By Hunter Boyce
From The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Kitchen islands have taken over the interior design scene for years now — perhaps too long. Some homeowners are starting their own trends by taking out their massive kitchen centerpieces and replacing them with new ideas.
Here are some of the best ways you can design a kitchen without installing an island.
Freestanding Table
Islands are great at providing additional kitchen counter space, but can make it for tight space in a busy kitchen. Rather than install an island in your kitchen, consider adding a free-standing table to the center of the cooking space.
“Islands can be cabinetry built right down to the floor to contain storage and appliances but this can create a somewhat bulky and over-fitted look so an alternative could be to use instead a table or a worktable,” Merlin Wright, design director at Plain English, told Homes and Gardens. “A dining table is seating height whereas a worktable is full-height. The advantage of the worktable is that it has the visual lightness of a table while the extra height allows space for generous drawers and maybe a slatted shelf for storing pans and platters below. Worktables can also be constructed with overhangs or empty bays for stools.”…