Kitchen with peninsula: how to combine versatility, practicality and aesthetics

Kitchen with peninsula

Kitchens with peninsula, a typical expressions of modern design, represent the most practical solution for dividing open space living areas.

Initially used, like the island, as the maximum expression of design creativity, the kitchen peninsula has acquired over time its own functionality and centrality in the composition.

Peninsula equipped with cooking area, Milan by Veneta Cucine

With the advent of increasingly high-performance materials the peninsula has been able to transform itself from a purely aesthetic symbol into a real useful tool, with its level of versatility depending on the space available.

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Zappalorto-kitchen-attic-white-with-peninsula-snack

Snaidero-peninsula-in-the-kitchen-ola-25-with-bronze-lacquered-support

Kitchen-with-columns-and-corner-peninsula-oyster-leccio-cognac-by-veneta-kitchens

Small-peninsula-but-well-equipped-in-the-Juliet-kitchen-by-zappalorto

When you choose to design a kitchen with a peninsula space, number, needs of the inhabitants and the budget available are the first variables that come into play.

Modern design and peninsula kitchen

Without going too much into the history of design we can easily say that the turning point came when we moved from the production of single kitchen furniture to modular ones.

You will all remember those cabinets put together to form the composition of the kitchen, each finished individually with top and feet. Many of youmust still have some of those at home.

Hamilton steel peninsula for Snaidero's Vision kitchen

The modern industrial production of modular furniture and the use of increasingly high-performance technical materials has made it possible to overturn the very concept of a modular and customizable kitchen.

Starting to consider the design process of the kitchen by levels and not by single finished pieces to be put together has been the major change in this branch of home design.

Modern kitchens, from model to system

Those of you who follow me must have noticed that when we talk about kitchen furniture I prefer to use the term system rather than model.

The term model refers to aesthetics and to the fact that a door can be smooth or with a frame, provided only in wood or laminate, with a sharp 90-degree or with a rounded edge.

For what concerns versatility and modularity, we are faced with a very flexible system, which gives us the possibility of creating highly customizable compositions even with industrially produced items.


Tailoring, which was previously the prerogative of carpenters, becomes a quality, a methodology, an approach that companies can afford to guarantee to their customers.

When I talk about levels, on the other hand, I am referring to the fact that the level of the base units, of the wall units and of the floors are independent from each other at the compositional level. A real revolution compared to the past.

Modern kitchens with peninsula

This means that I can design, with the same company, a kitchen following special aesthetic and functional needs by crossing different models, different materials and depths, not only by connecting elements but by creating previously unthinkable work surfaces and, above all, new spaces.

This is where the modern concept of kitchen with peninsula or kitchen with snacks comes into play. This definition refers to the first models, when a support surface was fixed to the wall with a single leg.

Peninsula with wooden insert in the Carrera kitchen by Veneta Cucine

These were an easy way to divide an open space, not really a peninsula in the kitchen but rather an extra countertop created with a top of the same depth as the one on the base, finished on all four sides.

You could have breakfast on it, or a snack, it was not an alternative to the table that was still present in the official dining area.

Spaces and an equipped peninsula kitchen

In modern homes where spaces are small and the kitchen is almost always visible and is an integral part of the dining area, the peninsula takes on a more important functional value.

Thanks to the new materials and techniques it becomes a versatile element of the composition.

Peninsula with induction top and shaped insert for snack table

If you have enough space you can increase thedepth of the top from 60 cm to 90 cm or more, in order to transform the peninsula into a full-fledged table, as an alternative to the official dining table.

The peninsula in the kitchen can also turn out to be the only table actually used for meals, so we try to equip it in order to make the most of its depth and length.

The bases on which to place the top are 60 cm deep or have the same depth as the wall units, the important thing is that the difference of depth is at least 30 cm so that you can sit comfortably.

Corner kitchen with peninsula for cooking and washing

The kitchen peninsulas can also accommodate the hob or sink, or even both, if the systems allow it or if they can be changed.

Compared to an open space kitchen with island, a composition with a peninsula offers the advantage of being able to manage plumbing and gas systems in a simpler and less invasive way, without leaving any traces on the floor and without the need for a new space to house the pipes.

Peninsula with hob and integrated Nikolatesla Switch hood by Elica

These compositions are the most spectacular and captivating. Also, with the new appliances such as suspended lighting hoods, up and down hoods or countertop hoods, as well as the new hobs with integrated hood, the problem of the extraction of cooking fumes and vapors in these situations has been solved forever.

In the photos I have already shown you some examples, but you can take a look at other proposals from some leading brands in the sector.

Kitchens with central and corner peninsula

Veneta Cucine offers the original proposals of two of its most appriciated models, Milano and Oyster.

Central peninsula of the Milano kitchen in Light Knotty Oak by Veneta Cucine

Milano presents the framed door in a contemporary stylistic reinterpretation, embellished with fine finishes such as the most elegant essences and matt lacquers. The use of Light Knotty Oak is a very specific choice, typical of a made in Italy product.

The cleanliness of this kitchen that focuses on materials and textures should not be misleading. The frame hides a space useful to install a grip in order to not ruin the design with the application of the classic handle.

Form and function blend perfectly this way. Inserts with smooth lacquered doors can be installed if you want to obtain an elegant contrasts of style, materials and colors that make each composition unique and personalized, thanks to the system concept we aleady mentioned.

Eclectic style kitchen

You can apply a customized Light Knotty Oak handle with an insert in Bicocca White or Aluminum finish, or insert a Shellsystem groove horizontally or vertically. The result will certainly be eclectic without losing elegance.

Boiserie in the Milano peninsula kitchen by Veneta Cucine

The new version of the Milano kitchen provides the addition of a width of 75 cm for columns and some basic wall units. The range of equipped under-cabinet paneling is also enriched, very useful in the case of a central peninsula composition, where everything is available without the need to open any doors.

Corner kitchen with peninsula

The new version of Oyster, also by Veneta Cucine, is presented in a very scenic version with a corner peninsula and columns.

The peninsula part of the kitchen, in this model, rests against a wall made up of two double-sided Tribeca modules mounted on the ceiling.

Tis is still a proper kitchen with peninsula but it also is extremely versatile, thanks to the modules with an aluminum structure and shelves of other materials that functionally replace everything that is normally placed on wall shelves.

Veneta Cucine, corner kitchen composed with Oyster Leccio Cognac elements

Form and function are perfectly combined in this model as well. The aesthetic result is very striking, enhanced by the contrast between a cornerkitchen with peninsula, very refined and articulated, against the essential workmanship of the smooth Oyster door without handles.

Classic or ultra-modern kitchen with peninsula

The peninsula in the kitchen is conceptually a modern solution, but it does not mean that it cannot be conceived in a classic setting. The important thing is to exploit the potential of new materials and technologies to obtain a functional composition with a modern design that enhances the aesthetics of a classic or rustic furniture.

The equipped peninsula in the classic Zappalorto kitchen

Giulietta by ZAPPALORTO is a romantic solution with a small but well-equipped peninsula as a cooking area and a cantilevered top for a quick breakfast. There are also peninsulas conceived for futurist environments, created to enhance the quality of materials and production technology that can become true design icons.

Peninsula in the futurist kitchen Ola 25 Limited Edition by Snaidero

The Ola 25 Limited Edition by Pininfarina SNAIDERO is a real sculpture: the photos speak for themselves. The sinuous support at the top is made out of glossy lacquered carbon fiber and the tops can be in Marmoarredo quartz agglomerate or in glossy or satin glass.