to ask about kitchen islands?

I love our island becuase it is great cooking on it whilst looking at a beautiful view rather than a wall plus it is brilliant for storage with 3 double cupboards and 9 large drawers on both long sides. We tend to eat at a table though.

I think with kitchen planning you need to start with the purpose and think about what will best fit with how you are going to use it rather than trying to fit in features just becuase they are fashionable.

I think islands work best generally in a big space which needs to be split in order to open up a wall for full height windows rather than units.

If you have the space have both. Otherwise table.

I think something like this is probably made to order so you could choose the height. There are a few I’ve seen around, some are more like traditional big oak tables but the ends are made like cupboards or sideboards. It’s definitely worth looking around for inspiration.

If you’re unsure, put a table in first. If it doesn’t do the trick, get the island fitted in?

I’m currently planning a new kitchen and although I will have an island there will be no breakfast bar or seating at it , we had a breakfast bar for 15 years in our old house and no one ever sat at it ! We gave away the fancy high stools in the end and put a bookcase there instead. Fortunately I have room for our table and chairs also.

We put in an island in four out of five of our most recent kitchens (although the first two were not terribly large as islands go).

I'm a fan of them (obviously!), but only when there's a table too - either in the kitchen or elsewhere - as I'm another who wouldn't want to eat Christmas dinner or host dinner parties at an island. I couldn't care less whether they're in fashion or not - same as everything in our home, we choose stuff we love, not because it's on trend.

At our last house we had a decent sized island with seating for four along one side, as well as a refectory style table in the kitchen and another table in the dining room. The kitchen table was rarely used, so after a couple of years we swapped it for a sofa which got much more use by the DDogs who liked snoozing by the wood burner.

I'd never have a sink or hob in the island as I like a clear run of work surface, but that's just personal choice. We definitely needed the additional work surface that an island provided, particularly at our last house and having a double plug socket at the end was really useful when baking etc.

Unfortunately there's no space for an island in our current cottage kitchen, but we have our vintage butchers block instead that's used all the time. If we move again I'll be ensuring there's space for an island 😁

Are the chairs are high up like stools, though?

I have a large kitchen with room for an island and a table and a sofa. Still couldn't wait to get rid of the island.

I’ve seen some nice table with the small island on the end. Or this…. Kind of ticks both boxes.

I love a table. I can sit on a normal chair to chop veg if I like. I can roll pastry on a lower surface than the kitchen worktop, which is often more comfortable (I am short).

I think islands started out in bigger kitchens that had room for both, and have been co-opted into smaller and smaller spaces where they work less well. Like the trend for a huge living-kitchen-diner - great if you also have space for a separate living room, not so great if it's your entire downstairs and you're juggling teens, tweens practicing violin and your own work calls.

Our island is used day in day out, we'd massively miss it. We do have a large dining table as well, but this gets sat at more. It has loads of storage too.

If it was going to make space an issue I wouldn't.

We have an island and a table, I would have prioritised the table for sure. We only chose an island because it went well with the kitchen aesthetic and we had the space, plus its additional storage and worktop space. I have an irrational hatred of breakfast bars!

I love our island. However, I also have a table. If I only had space for one, I’d go for the table. But my island has been a lovely addition as it’s extra seating and it means I can prep stuff when guests are here and face out into the room etc. it’s been a good thing socially and it does look pretty.

We have both, I like our kitchen island for hanging out whilst cooking etc , but we eat dinner at the table. Do you have a dining table anywhere else ?

I hate islands. It makes me think that you're serving people like a barmaid. A table seems more equitable

Love our island. It houses the hob so means I face everyone as I cook. We have a table too though.

Breakfast bar?

We have seating around the corner of the island so 2x along the short end and 2x adjacent at the long end. IYSWIM.

Re: PPs who mentioned kitchen table - we have that, too. If it was one of the other then I would probably go for a table but I don’t think I could go back to only having one or the other now.

No!! Islands are only useful if you are short of worktop space. Otherwise have a table which you can sit at on normal chairs rather than perching on those stools, and move out of the way or extend when necessary. Islands are a pain.

I'm not a fan of them. They look nice enough but they seem to be magnets for clutter, and sitting at an island rather than a table to eat doesn't appeal to me. Personally, if you have enough workspace without one I'd go for a table instead.

I love my island, however we have a table as well. If you only have room for one and enough worktops I'd choose table. We use the island for breakfast and lunch but its nice to sit around a proper table for an evening meal. I wouldn't want Christmas dinner at the island.

Good call 👍