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Last updated on January 18th, 2023 at 05:58 pm
Benefits of A Kitchen Island Toe Kick
Wondering if kitchen islands are supposed to have toe kicks? Well, look no further because I have your answer!
Kitchen islands should have toe kicks on the side with drawers or doors to provide ample room for feet to fit underneath the cabinet. The toe kick helps prevent the cabinet base from being kicked and scuffed and helps you stand closer to the counter which removes pressure from the lower back while working.
Now that we’ve covered that, let’s get into the important details of kitchen island toe kicks – specifically, what they are, why your island should have them, which side(s) should have them, and how you finish them.
Let’s dive in!
Quick Navigation: Kitchen island Toe Kicks
- What Is A Kitchen Island Toe Kick?
- Why Should You Have A Toe Kick On A Kitchen Island?
- Which Side(s) Should The Toe Kick Be On A Kitchen Island?
- How Do You Finish A Kitchen Island Toe Kick?
- Other FAQs About Kitchen Island Toe Kicks
- Final Thoughts
- Related Kitchen Island Articles
What Is A Kitchen Island Toe Kick?
The toe kick on any base cabinet, including cabinets that make up a kitchen island, is a space underneath the cabinet that lets your feet fit underneath the cabinet while you stand next to it.
Typical kitchen island toe kicks are 3 inches high and 3-1/2 to 4 inches deep.
For kitchen islands, toe kicks are usually found only on one side of the island. This is because most kitchen islands are made up of several base cabinets.
Base cabinets have the toe kick on the same side as the drawers or cabinet doors since the backside is often pushed up against a wall and does not require anyone to walk up to it and work next to it.
On an island, however, a person can potentially stand on all sides. Most islands have seating on the opposite side, so no toe kick is required since the countertop will create the space for someone to sit comfortably at it.
Also, the sides of a kitchen island typically do not have a toe kick because standard cabinets do not have one built into the side. So a toe kick is only necessary on the main “working” side of a kitchen island.
Related Kitchen Island Articles
- How To Make A Simple Kitchen Island Out Of Base Cabinets
- Are Kitchen Islands Attached To The Floor? 6 Things You Need To Know
- How To Finish The Kitchen Island Toe Kick Outside Corners In 3 Easy Steps
Why Should You Have A Toe Kick On A Kitchen Island?
Toe kicks on any cabinet, including kitchen islands, are important so that you can comfortably stand or work next to the cabinet without kicking the base of the cabinet as you walk up.
The next time you walk up to a kitchen cabinet, pay attention to the way your feet easily fit underneath the front of the cabinet so that you can stand closer to the countertop.
Then take a tiny step back to see what it would be like if your foot could not fit under that gap. A little more uncomfortable to work on a task, right?
You might specifically notice the slight pressure put on your back by standing slightly farther away from the countertop. This gap helps to take pressure off of your back because you can avoid hunching over to be closer to your task on the countertop.
Without that space underneath the cabinet, you would have to lean a little bit farther to work over the countertop, you’d have a harder time reaching across the countertop, and the bottom of the cabinet would see a little bit more damage over time from it accidentally being kicked repeatedly.
There is no difference with the base cabinets that make up your kitchen island. For maximum comfort, a toe kick on the working side of a kitchen island is essential.
Which Side(s) Should The Toe Kick Be On A Kitchen Island?
Toe kicks are typically only on one side of a kitchen island. The toe kick should be on the side of the cabinet that has drawers and/or doors.
This is because the side with drawers and/or doors is often the side that kitchen work is completed on while standing. So a toe kick makes sense here.
On the sides of the kitchen island that has seating, no toe kick is required because the countertop overhang provides ample space for your feet to fit under when you stand next to it.
Also, the countertop overhang should provide enough space for your legs to fit under comfortably as you sit as well. This overhang is typically 10-12 inches while a traditional toe kick is only 3-1/2 to 4 inches.
On that side, it is typical for the cabinets to go straight to the floor to give a finished look.
In addition, it is not necessary for a toe kick to be on the side of an island cabinet where there are no drawers or doors. Most base cabinets do not have toe kicks built into that side, and that side is not used as frequently since there are no doors or drawers.
So you don’t have to worry about a toe kick not being on this side of the island. Just finish it off with a pretty trim, and you’ll be good to go.
How Do You Finish A Kitchen Island Toe Kick?
Luckily, most base kitchen cabinets (even custom-built ones) come with toe kicks built-in on one side. So odds are, any base cabinet you buy will likely have this part built into one side for you already.
