To think kitchen Islands are the artex of the future?

[GervaseFen]

I was watching a home renovation programme and every time they stick these massive blocks in the middle of the kitchen before ripping out the walls to 'connect' to
the garden. This time the island was a huge rectangle and took up most of the room with a little table in the space at the end. I can so image the future shows having people walking around and identifying these as the first thing to rip out and exclaiming over how much space they gain.

Possibly, but they'll be easier to get rid if!

So true! Though I see Artex is actually making a comeback so perhaps the analogy was wrong.

Yes. I saw one on some programme where there was hardly any room to get around it!

No way. Kitchen islands provide storage space and somewhere to sit and eat.

Will those dodgy rates fan patterns ever make a comeback?!

Kitchen units are fantastic for extra storage and a place to gather but I agree that they shouldn't be considered if you haven't got the space.

I reckon wall cupboards are on the way out though. Hate mine, although I really need them!!!

We had one about 15 years ago and although handy, it was a pleasure to be rid of it! The space they take up is too much, at least in my kitchen it was. Having to go around it like a bloody roundabout every time I wanted to go from the fridge to the sink was a right pain in the arse.

I love my island. I like having a clear space to prepare meals, roll out pastry (it’s granite and my hands are constantly hot), knead dough etc. We still have room for a small table though because it’s a kitchen/dining/living room open plan.

I’m a she devil about keeping the island clear though. DH comes home and somehow his pockets just explode and dump keys, sunglasses, hat, change, mail etc on it. Drives me potty. The only things that live on it permanently are a pretty cake stand, the kitchen roll holder and a butcher block.

As long as they dont start hiding asbestos at random in kitchen islands we should be alright

I'd love an island. If I won lots of money I'd knock my kitchen through and have one.. ahhh

@sst1234 cross-posted!

*artex, not rates

I'd rather have a huge (possibly extending) table. All the preparation space I could ever need, somewhere to eat and you can move it once it's delivered in the event that you find out that it's slightly too close to you at the sink/hob or you're forever whacking your hip on the corner.

Everything will be the new artex until we have used up all the planet's available resources in the name of fads and fashions.

I think they will date and can be quite costly to install...would that mean they are costly to remove as well? Don't know. I don't think I'd put one in tbh*.

*This is an absolute non issue, as my kitchen is far too small!

I hate my island, it’s too big. Not enough space to move. When i have the money it’s going. I liken it to conservatory’s in theory great but not in practice

Nope, I absolutely love my island and I think they’ve been a thing for so long now you can’t consider them a fad. It does depend on the space and layout of the rest of the kit hen though, having an island between hob and fridge/sink for example would be v annoying. I am also v keen on keeping it clear of junk like PP - the only thing that stays on it is a radio and base of flowers at one end. It is perfect for the space it fills. I just wish I’d taken the worktop over the end as a lip to create easier seating, which would make it more sociable than all in a line on one side.

I feel the same about open plan full stop.

Agree, I really don’t see what purpose they serve. But then I don’t like anything modern in the home 😂 open plan, grey walls, bifold doors, filled in side returns. Yuck yuck yuck.

I have no issue with an island if the room is large enough to take it. Breakfasts bars however are the work of the devil. Be gone ugly bar stools! 👊

I think they only work in large spaces. We love ours - it has seating all around and it's a very sociable space, plus great for mass food prep.

We have an island unit, I've always fancied putting a small pot with a coconut tree in the middle! But I'm not allowed... 🌴😢

I absolutely LOVE my island. I do all my food prep on it, store my cookery books on shelves under it, the wine fridge is under it etc etc. But I’m lucky to have a big kitchen which would look odd (IMO) without one and it’s also got an 8 seater dining table at one end of the room as it’s open plan kitchen / diner so I don’t feel I’m missing out on anything to have it.

I'm just about to buy one from Cox and Cox

It's basically a clean workspace as most surfaces have one thing on it

Plus somewhere to put the recycling underneath

And now there's just the two of us we will get rid of the kitchen table and chairs

I can see your point if the room they've been put into isn't that big, it's a waste of space, but if you have the space, then they're an excellent way to make the kitchen a social area as well as providing extra worktop space and cupboard space.

We are doing an extension next year and DH is fixated on an island. We want to have the sink set into it and have one side as a breakfast bar with stools.
DH wants a 3m long one (by about 1.5m wide). I was a bit at that, but on measuring the space it'll go into, it's a 7m long space (by about 5m wide). That's an immense amount of space. Because of the island, we'll only have units and the cooker along one wall, leaving the other long wall clear so that's more of a social space. And there's still 2m clear either side of the island long ways (I plan to put our farmhouse table in the door end of this space). We don't want to 'connect' to the garden or anything wanky like that, but some bigger doors/a window would be nice as at the moment we have a pokey little hallway leading to a temperamental UPVC door. We have a nice garden. It would be nice to see it and be able to supervise my feral children whilst I cook tea

I have an irrational hatred of bifold doors also .