Kitchens are becoming our key social spaces. If you have space for planning an island or peninsula in the kitchen, this keeps the space social and open. It allows you to face into the room where you can chat to guests as you cook. To facilitate cooking on the island there are many solutions available. A Venting Hob for example, combines both a sleek induction hob with powerful ventilation, creating a sleek unobtrusive installation. Other surface based options available are a Glass draft hood that is combined with an Induction hob meaning a sleek look and only pops up out of the counter when the hood is in use.

Firstly, you need to think about how you will use your kitchen island. Having a kitchen island is not just about aesthetics. It needs to be incorporated as part of your kitchen triangle, meaning your main appliances should be positioned in a way that represent an efficient kitchen workspace. Therefore your kitchen island needs to consider the other elements within your kitchen design, so that there is an optimal blend between aesthetics and functionality.

The next step is to think about size, shape and colour. First of all, ensure your kitchen island isn't too big or too small and is proportionate to the rest of your kitchen design. This reduces the amount of wasted space within your kitchen, and also ensures there is adequate space between your kitchen island and other appliances.

Shape and colour are also important, as your kitchen island needs to compliment the kitchen design rather than dominate it. Therefore, while you can definitely add shaping and colours that add complexity, try to consider the bigger picture, which is the kitchen look and feel as a whole.

Kitchen islands bring you closer to your friends, family and your cooking. Your kitchen island often becomes the creative centre of the kitchen.The secret to creativity is to keep the focus on cooking, using our quiet but powerful extraction hood to ensure no blockers including noise or steam.