No Room for a Kitchen Island? Add a Kitchen Peninsula!
A kitchen island is a popular item on many homeowner’s kitchen wishlists. But what if you don’t have the floor space in your kitchen to devote to a kitchen island? Consider a kitchen peninsula. If you’re looking for ways to add more counter space, storage, and functionality to your kitchen, a kitchen peninsula might be the perfect design solution. Today, we will discuss what makes a kitchen peninsula, the historical evolution of the peninsula and where it is heading, the benefits of a kitchen peninsula, and tips & considerations for designing one for your home. Let’s get started!

Photography by Kristin George of Dotted Comma.
What is a Kitchen Peninsula?
So what exactly makes a kitchen peninsula a ‘peninsula’? The dictionary defines the word peninsula as “a piece of land that is surrounded by water on three sides but remaining connected to the mainland.” In the kitchen, a peninsula has the same concept but refers to the cabinetry and countertops instead of pieces of land. Think of the floor as water and the cabinetry as the land mass. A kitchen peninsula typically contains cabinetry and countertops, surrounded on three sides by open floor space but connected to either the adjacent countertop or a wall on one end. Where a kitchen island gets its name as an island because it is completely disconnected from the ‘mainland’ (the main cabinetry of the kitchen), with floor space on all 4 sides and no connection to the main set of cabinets or a wall.

Dura Supreme kitchen design by Boyer Building Corporation, Minnesota. Photography by Mark Ehlen of Ehlen Creative Communications.
The History of the Kitchen Peninsula
Today, the kitchen is one of the most beautiful and desirable features of a home, but that wasn’t always the case. For centuries, the kitchen was a less desirable room that had hot uncomfortable fires, was busy, full of bulky equipment, and was not a place where guests would gather. Food prep and dining were very separate tasks. As exciting new cooking technologies became available, food prep became easier, cleaner, less labor-intensive, and more comfortable. We began rethinking the designs of these spaces and these new tools and convenient cooking spaces were seen as luxuries. The kitchen quickly transformed into the welcoming, heart of the home we know it as today.

Before the invention of gas and electric cooking, cast iron ranges were common.
As these lifestyle evolutions took place, the kitchen began opening up to the rest of the home. Small pass-throughs on kitchen walls started to appear, allowing the cook to communicate and see their family and guests while they prepared meals. Soon followed the removed walls and addition of kitchen peninsulas.
Kitchen Peninsulas of the Past
Early kitchen peninsula designs featured wall cabinets installed above the peninsula bases. Often, they were the same height as the perimeter wall cabinets, creating a little eighteen-inch open space to the dining side, which gave a kind of closed-off from the rest of the room feeling.

An old-fashioned kitchen design with a small pass-through from the kitchen into the dining room. (Photo from www.realtor.com)

An old-fashioned kitchen design with a peninsula with ceiling-hung upper cabinets. (Photo from www.realtor.com)
Kitchen Peninsulas of Today
Over time, the peninsula wall cabinets became shorter, and it seems that now they have disappeared completely, leaving just the base cabinets. Today’s modern kitchen peninsula uses primarily base cabinets. The ceiling-hung peninsula cabinets have become a thing of the past.
How to Enhance A Kitchen Layout with a Peninsula
For many years, the kitchen peninsulas have been a popular design element within G-Shaped, L-Shaped, U-Shaped, and even the Galley Kitchen Layout designs. Peninsula cabinet layouts can be either a continuation of the base cabinets along the wall extending the kitchen or creating an L-Shape, or they can be an independent run of cabinets that attach to a wall extending the kitchen layout.
The Benefits of a Kitchen Peninsula
There are countless benefits to adding a peninsula to your kitchen, let’s explore them.
Extending the Kitchen Floor Plan with a Peninsula
Adding a kitchen peninsula is an easy way to transform or expand the layout of your kitchen. For example, a Galley or a Straight Wall kitchen layout can be extended longer in length or transformed into an L-Shaped layout with the help of a kitchen peninsula.

This Single-wall kitchen layout was extended into a larger Galley kitchen layout with the addition of the kitchen peninsula. Design by Bath Plus Kitchen, Virginia.

