by Virginia Allain)

Shown in the Solivita Model Home Park

The trend is clear for upscale retirement homes in Florida. Every few years, Solivita constructs new model homes (11 this year). They incorporate the most-requested features and this year every kitchen included a huge island. This is a must have for entertaining or just for comfortable daily living.

Picture yourself seated here with the newspaper and your morning cup of coffee.

(photo by Virginia Allain)

The black marble top on this kitchen island gives a sophisticated, contemporary look. It's one that's displayed in the Solivita retirement community in Florida. Notice how the black marble ties in with the trendy black glass tile on the wall.

Don't forget to add lighting above the island.

(photo by Virginia Allain)

We don't have the space in our existing kitchen for the spacious islands shown in the model home examples above. I need one that coordinates with the cabinets we already have. It needs to have plenty of storage space, which the one below does.

I'll probably have the top replaced with Corian to match my current counters. Butcher block might be useful as an alternate choice.