Space is a major consideration for many kitchens, and maximizing it is a common design goal. This has led to a trend in flexible, multipurpose components, like ranges that also steam and chef sinks that double as sophisticated meal-prep stations.

That flexibility has now come to kitchen island countertops, with the 2018 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show introduction of Montreal-based hardware manufacturer Richelieu’s Slide Table Mechanism. The Slide mounts on an island countertop and lets an elevated extension piece rest fully on its surface, and then extend diagonally beyond the edge for island seating or serving.

It does so with ball-bearing glides that roll an added “mini tabletop” over the island counter. It fits within the size and weight limitations, and will complement your other surfaces. The slide can be retrofitted to an existing island or installed on a new one.

• Made of natural anodized aluminum
• Maximum weight capacity: 132 lb.
• Designed for a 36-in.-deep kitchen island; provides 15-3/16 in. overhang.
• $1100 MSRP (tops not included)
• Will be available by July 2018
• Richelieu.com

Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS, is a San Diego-based, NKBA-certified, independent kitchen and bath designer and the author of New Kitchen Ideas That Work (The Taunton Press, 2012) and New Bathroom Idea Book (The Taunton Press, 2004). Her website can be found at jgkitchens.com.