Creating a Kitchen Island

QUESTION

I would like to create a kitchen island in my plan. How can I accomplish this in Home Designer?

ANSWER

Cabinets can be placed and customized to produce a variety of kitchen island configurations, complete with countertops, appliances, and more. 

Only basic cabinet customization is discussed in this resource. For more in-depth information on customizing cabinets, please view the Cabinets Knowledge Base category, the Cabinets Training Video playlist, your program's Help documentation, as well as the Related Articles section below. 

To create a kitchen island

1. Select Build> Cabinet> Base Cabinet  from the menu, then place the desired number of base cabinets that will make up the island. Keep in mind that you can always add additional cabinets later, or delete extra cabinets, if necessary. 
   
   
   
2. Once your cabinets are placed, their size and position can be modified further using the Rotate , Move , and Resize  edit handles. 
   
   

   Note: If you're experiencing difficulty precisely positioning your cabinets, hold down the Control/Command key on your keyboard to allow for unrestricted movement while you fine tune the adjustment of the cabinets.
   
   Additionally, if you experience a size limitation when resizing cabinets, you may need to adjust the Minimum Cabinet Width value located in the General Cabinet Defaults. This can be accessed by navigating to Edit> Default Settings, expanding the Cabinet category, and editing the General Cabinet subcategory. 

   
   
   
   
   
3. To make additional cabinet modifications, select one or more cabinet(s) using the Select Objects  tool, then click the Open Object  edit tool. 
   
   
   
4. In the Base Cabinet Specification dialog that displays: 
   
   
   
   
   • On the General panel, adjust the Type, Size/Position, Countertop, Backsplash, Toe Kick, and other properties to your liking. This is a great time to adjust the Overhang values associated with the countertop, especially in cases where part of the island serves as a bar; uncheck the Uniform box to adjust the overhang of each edge independently. 
     
     To learn more about creating a breakfast bar or waterfall countertop, please see the Related Articles section. 
     
     
   • On the Front panel, change the properties associated with face items that are part of the cabinet(s). Appliances can be added to the front face of cabinets; however, the appliance/fixture, as well as the version being used, should be considered before doing so. 
     
     In Home Designer 2026 and newer versions, an assortment of appliances such as dishwashers and undercounter refrigerators act as stand-alone appliances, so they should not be inserted into the front of cabinets. Instead, place these appliances as stand-alone objects and a countertop will generate automatically if the appliance is placed beside a cabinet. 
     
     In Home Designer 2025 and prior versions, the majority of dishwashers and undercounter appliances are meant to be inserted directly into cabinets. 
     
     

     If the cabinet is too small for a selected appliance/fixture, you will receive a message saying so, and the appliance/fixture will fail to be added until the cabinet is resized. 

     
     

     Appliances/fixtures can also be added to cabinets within a 3D camera view; simply open a camera view, access the Library Browser, select the desired appliance/fixture, then click on the cabinet that you want to add the appliance/fixture to.

     
     
   • On the Accessories panel, an appliance/fixture can be added to the top of a cabinet (e.g. sink, cooktop, etc) using the Library option/button.
     
     
   • On the Materials panel, modify the cabinet materials to your liking. Materials can also be changed within a 3D camera view; see Video # 2289: Applying Materials in 3D to learn more. 
     
     
   • Make any other desired changes, then click OK.
   
   
   
5. Lights and outlets can now be added to the island by navigating to Build> Electrical , or by accessing the Library Browser . Furniture, such as chairs, can also be found within the Library Browser . 
   
   
   
6. If you would like to save or easily move this island configuration you can group select the cabinets, furniture, appliances, and more, then create an Architectural Block . To learn more about architectural blocks, please see the Related Articles section below.