1. PLAY WITH DEPTH AND HEIGHT
When considering a kitchen peninsula, you need to really query whether you have space for one, and if not, reassess how you can make space. 'Kitchens need to be as functional as they are beautiful, and sacrificing floor space to fit an island will just give an awkward, uncomfortable look,' says Tom Howley.
2. GO FOR A STAND-OUT MATERIAL TO DRAW THE EYE
Kitchen countertops and kitchen cabinets do not have to match your peninsula. In fact, going for a contrasting color, stone or wood might make your peninsula pop all the more, helping it to standout from the kitchen design and making sure it is its own outright piece of beautiful furniture.
3. HANG PENDANTS ABOVE YOUR PENINSULA
Lighting is of crucial importance in the kitchen. As a practical space, you need it to be well-lit with a solid number of lights, but equally transformable come evening time when you want to create a cozy room, perfect for entertaining guests.
4. CREATE A PENINSULA THAT DOUBLES UP AS A BREAKFAST BAR
Your peninsula is a real space-saving tool, so consider how you can use the space you have to provide all you need in the kitchen area. 'Explore the option of doing something double depth,' advises Benji, 'so that you can get drawers storage (for example) one side of the peninsula and bar seating on the other.'
5. OR MAKE ROOM FOR A CUTE SEATING AREA
Here, the kitchen peninsula creates a snug space for a cozy nook. 'In my experience, one of the main reasons a client would want a peninsula or island would be to introduce a seating area,' says Jonathan Mickelborough of Tom Howley.
6. USE TWO CONTRASTING MATERIALS TO ADD INTEREST
Your peninsula needn't be one complete material on the kitchen countertop. Use two different materials that complement each other. In this instance, a San Simone quartzite worktop and the gleaming copper look beautiful together, and help the zones distinguish from each other.
7. CREATE A NEAT SPOT FOR BOOKS
Another space-saving kitchen idea for your storage is to pop all your cookbooks and coffee table reads on display at the end of your peninsula. It's a handy place for them all to sit, easily accessible and only means your peninsula has to jut out that little bit extra to accommodate your book selection.
8. GO CURVED
This handcrafted tambour kitchen is the work of Danish design studio and cabinetmakers Københavns Møbelsnedkeri, who created a bright sunshine yellow curved island to take center stage in this uplifting space and make for a colorful kitchen idea. ‘The cabinetry is painted in a warm and welcoming honey-mustard shade, which was created especially for the kitchen,’ say its designers, who collaborated with stone experts Made A Mano on the yellow stone countertop and tiles.
9. GO LUXE WITH NATURAL STONE
Solid surface peninsulas in one seamless material brings an impact and drama to your kitchen. Whether you choose a kitchen countertop material like quartz, or an incredible natural stone as in this kitchen by designers Studio Esteta, it brings a monolithic look that can help to simplify the design of an ambitiously minimalist kitchen.
10. TRY TILING
Pick a luxurious-looking tile to give your peninsula some sheen. In this Madrid home, the glazed green tiling has been used to express the heritage of the homeowners - who are Mexican and Galician. The Sierra + de la Higuera team mixed focused on vivid colours: bright yellows, greens, blues and reds, paired with materials like tiles, ceramics and fine wood. The idea of mixing gloss peninsula tiles with the matt kitchen floor tiles makes for a beautiful finish.