3 Apartment Kitchens with an Island, 3 Functional Styles
Wondering how an island can fit into a small kitchen without cramping your style? Take inspiration from these spaces
Not all kitchens have the luxury of a large open space to include a much-coveted feature – a kitchen island. But these three kitchens defy space limitations and prove that with clever planning, even small apartments can have a winning kitchen style, island and all. See how an island becomes the focal point in these three distinct setups.
Other wow features: “The cement screed finish for the wall was one of the things that the husband wanted. It gives the space an industrial feel,” the designers say. A multi-bulb pendant lamp also adds a striking statement to the space. Built-in appliances, plenty of storage, and a bar counter make this a fuss-free, well-equipped social zone.
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3. Transitional Hamptons-style
Designer: Country Concept
Location: Bishan
Homeowners’ request: A classic Hamptons-style kitchen, with Shaker-style cabinetry in a specific colour palette. The lady of the house was also particular about storage requirements.
Style shot: The main goal in this three-bedroom condo’s kitchen was to create a spacious area for cooking and prepping, that will also accommodate a creative workspace. “They demolished a bathroom and replaced it with a statement-making island,” Lane Zhang of Country Concept says. The design team also fulfilled the request of the owners to bring out the beauty of the woodgrain of the Shaker-style cabinetry by spray-painting two specific grey tones. “The wet and dry kitchens were in slightly different shades of grey, but blend together seamlessly,” says Zhang.
Designer: Country Concept
Location: Bishan
Homeowners’ request: A classic Hamptons-style kitchen, with Shaker-style cabinetry in a specific colour palette. The lady of the house was also particular about storage requirements.
Style shot: The main goal in this three-bedroom condo’s kitchen was to create a spacious area for cooking and prepping, that will also accommodate a creative workspace. “They demolished a bathroom and replaced it with a statement-making island,” Lane Zhang of Country Concept says. The design team also fulfilled the request of the owners to bring out the beauty of the woodgrain of the Shaker-style cabinetry by spray-painting two specific grey tones. “The wet and dry kitchens were in slightly different shades of grey, but blend together seamlessly,” says Zhang.
Other wow features: A full-height custom storage that wraps around most of the wall space. Compartments were precisely measured to fit everything from pantry supplies and baking trays, to art materials and wines. The fridge and cooking appliances were built into the customised cabinetry, while a tiered shelf conceals a door that leads to the service yard. The grey and white tile flooring with corner diamond pattern also effectively demarcates the wet kitchen from the rest of the wood-floored space.
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3. Modern minimalist
Designer: William Chan of Spacedge Designs
Location: Sengkang
Homeowners’ request: To veer away from the cookie-cutter approach of typical HDB flats, and to create extra storage space.
Style shot: Right in the middle of this four-room HDB is the nine-metre-long, 2.4-metre-wide, and 1.9-metre-high Wonder Box, which houses the TV console, bomb shelter, the air-conditioner ledge, two bathrooms, the kitchen, and wardrobe space. This art gallery-inspired, innovative approach to space planning allowed Chan to break away from the typical linear layout found in most apartment kitchens. He designed the stove and sink to sit within a boxy island, and incorporated open shelves for storage and display.
Other wow features: The monochrome palette coupled with matte reflective surfaces lend a cool, modern vibe to the compact kitchen. The adjacent cabinets that neatly hide kitchen equipment and pantry items also define the streamlined look.
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What are your favourite tips for designing a kitchen with an island? Share your ideas, photos and experiences in the Comments. Don’t forget to bookmark this story, save the photos and join in the conversation.
Designer: William Chan of Spacedge Designs
Location: Sengkang
Homeowners’ request: To veer away from the cookie-cutter approach of typical HDB flats, and to create extra storage space.
Style shot: Right in the middle of this four-room HDB is the nine-metre-long, 2.4-metre-wide, and 1.9-metre-high Wonder Box, which houses the TV console, bomb shelter, the air-conditioner ledge, two bathrooms, the kitchen, and wardrobe space. This art gallery-inspired, innovative approach to space planning allowed Chan to break away from the typical linear layout found in most apartment kitchens. He designed the stove and sink to sit within a boxy island, and incorporated open shelves for storage and display.
Other wow features: The monochrome palette coupled with matte reflective surfaces lend a cool, modern vibe to the compact kitchen. The adjacent cabinets that neatly hide kitchen equipment and pantry items also define the streamlined look.
See more of this home
TELL US
What are your favourite tips for designing a kitchen with an island? Share your ideas, photos and experiences in the Comments. Don’t forget to bookmark this story, save the photos and join in the conversation.
Designers: Alvin Ling and Krays Lee of The Scientist
Location: Upper Serangoon
Homeowners’ request: An open space to entertain in, allowing interaction while prepping food. They also wanted different zones in the home to be delineated by varied floor tiles.
Style shot: The designers knocked down an existing kitchen wall to open up the space. Doing so allowed the kitchen dominated by art tiles to shine and immediately capture attention upon entering this five-room HDB flat. Despite the busy-looking tiles on the floor and backsplash, the coordinated colour scheme grounds the entire look. They were also able to fit in a large enough island with a Caesarstone countertop, which is a cool hangout, extra dining space, and versatile storage all rolled into one.