All you need to do to finish these toe kicks is install a finishing panel overtop after you’ve secured the cabinets into place.
| Level Of Difficulty | Time To Complete |
|---|---|
| Easy | 30 Minutes |
| Material List | Tool List |
|---|---|
| Toe kick finishing panel (matching cabinet color) | Miter saw or circular saw |
| Loctite Power Grab adhesive |
Step One: Install Base Cabinets
The first step to finishing a toe kick on a kitchen island is to install the base cabinets and secure them to the ground. If you haven’t installed your kitchen island yet, then you need to check out my article on how to make a kitchen island out of base cabinets.
It will walk you through step-by-step how to secure the cabinets to the ground so that they’re locked together and the toe kick can be finished as we will discuss in the next step.
Step Two: Glue The Finishing Panel To The Face Of The Toe Kick
After the kitchen island cabinets are installed, secured to the ground, and to each other, it is time to cut and attach the toe kick finishing panel.
Most kitchen cabinets have a pre-cut finishing panel that is the perfect height and color for your cabinets. All you have to do from here is measure the length of your toe kick and cut the finishing panel to fully cover the toe kick.
A miter saw works best for this cut, but a circular saw can easily be used as well. After you’ve cut the finishing panel to size and test the fit to make sure it covered the toe kick area fully, it’s time to attach it.
To attach the panel, simply apply Loctite Power Grab adhesive to the backside of that panel and firmly press it into place.
I personally love to use Loctite (found at Amazon) because it grabs onto whatever you’re gluing and holds it in place immediately. That’s much easier than using a runny wood glue that lets the glued item slide off immediately without extra support and lets the glue run down the project.
Even with Loctite, though, we want to add a little extra support to help the panel stay firmly in place while it dries. So just slide something with some weight on both ends and in the middle of the panel while it dries to help hold it in place.
That’s it! Your toe kick will be finished.
How To Finish The Toe Kick Outside Corner On A Kitchen Island
I do have to throw out one more step to help you finish up your kitchen island because it drove me nuts that you could see the cut edges after installing the back panel and toe kick panel.
To hide those ugly cut edges on the toe kick outside corners, you can finish them out with this beautiful and cheap custom trim trick that I wrote a full tutorial on here.
It can be accomplished for less than $15 and really does make a huge difference to the final outcome!
Other FAQs About Kitchen Island Toe Kicks
Now that we’ve discussed the why behind toe kicks on kitchen islands, let’s cover a few more questions you might have to help you along your DIY journey!
Is A Toe Kick Necessary?
Toe kicks are necessary to protect the base of the cabinet and make it more comfortable to stand next to or work on the countertop. With ample room for your feet within the toe kick, the cabinet base won’t be kicked or scuffed. Also, being able to stand closer to the counter puts less pressure on your back.
What Color Should A Toe Kick Be?
Toe kicks should match the color of your cabinets to make them blend in. Most cabinets have toe kick finishing panels that can be bought and installed to make the toe kick match seamlessly with the rest of the cabinets. If the cabinets are painted or stained, paint or stain the toe kick the same color.
Final Thoughts On Kitchen Island Toe Kicks
There you have it! Everything you need to know about kitchen island toe kicks including how to finish them and potentially build them yourself.
I’m sure toe kicks were initially an afterthought for you when you decided to build a new kitchen island (as it was for me), but the little details in this area really make a difference in the overall look of your island!
Hopefully, you’ve got a better idea of what you need to do next to finish building your kitchen island.
Catch you in my next post!
The Best Kitchen Tools & Products I’ve Reviewed
Ravinte Cabinet Handle Installation Template (For Doors & Drawers)
This is my all-time favorite handle installation template because it has two templates (one for drawers and one for doors) with multiple pull sizes & knob placements! These templates make installing cabinet handles a breeze because you always know your handles will be installed in the same spot on all of your drawers and doors. The kit also comes with a drill bit so you can guarantee you’re using the correct size. I used this template on my entire kitchen and both bathrooms to cut the installation time in half. You can find this hardware template here on Amazon.
Franklin Brass 5-1/16 Inch (128mm) Center Bar Pull (Stainless Steel)
If you want to immediately modernize your kitchen island, then these cabinet pulls are a must. They are heavy-duty feeling, durable, easy to install, and are a large size for a great price. We put these pulls on all of our kitchen and island doors and drawers along with our bathroom doors and drawers. You can find these gorgeous cabinet pulls here on Amazon.
P.S. Use the hardware installation template I mentioned above to install these new pulls in record time!
Related Kitchen Island Articles
- How To Make A Simple Kitchen Island Out Of Base Cabinets
- Are Kitchen Islands Attached To The Floor? 6 Things You Need To Know
- How To Finish The Kitchen Island Toe Kick Outside Corners In 3 Easy Steps
Do Kitchen Islands Have Toe Kicks? Read Before Installing An Island!
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