This L-Shaped kitchen design was transformed into a U-Shaped kitchen with the addition of a kitchen peninsula. Dura Supreme kitchen design by Boyer Building Corporation, Minnesota. Photography by Mark Ehlen of Ehlen Creative Communications.
In the kitchen pictured below, the homeowners wanted to increase the size of their kitchen without moving any walls and desperately needed more storage. The designer added a small peninsula to extend the kitchen just a few feet further into the extra-wide walkway. This provided the homeowners three wide drawers of additional storage and created a handy dropzone space near the front door.

Dura Supreme kitchen design by Hahka Kitchens & Hahka Builders, Inc. in Goleta, California.

Dura Supreme kitchen design by Hahka Kitchens & Hahka Builders, Inc. in Goleta, California.
Peninsulas Add Storage and Functionality
Peninsula cabinets can be accessed from three sides, two sides. or just the kitchen side with a panel covering the back and end cap. Kitchen peninsulas are a popular place to incorporate kitchen appliances, sinks, and/or seating at either counter height or bar height. It all depends on the available space and how you want your kitchen to function. This space can be designed to accommodate seating and can be used for dining, entertaining, and even a casual workplace for plugging in a laptop or working on homework. Another popular choice is to use the peninsula space as the cooktop space to make it easy for the chef of the home to face into the living area and socialize with the rest of the household while preparing a meal.

This kitchen peninsula is multi-functional. It functions as the cooking zone, seating for two, a beautiful space to display decor, and storage for kitchen necessities.
Add Counter space to the Kitchen
Who doesn’t want more counter space? A kitchen peninsula is a fantastic way to make this popular wishlist item a reality.
Peninsula Kitchen can Redirect Traffic
For a high-traffic kitchen, a peninsula might be the best choice for directing the flow of traffic away from busy work zones. For example, if the chef of the home loves to prep elaborate meals and needs a large workspace for food prep and access to a sink, it might be best to place a peninsula rather than an island to close in the highly used workspace to help drive traffic of others in a home away from that area and out of the chef’s way.
See how, in the kitchen below, the chef can get to work at the counter space with easy access to the sink, while others in the family can walk past or visit the fridge without entering the workspace area near the sink.

Dura Supreme kitchen design by Backdrop Interior Design LLC, in Gilford, New Hampshire. Photography by Flylisted.

Dura Supreme kitchen design by Backdrop Interior Design LLC, in Gilford, New Hampshire Photography by Flylisted.
Suitable for Small to Large Kitchens
No matter how big or small your kitchen is, you can still add more to your kitchen with peninsula cabinets.

This small kitchen design is packed with storage and functionality. The kitchen island houses the dishwasher and several drawers of storage as well as comfortable seating for two.
Dura Supreme kitchen design by Holzman Interiors in Stamford, Connecticut, featuring the Tempo-Vertical door style in “Drifted Oak” Textured TFL.

This spacious kitchen design features a long, L-shaped peninsula with comfortable seating for eight!
Dura Supreme kitchen design by Anissa Swanzy of SKD Studios, Newport Beach, California, featuring the Hudson door style in White paint and Metro-Vertical door style in Walnut with a “Morel” stain.
Define A Room or Create a Divider
Open-concept floor plans are a popular home design choice, yet it can be challenging to define the different areas. If you love an open floor plan but still want some definition to the different living areas (I.E. the dining room, living room, kitchen, home office, etc.) consider adding a peninsula to define the space.
In both of these two kitchens pictured below, the peninsula helps break the kitchen into two different zones: the kitchen work zone for cooking and the eat-in-kitchen dining room for entertaining. Both dining sides of these kitchens feature dishware & glassware storage for place settings, a hidden beverage center, and storage for board games. Having a secondary area of the kitchen like this creates the perfect place for entertaining the masses or for hosting family game night!

Dura Supreme kitchen design by Bath Plus Kitchen in Alexandria, Virginia.

Dura Supreme kitchen design by Bath Plus Kitchen in Alexandria, Virginia.

Dura Supreme kitchen design by Aaron Mauk of Mauk Cabinets by Design in Tipp City, Ohio.

