What every kitchen needs… In the heart of these homes, everything revolves around a functional and sociable island!
Island style
• Two different materials were used for the island’s countertop: stainless steel where cooking takes place and an attractive oak finish for the dining section. • The gas hob is integrated into the stainless-steel countertop, making cleaning easy. • Although the 3m x 1.5m island doesn’t have a water supply, there is a plumbed prep bowl to the left and a sink at the back. • Two oversized pendants (700mm D) provide ample light for cooking and create lovely pools of light that add to the ambience in this sociable kitchen. The standard height for pendants above an island is 800mm, but serious cooks may prefer them to be about 50mm lower, says Micke Fourie of Home’s new online design service Welcome Home. “If your family members are all tall, or the ceiling is very high, the pendants can be suspended up to 1 000mm above the island,” he explains. By Shané Barnard • Photographs Francois Oberholster, Henrique Wilding and Elza Cooper Styling Marian van Wyk, Henrique Wilding and Amanda van Wyngaardt
