There's more to the design of this island than first meets the eye

An island has become the go-to design feature in today’s kitchens – its an ideal work surface, can double as a place for casual eating, and is the perfect divider between functional and relaxation zones of a home.

But there can be more behind the design of an island than first meets the eye.

When designer Morgan Cronin was asked to plan the kitchen for this home, the space he was allocated sat next to a living area with strongly architectural features – exposed board-formed concrete walls and fireplace, and an oak ceiling.

“It’s not a big house and I was limited as to how far I could push the kitchen into the living area,” says Cronin.

As result, he had to crimp some space by reducing the island depth to 1m instead of his usual 1.2m.

From here, he set out to give the island a simple but solid look, creating a stone box, which is underlit for extra impact.

“The stone slabs were 3.2m long, so I designed the island box to be 3m,” he says. 

“That’s also the exact length of the cooktop bench positioned on the kitchen’s back wall, giving the design a sense of symmetry.”

To create a dining area at the other end of the island, Cronin took a different approach to the usual extension of the top.

His solution was a table-like structure with a thick top raised slightly above the height of the island. This gives the seating area its own identity while adding another sense of solidity to the overall design.

Story by: New Zealand TIDA Kitchens

Photography by: Kallan MacLeod