Dura Supreme kitchen design by Aaron Mauk of Mauk Cabinets by Design in Tipp City, Ohio.
This kitchen peninsula pictured below provides additional counter space for the kitchen and additional storage for the dining room. It also helps define the kitchen from the dining room as separate spaces while still keeping the room open where a wall would close up the space.
Dura Supreme Cabinetry design by Helena Steele of Golden Gate Kitchens, California. Photography by Christoph
A kitchen peninsula doesn’t have to be a straight rectangle. Adding some shape to the peninsula cabinets can help restructure the size and shape of the kitchen floor plan. Here are two great examples of kitchen peninsulas that redefine the shape of the kitchen.

This angled kitchen peninsula with a circular end helps define the unique shape of this kitchen and ties the dining room into the kitchen floor plan to save space. Dura Supreme kitchen design by Dondi Szombatflavy of Bella Domicile, Wisconsin. Photography by S. Photography.

This kitchen peninsula adds a ton of storage, a dining space, a kitchen sink, and a dishwasher. Dura Supreme kitchen design by Dondi Szombatflavy of Bella Domicile, Wisconsin. Photography by S. Photography.
This arched kitchen peninsula bumps the kitchen floor plan out a little further to add more storage, seating, and functionality to the room.

Dura Supreme kitchen design by Creative Kitchen Designs, Inc. in Anchorage, Alaska.

Dura Supreme kitchen design by Creative Kitchen Designs, Inc. in Anchorage, Alaska.
The Peninsula Can Be A Beautiful Focal Point
A peninsula doesn’t have to be boring. It can be designed to be a beautiful centerpiece to the design. If you are looking at dressing up your peninsula design consider using a contrasting cabinet finish, style the endcap, add decorative panels or shiplap below the seating area, or add decorative details like columns, corbels, or turned posts.

This peninsula is accented with navy blue shiplap to create a beautiful point of interest as you enter the kitchen. Design by Kristen Peck of Knight Construction Design, Inc. in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Photography by Mark Ehlen of Ehlen Creative.

This peninsula features beadboard details, a decorative corbel bracket, and a 2-tiered countertop. These final touches are what elevate this design. Dura Supreme Cabinetry kitchen design by Jenny Rausch of Karr Bick Kitchen & Bath in Brentwood, Missouri. Photography by Studio 10S.

There is so much detail to this piece of cabinetry! The end cap on this kitchen peninsula features a farmhouse inspired X-end with decorative columns, while the seated area features a shiplap panel.

This kitchen peninsula features a light coastal blue painted finish to contrast the white cabinetry of the rest of the kitchen and create an intriguing splash of color to the design. Dura Supreme kitchen design by Happy Home Services in Port Charlotte, Florida.
Peninsula Cabinets Are Not Just for Kitchens!
A peninsula can be used throughout the home to optimize a space. I’ve seen peninsula cabinets used in everything from laundry rooms, bathrooms, home offices, wet bars, living rooms, dining rooms, and much more. Here are a few of my favorite examples…

Dura Supreme peninsula cabinets are used in this entertainment room to add seating for the wet bar. Design by Revival House in the Twin Cities, Minnesota.

Dura Supreme peninsula cabinets are used in this dining room to separate the space from the main walkway through the home. Design by Cyclone Contracting in Ames, Iowa.

Dura Supreme peninsula cabinets are used in a wet bar in a basement living room. Design by Michelle Verrill of Kitchen & Bath Galleries in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Is a Peninsula Right for Your Kitchen?
While a kitchen peninsula is not exactly the same as the ever-so-popular kitchen island, it does have its advantages. Peninsulas don’t have space requirements that a typical kitchen island does and with the accessibility only on three sides, it can function as a sort of barrier keeping the traffic flow out of the main work area while still providing the extra prep and storage space. They can be the perfect solution for achieving an open floorplan in a smaller kitchen. After seeing these kitchen designs you may discover a kitchen peninsula is at the top of your kitchen wish list!
Dura Supreme Cabinetry design by Jenny Rausch of Karr Bick Kitchen & Bath in Brentwood, Missouri. Photography by Studio 10S.
Start the conversation with a Dura Supreme cabinet designer to learn more about configuring the best kitchen layout and peninsula placement in your home by contacting/visiting your local Dura Supreme Showroom today.
Looking for more kitchen peninsula ideas? Explore the photo gallery below by clicking the arrows to find more inspiration for your kitchen peninsula, or browse through our Inspiration Gallery.

