In recent years, the kitchen island has evolved from a glamorous fantasy to an almost standard feature. Its presence in the kitchen space is strong and unequivocal. Containing everything you need for luxurious and convenient cooking, the enormous 3.4 or 5 metre island also faces guests. This time, the focus is not on the island itself, but on its upper part, an attractive addition strategically and prominently placed, which has become a stylish and chic blessing to the home.
“The island you choose, in terms of design and materials, will depend on your space, family size, budget, and usage characteristics. If you look closely, you'll see that the top of the island is a particularly prominent design element – a strong, beautiful storage element that complements the island's functionality, or a place to hang plants, pots, pans, and other cookware,” explains designer Kobi Halifa, owner and chief designer at ArtPro, a firm that specializes in ironwork and design.
Khalifa further explains: “Of course, it's important that the elements above the island are tailored to the home, are within reach and fit the design lines of the space, or are elements where you can place plants, which is always a plus.”
Khalifa cites as an example a kitchen designed by architect Yonatan Munchek, where above the kitchen is an ArtPro iron fixture designed for hanging pots and plants, made of iron and in keeping with the adjacent iron fixtures and the home's design style.
Interior designer Tal Gal of Tula Studio adds: “Over-island design elements are gaining momentum. They're not big, but they grab attention and create interest. They're unique, beautiful, intriguing and placed in strategic locations in public spaces to make them even more visible. They can be designed in a variety of materials, bespoke ironwork, aluminium, steel, as long as they don't look like a foreign object detached from the context of the space.”
