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.

Everything dates, obviously. From a practical point of view, though, for really big kitchens especially islands are a pretty good option.

The venom people post, hate them,naff, get rid of them etc, its very telling. And about the poster and not the item being discussed.

There are things I don’t like and wouldn’t have in my home, because they are not to my taste, but I couldn’t give a toss if someone else has them. Each to their own, But that is likely because they really aren’t to my taste and I’m not remotely envious....

@Yesterdayforgotten they called pocket doors, have them in between my living and dining room . Love them means i can have open plan and close off when i need to. I wanted bi fold doors aswell in this house however partner is a builder and wouldnt let me, says really hafrd to put in and they dont last. He has had to fix so many recently so refused to have them in our house.

I don’t have one.

In some kitchens they’d be fab - face the room when doing good prep, have a barrier between the “cooking” area (so folk don’t get under your feet!). But, so often they’re just plonked in the room (with large case of flowers positioned to get knocked off the end!) and seem to just get in the way. I think they only work in rooms that are relatively narrow rectangles.

A squarer kitchen with tatty old sofa, rocking chair, kitchen table, etc is much closer to my idea of homeliness! But someone else would hate it.

I absolutely love open plan. Hate being closed off from everyone. Our last house had a closed kitchen and I am SO MUCH happier in this one.

@sunglassesonthetable fair point, I didn't know Artex was easier to get on. How about (avocado) corner baths as a better analogy?

#Wexone, we were thinking of pocket doors. But, I’m guessing you need more “pocket” than opening? Is that right?

Oh but I really miss the kitchen island in the last house!

@Wexone thank you and so jealous, I want my bi folding doors replaced with pocket doors as they are much more compact and would mean a certain little person couldn't play with them (eyeballing one little rascal across the room). Your dp knows his stuff and you def have the right doors, they're fab!

@Saz12 oh good point we may not have enough wall I'm not sure

I may get flamed for this so I apologise profusely in advance, but whenever I see people with an island and those gaping holes in their back of their house with bi fold doors I do judge. Of course if it’s done the right way (Porcelanosa kitchen, doors that open out to an ocean view) then fine, it’s quite fabulous. Otherwise I immediately think I bet they have a grey living room with crushed velvet sofa and an Audi on finance but wear Primark knickers. 😆😆

You judge people on those things? Honestly that is a massively twatty post.

So it seems you can either have dead space, or a tomb. Quite the choice 😂

We used to have a row of Belfast sinks in the science labs at school. They were always full of massive spiders so for that reason alone I could never have one.

@Saz12 you do need the pocket to be the same size as the doors. though i think it can be done if you are able to have some door peeping out. Will post a picture of them @Yesterdayforgotten dont tell him that though have three sets of fench doors in a u shape wall at the back of my house and really wanted bi fold doors there so instead i have french doors but the dors swng around when open so dont take up too much space. he is a big beliver of designing a house for the way you live and not what you see in other peoples houses. I had a huge party in my house for a big birthday, 80 poeple fitted comfortably in the living area and were able to move comfortable from kitchen to dining area out to the deck ect.

To the person that posted the awful post judging somebody based on what they have in their house how narrow minded; I'm judging you here for it and believe it makes you the worst kind of snob.

@Thewiseoneincognito

I may get flamed for this so I apologise profusely in advance, but whenever I see people with an island and those gaping holes in their back of their house with bi fold doors I do judge. Of course if it’s done the right way (Porcelanosa kitchen, doors that open out to an ocean view) then fine, it’s quite fabulous. Otherwise I immediately think I bet they have a grey living room with crushed velvet sofa and an Audi on finance but wear Primark knickers. 😆😆

This is amazing. I know exactly the type you mean.

I don't want bifold doors. I want French doors and windows either side (plus skylights, because we live in a terrace and when we extend, the playroom will lose its window and light).

But my living room is blue (bedroom is grey though), I drive an 11 year old Grand Scenic, think velvet sofas are hideous (we have the 'Zinc' FCUK one that is on allllllll the DFS ads) and my knickers are from Boux Avenue.

Islands are relatively new in the UK but seem to have been around forever in the US I think - possibly because houses and kitchens are often bigger there. I don't think they'll date that much, or any more than kitchen styles do generally. I agree that squeezing one into a small space is less than ideal.

I like ours, as it has the hob and loads of storage and plug sockets, plus seating for four, but we also have room for a large table and sofa etc. I wouldn't choose one instead of a table, but it's a nice addition. It is a bit of a clutter magnet if I'm not vigilant, but then so is any surface in the average family house.

@saz12 @yesterdayforgotton here they are

Hmm, maybe but feature walls would be a closet analogy.

Things that might go out of fashion in a similar way to kitchen islands could be: wood burning stoves (not that eco and not necessarily nice to look at), opening up rooms (because one can’t escape the washing up, dishwasher and washing machine noise, cooking smells or get privacy as easily), en suites (good in a hotel, less so in a bedroom, if I’ve room to give something off then it’s gotta be a walk in wardrobe/storage), reinstating period fireplaces in bedrooms (trip trap hearth in the dark, anyone!?, I’d rather have the wall space)

Obvs just my personal list/views

Whoa spellcheck... “a closet’ should say “a closer” LOL

I love our island, but it is in proportion to the size of the kitchen and we can still easily fit a large kitchen table in the space. We're having our kitchen refitted soon and we're having a new island, but ext the same dimensions as it works so well.

I don’t think islands will go out of fashion. They reflect a change in the way we live rather than a fashion fad.

I love having a big airy kitchen that the household tends to spend a lot of time in. A large island is a bit like a bar in that everyone sits around it, be it the kids and their friends, or our friends over drinks. It tends to make meal prep sociable too. I don’t cook, but I do sit at the island while my dh is preparing meals 😬 We have a big table too, but only use that if there’s more than 4 of us eating.

The seamless outside/in idea isn’t going to go away either, although bifold doors are quite dated. It’s all about the Crittal style now. (I work in development so see a lot of trends)

The mistake people make imo is making an open plan space in a house that’s too small. Yes, an open plan kitchen/eating/lounging space is fantastic, but only if you have other separate living spaces too.

I think the kitchen island can be very useful if it's done well. That means the right kind and size of kitchen, and it has to be designed to work in the room.

As soon as something becomes trendy you start to see it used in a way that often isn't well thought out or useful. Lots of kitchen islands get put in spaces that don't really require them, or they actually inhibit the work triangle. Smaller kitchens are often better served by something like a high worktable just for chopping and such.

That stuff is likely to be ripped out as soon as it's not super trendy any more.

I remember a few years ago there was a trend to rip out kitchen cupboards and install open shelving. Which can work in some instances, but in others you end up with messy looking shelves. And many people realised, having done it, that the stuff on the shelves, if it wasn't being sed and washed regularly, would become dusty, greasy, or, for food in boxes or paper bag,s sometimes damp.

Island can be great in the right space, but yes they do seem to be a trend thing. Like those teeny useless washbasins that look like a fruit bowl on a worktop, bifold doors, open plan etc. The problem is when people insist on having trendy things even when they don't really have the space/layout etc, and just jump straight on the bandwagon. They're idiots, and these are big things to change when they regret their choice.

But my living room is blue (bedroom is grey though), I drive an 11 year old Grand Scenic, think velvet sofas are hideous (we have the 'Zinc' FCUK one that is on allllllll the DFS ads) and my knickers are from Boux Avenue.
What the fuck? Who do you think gives a shiny shite?? 🤣🤣🤣