The island...

If you intend to transform your island into your culinary "headquarters" you will have to remember certain elements.
 

- a counter top made of a practical material, a cooking range and an oven are the base elements for cooking operations: organizing your island in this way, you will be able to slice, knead and cook with ample freedom of movement;

- the sink: it can help you wash and cut fresh fruit and vegetables while talking with guests. It's also useful for washing and stacking your plates after dinner;

- a space for fresh foods: to keep perishable ingredients like eggs, vegetables or milk within easy reach, you might think of adding a small refrigerator below the counter of your island;

- the right lighting is the element that completes your culinary paradise. You can use suspended lights or halogen spots to illuminate the surface and better see what you are doing.

If you decide to organize your island as a supplemental storage area, then don't forget to provide for spaces to put indispensable objects.

Plates, pots and pans can be stored on open shelves made just for that purpose (as in the photo, right) or enclosed in ample drawers.

According to your habits, you can reserve this supplementary storage space for additional elements that would not normally have a place in your kitchen: a mixer, a small wine cellar for drinks or small appliances like a toaster, ice cream maker or blender.

Often an island is used with the function of snack counter for informal dinners or for having breakfast or a quick lunch.
 

In that case you will need chairs or stools (as in the photo, left) where guests or family members will give life to social moments in the presence of the head of the household who can speak with the people present while he or she cooks.