Kitchen design by Ruby Pessotti at Interiors Unlimited in Fort Meyers Beach, Florida featuring Dura Supreme’s Alpine door style in the “White Barn” Laminate for the wall cabinets and the Reese door style in the “Alabaster” stain on Quarter-Sawn White Oak for the base cabinets. Photography by Jay Gonzalez Photography.

This luxurious, lofty kitchen features glimmery hints of brushed brass with Dura Supreme’s full-access Bria Cabinetry in the Moda-Vertical door style in “Poppy Seed” stain on Maple contrasted with a custom Laminate on the Alpine slab door style.

Kitchen design by Anissa Swanzy of SKD Studios, Newport Beach, California.

Kitchen design by Anissa Swanzy of SKD Studios, Newport Beach, California.

Dura Supreme kitchen design by Gwen Adair of Cabinet Supreme by Adair LLC in Wisconsin. Photography by Ryan Hainey.

This kitchen remodel features Dura Supreme’s Allura slab cabinet door style in “Grey Gloss” Acrylic and the Camden door in the “Pebble” stain on Red Oak.

Dura Supreme kitchen design by Pinnacle Design in Michigan. Photography by Johnson Photography.

Kitchen design by CairnsCraft Design & Remodel in San Diego, California featuring a rustic Weathered finish from Dura Supreme on the base and peninsula cabinets.

This Dura Supreme kitchen was designed by Brookwood Cabinet Company, Inc. in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Kitchen design by House to Home Solutions in Rockville, Maryland featuring Dura Supreme C.

This open-concept remodel is the home to Rustic Hickory kitchen cabinets from Dura Supreme Cabinetry shown in the Craftsman Panel door style with a “Morel” stained finish. The island peninsula features a sleek waterfall countertop on the end cap.

The peninsula features storage on both sides, seating for two, and a waterfall styled countertop.

Dura Supreme kitchen design by Creative Kitchen Designs, Inc. in Anchorage, Alaska.

This urban kitchen was designed by Anneke Huisman of Standale Home Studio in Grand Rapids, Michigan features amazing city views with an elegant kitchen peninsula design that curves to create an extra spot for seating as well as a place to set up a small buffet for serving guests. Photography by Leigh Ann Cobb Photography.

Dura Supreme kitchen design by Gwen Adair of Cabinet Supreme by Adair LLC in Wisconsin featuring the “Storm Gray” paint color. Photography by Erol Reyal Photography.

This luxury high-rise apartment kitchen design by Pinnacle Design in Saginaw, Michigan features a kitchen peninsula workspace designed for clean up with a kitchen sink and dishwasher. Photography by Dan Denardo.

Kitchen design & construction by Harjo Construction in featuring Dura Supreme Cabinetry. Photography by M. Romney Photography.

This kitchen peninsula is designed to look like a kitchen table. Kitchen design by Westside Remodeling, Inc. in Newbury Park, California featuring Dura Supreme Cabinetry.

Kitchen design by Quinn Design in Minneapolis, Minnesota featuring Dura Supreme cabinetry. New build & construction by Cedar Design + Build, Minnesota.

Kitchen design by Anissa Swanzy of SKD Studios, Newport Beach, California featuring High-Gloss Acrylic cabinets by Dura Supreme Cabinetry.

This colorful kitchen design is by Michelle Verrill of Kitchen & Bath Galleries in Raleigh, North Carolina features bright white cabinetry with a peninsula and a aqua blue kitchen island.

Kitchen design by Quinn Design in Minneapolis, Minnesota featuring Dura Supreme’s Homestead Panel door style in the “Morel” stain on Hickory.

Dura Supreme kitchen design by House to Home Solutions in Rockville, Maryland.

This home bar design features curved peninsula cabinets from Dura Supreme. Design by Greenbrook Design in Shelby, North Carolina.

Dura Supreme itchen design by Dondi Szombatflavy, CKD of Bella Domicile in Wisconsin.

This luxury condo kitchen design by Pinnacle Design in Saginaw, Michigan features a kitchen peninsula attached to the wall with a half wall on the side by the seating area and cabinets from Dura Supreme on the other. Photography by Dan Denardo.

Kitchen design by Kara Turner of Seigle’s Cabinet Center/Sims-Lohman in Chicago, Illinois featuring Dura Supreme Cabinetry.