Larger islands, multiple islands, and multi-functioning pantries are some of the most requested kitchen designs according to renovation professionals. Inspired by luxurious bars and restaurants, kitchens are once again becoming places for experiences, not just essentials.

“The kitchen has always been the most social space in a home, and with new work-from-home habits for adults and kids needing a place to work on their school assignments or congregate with friends, having double the space is an understated luxury we didn’t know we needed until the pandemic,” says Annapolis, Maryland-based architect Cathy Purple Cherry, the founder and principal of Purple Cherry Architects.

She’s seen a major uptick in clients requesting second islands for their kitchens and would go as far as to say it’s emerged as the most valuable kitchen amenity in the mid- to post-pandemic era.