Many people are familiar with this scenario: you’re standing in the kitchen, everyone else is sitting in the living room – and somehow you don’t really feel part of the conversation. A kitchen with a cooking island solves exactly that. It puts cooking at the heart of the home. A new kitchen becomes a place where people meet, cook together and enjoy spending time. The spatial concept changes, and with it, everyday life.
Table of contents:
A modern kitchen with a cooking island – the heart of your home
Anyone building a house or furnishing a larger flat thinks about the kitchen early on – and usually ends up with the same wish: open, spacious, and integrated into the living space. A modern kitchen with a cooking island far exceeds this. It gives the kitchen area a clear focal point without closing off the room. You can cook whilst still being part of what’s happening all around you.
In open-plan kitchens, the kitchen island is the element that holds everything together: this is where food is prepared, where meals are eaten, and where people chat. At Sunday breakfast, everyone sits at the island. During the week, it provides space for the children to do their homework, whilst jam is being made next to it. When guests come round, the island is the most natural way to arrange the kitchen – you stand behind it and are right in the thick of things, not cut off.
The latest trends show that many people’s dream kitchen looks exactly like this: a clean-lined design, high-quality materials, and a cooking island as the defining feature. The modern design remains understated and timeless – not just a passing fad, but suitable for many years to come.
But a kitchen with a cooking island isn’t just visually appealing – it also changes the way you cook. If you enjoy baking, you need space. If you cook with your partner, you need room for two people side by side. Kitchen islands offer exactly that: extra worktop space that makes an immediate difference in everyday life. Instead of crowding around the kitchen units, you have space – and you’ll soon notice the difference.
Then there’s the additional storage capacity. Base cabinetry, drawers for cooking tools, a shelf that’s always within easy reach – a well-planned kitchen island is a real space-saving marvel. Worktops are available in a variety of materials, depending on how the space is used and its style. Those who cook a lot will appreciate a robust, easy-to-clean surface. Those who prioritise aesthetics will find natural stone or ceramic a beautiful solution.
In short: a kitchen island enhances the kitchen – both in terms of functionality and as a place where you enjoy spending time.
At the same time, the question arises as to how much space is actually required. A freestanding island needs sufficient space – both for the unit itself and for the space to move around it. As a general rule of thumb, a kitchen island can be integrated effectively in a space of at least 15 square metres. The floor plan is just as important as the structural conditions. In large rooms, the island functions particularly well as a freestanding element: it provides the kitchen area with a focal point without making the room feel cramped. In smaller kitchens, it’s worth taking a closer look. Sometimes a narrower kitchen island is sufficient. Sometimes a more compact kitchen unit is a better fit – and yet you can still achieve much of what an island offers.
If there isn’t enough space for a freestanding island, there are well-thought-out alternatives: a U-shaped kitchen makes optimal use of wall space and creates plenty of worktop, whilst an L-shaped kitchen is well suited to open-plan layouts. A G-shaped kitchen can also make very efficient use of the available space.
If there is sufficient space, the focus shifts to the practical planning. The shape of the kitchen determines how the island can be integrated effectively. U-shaped or L-shaped kitchens are particularly well-suited because the island complements the existing workflow without interrupting it.
There are a few things to consider when it comes to electrical appliances. A hob can be easily integrated into the island – or a sink with a washbasin, if you prefer to have a view of the room whilst washing up. If you’re planning an induction hob on the island, you’ll need a suitable extractor: island hoods hang visibly from the ceiling and are often a design feature in their own right. A downdraft extractor, on the other hand, operates directly next to the hob – out of sight and space-saving. Both options work well, depending on the room height and personal taste.
It is important to plan the necessary connections for water and electricity in the floor at an early stage – this is one of the most common aspects that is underestimated when planning an island. Die Küchenplanung von Schubiger helps to tackle such issues correctly right from the start.
Schubiger supports you from the initial idea through to the finished result and helps ensure that all technical details are taken into account at an early stage.
As well as functionality, socialising also plays an important role – and this is perhaps the strongest argument in favour of a kitchen island. A cooking island with a counter creates a natural gathering place: guests sit on one side, whilst cooking takes place on the other. People chat, listen to music, drink a glass of wine – cooking together takes on a different quality. You’re right in the thick of things, not behind a closed door. This is exactly what many people planning an open-plan kitchen with a kitchen island describe: they don’t want cooking to mean retreating. They want the kitchen not to be a workspace, but a place where people meet. Social gatherings happen not in spite of the kitchen, but because of it. Kitchen islands can be designed in many different ways – from a simple fitted kitchen with an integrated island, through bespoke solutions from a joinery workshop, to show kitchens that can be purchased as they are. Kitchen brands now offer a wide range of choices for fronts, worktops and materials, ensuring the kitchen island truly suits the home. If you wish, you can start by researching and getting an idea online – and then finalise the details during a consultation. After all, a good kitchen design always begins with a clear vision of how you want to live in it.
Ueberlandstrasse 423
8051 Zürich
Tel. 044 325 25 50
Our opening hours
Mo-Fr: 10.00-20.00
Sa: 09.00-18.00
Pick-up warehouse
Mo-Fr: 10.00-19.00
Sa: 09.00-17.00
Pumpwerkstrasse 50
CH-8105 Regensdorf
Tel. 044 871 25 50
Our opening hours
Mo-Fr: 10.00-20.00
Sa: 09.00-18.00
Pick-up warehouse
Mo-Fr: 10.00-19.00
Sa: 09.00-17.00
Our opening hours
Mo-Fr: 10.00-20.00
Sa: 09.00-18.00
Pick-up warehouse
Mo-Fr: 10.00-19.00
Sa: 09.00-17.00
