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Interior Design vocabulary · Kitchens & Bathrooms

Kitchen island

Meaning in interior design, with examples

/ˈkɪtʃɪn ˌaɪlənd/nounCore term

In interior design, kitchen island means: A freestanding block of cabinets with a worktop in the middle of a kitchen, used for preparing food, for storage and often for casual meals.

In Turkish: mutfak adası, ada

How it is used

A popular request in open-plan homes. An island may contain a sink or hob and have an overhang for bar stools. Designers check the clearance around it; about a metre on each side is a common minimum for comfortable movement.

Example sentences

  1. The kitchen island has a sink, a dishwasher and seating for three.

  2. There isn't enough clearance for a kitchen island here; a peninsula would work better.

Common collocations

  • kitchen island with seating
  • island unit
  • island hob
  • pendants over the island
  • work triangleThe imaginary triangle between the sink, the hob and the fridge in a kitchen, used as a guide so that the cook can move between them easily.
  • worktopThe flat, hard surface on top of kitchen cabinets where food is prepared, made of materials such as quartz, granite, laminate or wood.
  • clearanceThe free space needed around furniture, fittings and doors so that people can move, sit, open drawers or use appliances comfortably and safely.
  • open-planDescribes a space where several areas, such as the kitchen, dining and living room, share one large room without walls between them.

More terms: Kitchens & Bathrooms

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