Removing an Island Restores This Kitchen
This article was originally published on September 25, 2023; it was updated on October 5, 2023.
In well-planned kitchens, the island is a gathering point. But sometimes islands are isolating design elements. This was the situation Audrey Scheck, founder of Austin, Tex.-based Audrey Scheck Design encountered when she was retained to reimagine the functionality of this kitchen.
“We often find ourselves adding islands to kitchens, and this was the first time we had a client request to remove their island,” said Scheck. While the homeowners found the existing island didn’t support their lifestyle, they didn’t want to sacrifice the storage it provided.
Scheck’s solution was to transform the island into a peninsula. This improved the functionality of the kitchen and preserved its storage capacity, without changing the footprint of the space. The designer further expanded the storage by running the cabinets up to the ceiling, a move that had another benefit. “It makes the space appear larger by bringing your eye up to the ceiling,” said the designer.
With the layout of the kitchen established, Scheck focused on the ambiance of the room.
“Our clients lean towards a modern organic design aesthetic, which we brought to life by incorporating as many natural elements as possible.” She specified marble for the countertop and backsplash, along with wooden accents like floating shelves and an oak-sheathed vent hood. “The reeded hood is my favorite part of the kitchen design,” said Scheck. “It’s modern yet timeless, and balances the coolness of the marble.”
The designer also reworked the lighting plan to be more compatible with the organic style of the kitchen. The room had been lit by a grid of canister lights that was in keeping with its original quasi-industrial design. Scheck chose to supplement the ambient natural light in the reworked room by installing a double sconce above the floating shelves, a pendant fixture at the sink and lights built into the range hood.
—By Leslie Clagett, KBB managing editor
