There's more to the design of this island than first meets the eye

Space limitations and a response to the strong architectural setting both shaped the design of this kitchen – including its boldly dramatic island

While this kitchen by designer Morgan Cronin may

With limitations on how far the island could

This kitchen was designed to tie in with

LED lighting running beneath this island adds a

Designer Morgan Cronin aimed for a kitchen design

An island has become the go-to design feature in today’s kitchens – its an ideal work surface, can double as a place for casual eating, and is the perfect divider between functional and relaxation zones of a home.

But there can be more behind the design of an island than first meets the eye.

When designer Morgan Cronin was asked to plan the kitchen for this home, the space he was allocated sat next to a living area with strongly architectural features – exposed board-formed concrete walls and fireplace, and an oak ceiling.

“It’s not a big house and I was limited as to how far I could push the kitchen into the living area,” says Cronin.

As result, he had to crimp some space by reducing the island depth to 1m instead of his usual 1.2m.

From here, he set out to give the island a simple but solid look, creating a stone box, which is underlit for extra impact.

“The stone slabs were 3.2m long, so I designed the island box to be 3m,” he says.

“That’s also the exact length of the cooktop bench positioned on the kitchen’s back wall, giving the design a sense of symmetry.”

To create a dining area at the other end of the island, Cronin took a different approach to the usual extension of the top.

“I didn’t want to add another slab with a joint, plus I like any seating areas to be chunkier."

His solution was a table-like structure with a thick top raised slightly above the height of the island. This gives the seating area its own identity while adding another sense of solidity to the overall design.