Martha’s Vineyard’s Rock Pond Kitchens Knows Islands

Who doesn’t love being on the islands?
Rock Pond Kitchens’ Paul Lazes can attest to that!
His architectural design and renovation company opened its doors to Martha’s Vineyard (in 2000) after 17 years in Manhattan.

Lazes perspective?
No kitchen should be without an island.

From a design point of view,
kitchen islands are an opportunity to break loose from the norm, experiment and be playful. Rarely, anymore, does anyone keep the same color and/or style of their island as compared to the remainder of their kitchen. At a bare minimum, it has become standard to at least change the color of the cabinets and counter material; and when a client is adventurous, the sky is the limit. Islands can be made of anything from industrial materials, converted antiques or fabricated out of weathered barn wood.

From a practical point of view,
there are two principal advantages of an Island:

1. increased working space and storage;
2. allowing your company to be with you, not simply near you.

Even if you have adequate workspace, it’s the island that creates intimacy. Having your company physically closer while sitting higher than a normal side chair has a definitive, positive effect.

“It’s the difference between sitting at a table in a bar versus sitting at the bar. There is no question to which is more fun…  I like to sit at the bar,” says Lazes.

Rule of Thumb

30” is the absolute minimum space around the perfect kitchen island.
Paul tries to keep no less than 36” and prefers 48” – this provides proper access to opening appliances and allows for easy passage between two people.
60” is his desired distance between wall cabinets and the island so there aren’t too many cooks in the kitchen, providing a comfortably shared workspace.

Stay away from islands of multiple levels – they don’t block out visibility to a messy kitchen and prevent the luxury of a clear, wide surface.

Lastly, island sinks are usually a bust; unless you have a very large island. Similarly, cooking appliances in an island are a last resort. The more beneficial islands are ones kept clear so homeowners have the luxury of spreading out while preparing meals, assisting your kids with homework, and conversing with guests – even if it’s all at once.

Learn more kitchen expertise from Rock Pond Kitchens or visit their showroom in Edgartown.