Not Quite a Kitchen Island: The Kitchen Peninsula

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Nick Cohen • November 12, 2018

Peninsula vs. Island

In a few previous posts, we’ve discussed the benefits of remodeling a kitchen to use a layout with an island. The kitchen island is one of the most popular trends in current home design. But it’s not right for all kitchens and all kitchen remodeling in Los Angeles, CA. There’s no question a kitchen island is excellent, thanks to how it adds more work space, storage area, and makes a kitchen a more social room. But none of this matters if there isn’t the space available to make a kitchen island convenient. A kitchen peninsula can offer similar advantages and better fit the area.

A kitchen peninsula and kitchen island have the same basic benefits and purpose: provide more countertop space, seating space, and room for additional appliances. The difference is an island, like its name, stands free from the other counters and walls of the kitchen. A peninsula extends from the wall or the counters, so it only has three sides rather than four.

When a Peninsula Is Better

This is the big question to ask yourself and your building contractor. Islands have a huge appeal, and they are definitely trendy. But your kitchen is unique, and when making choices about how to make changes that will offer the most benefits, you can’t go with only trends. Here are some considerations that will help you decide between an island and a peninsula for your kitchen.

How Much Space? An island can offer more workspace in a kitchen, but it still must have easy passage on all sides. If an island ends up creating a pinch on any of its sides, it’s not a good idea for a remodel. The space between your refrigerator, the sink, and the cooking area—the “triangle” of the kitchen—needs to be the largest space in the kitchen. If placement of an island would shrink this too much, it’s not right for the kitchen. You won’t need to worry about making the measurements yourself: a good contractor can display exactly how much area you’ll have with an island and with a peninsula and which one works better.
How Do you Use Your Kitchen? Space isn’t the only consideration. Think about how you currently use your kitchen as well as how you want to use your kitchen. Also consider the layout of the rest of the house. For example, islands work best for more open layout homes, since an island exposes more of the kitchen to the adjacent areas. For more closed layouts, the island may not seem as appealing. If you like to entertain people, an island is better than a peninsula since it gives the cook easier access to people. But if you don’t use the kitchen as much of a social spot and prefer privacy when working there, a peninsula may be ideal. Think of how much of a border you want between the kitchen and the rest of the house, and this will solidify your thoughts on “island vs. peninsula.”

When you work with our kitchen remodeling experts, they’ll consider all the factors to see that you have the new kitchen you want.