bookcase kitchen island

Bookcase Kitchen Island - Put Some Thought Into Them

A bookcase kitchen island is for those who have more recipe books than pots and pans. . . and you know who you are.

Design ideas for kitchen islands and carts are practically unlimited these days, as having an island or cart is a popular option for most homeowners.

Still, designs most suitable for bookcase kitchen islands require a bit more thought.

Read Ahead

In truth, most kitchen islands and carts have storage shelves, some enclosed in cabinetry, where you can store foods, beverages, utensils, and appliances, but books are best kept on shelves not too deep and, for you aging babyboomers, not too low.

If your cooking style is a bit, shall we say, messy, you might want to store your books in enclosed cabinets or on shelves raised above the workspace on top.

Some island designs place a cabinet in the center with more shallow shelves along its outer sides.

Others have segmented shelving to accommodate different sized items.

Islands that are built as free-standing counters might have book shelves in their sides, as well.

Kitchen islands are easily customized or built custom-made, so design ideas can be up to you.

Kitchen islands are often used in modern open-space home designs to separate the cooking area from the eating area or to divide the kitchen space from living spaces.

The consequence is that islands often end up converting kitchen space into multi-use space where a book case is required for more than recipe and cooking books.

Unless your island has wheels and is moved out of the way after use, remember to plan for overhead lighting or under-shelf light so you can read at the island.

That also means you should plan ahead to ensure that safely-placed and well-located electrical connections and outlets are installed.

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