A conversation to have before you build
Before you commit
to your kitchen island.
Bring these questions to your builder or designer. Start with what the island needs to do, then work through the space and utility routes that make it possible.
01. Give the island a job.
- Choose the main use: prep, seating, a sink, or a cooktop.
- Talk through the trade-off. Seating takes more space. A sink or cooktop adds utility planning.
- Decide where appliances will go if the island is for prep only.
02. Walk the space around it.
- Tape the island footprint on the floor and walk your cooking routes.
- Allow for the people who cook together and the doors that need to open.
- If you want seating, agree on the overhang and counter height. Check the walkway with a stool in place.
03. Plan what goes under the floor.
- For a sink, confirm the supply, drain, and vent routes.
- For a cooktop, confirm power or gas and the ventilation path.
- Discuss outlet locations and pendant lighting with your electrician.
- On a slab foundation, settle under-floor utility routes before the concrete pour.
Keep the answer and the reason. Write down what you chose, what it affects, and what your builder needs to confirm before the work moves on.
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