Kitchen island design ideas not only include choosing the right look for your kitchen but choosing the correct size for your floor plan and the correct features to satisfy your needs.

Fortunately, because 80% of all home buyers consider kitchen islands to be essential, manufacturers offer islands in a design and style to suit nearly every taste.

You don't have to be a new home buyer to consider a kitchen island, though.

Older homes with awkward kitchen floor plans or oversized kitchens, apartments with limited or open-space design, or renovated kitchens with odd dimensions may all inspire a kitchen island design idea that will benefit the overall design.

A Style For Every Size

The dimensions of a kitchen are an overriding concern in choosing a kitchen island. Large islands are very helpful in creating a cooking 'room' within the room that separates the cooking area from the eating area.

Additional options like breakfast bars and installed appliances can help achieve the 'triangle' design of sink-stove-refrigerator that is considered one of the top kitchen design ideas.

Apartments and condominiums with open-space design can use a larger kitchen island to divide the kitchen area from other living areas.

Some kitchen islands are wheeled and can be moved between meals to convert needed space into multi-use areas.

Smaller islands are very versatile, particularly if wheeled, and can be used where large islands won't fit; often two small islands work better than one large island.

Islands are available in many styles and designs that are sure to complement your own design ideas.

Contemporary, Traditional, American Folk and French Country, Avant Garde or Hip, and others are all popular styles.

Many kitchen islands are wooden and use Northern Maple, Red Oak, Poplar, Birch, and plantation-grown exotic woods, but others are constructed of stainless steel, some combining wood with stainless steel.

Island tops are usually hard wood, granite or marble, stainless steel, or butcher block, which is usually Hardrock Maple fastened end or edge grain to prevent cracking and warping.

Steve Ecclestone is webmaster at Kitchen Island Ideas