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.

Designed my dream kitchen and it just got completed and it does feature an island. But all carefully thought through about what goes where so there is no going round it like a roundabout! The island includes the dishwasher and a sink on one side, and bar stools and a wine fridge on the other side so guests on the bar stools can help themselves to wine and won't be in my way when I am cooking and accessing the fridge and freezer in my zone between the island and the back counter area which includes eye level ovens and warming drawer and hob.
The drawers with cutlery and plates etc are opposite the dishwasher for easy unpacking etc.
We have a separate large table to seat 10 as part of the large open plan kitchen / dining / living space.
Am very excited to start using it!

@Thisismytimetoshine you need to read the thread. One poster felt that everyone who had a kitchen island and bifolds also has grey crushed velvet sofas, a BMW on the never never and Primark knickers.

Nope, love our island, it’s well designed and means it’s easy to move from fridge/oven/sink/workspace.

Don't understand how posters are complaining that an island can hinder the kitchen triangle work flow.

In my set up the island sort reinforces the triangle. With oven opposite ( off set ) the sink and fridge just to the side.

Do some people have the sink and oven on different sides or something?

Islands are a joke, so many ppl are convinced they must have 1 its laughable. Big lump in the middle of yr kitchen that's pretty useless. Of course they will be the next artex!

@sunglassesonthetable I don’t get it either, ours has the hob on it, loads of space and is the area I use most. It also has the added bonus of meaning I can stand in one spot to empty and put away the entire dishwasher load.

I can stand in one spot to empty and put away the entire dishwasher load.

Yessss! same here.

Islands are a joke, so many ppl are convinced they must have 1 its laughable. Big lump in the middle of yr kitchen that's pretty useless

clearly not your thing. But mine is not "useless " imho. I'd say the opposite actually.

@sunglassesonthetable yes, not uncommon to see them like this - I posted photos of one up thread

The number of posters with enormous kitchens, that have seating (island and/or table) for 10 or 12 and even more, is totally eye opening to me. Add to that those of you with couches (plural!) as well, and I am gob smacked. Is what you are describing the result of knocking all of your downstairs rooms into one huge room, or just the result of extending the old kitchen? I am in the US, and have a typical 3 bed/2.5 bath, and have a normal sized kitchen. I actually can't recall homes with that amount of space AND other reception rooms, certainly not typical on the West Coast. The McMansions on the (much, much cheaper) east coast, maybe. But in the UK? Nope, haven't come across many of them, and I have been to quite a few homes of friends and family at all income level. Well, with a few exceptions (the very rich friend in Brighton, and the farmer friend with enormous farm house) at least.

Like a parking thread, I guess I need a floor plan :) I'll show you mine if you show me yours - as they say.

We have a pretty huge kitchen which was badly laid out when we moved in. We have moved things about and taken out a couple of walls but can’t afford a new kitchen yet. I have a huge expanse if floor now which is great for a party, kids dancing or a bit of yoga, but a huge waste. Could easily fit a largish island, sideboard, 12 seater table plus a small sofa/armchairs. Our living room is also a decent size on the first floor.

I do love an island, on my wish list! Reading all this with interest when it comes to design!!

My entire kitchen is as big as an island. I’d love a huge kitchen but would have massive table in the middle instead. Could then push it aside for dancing.
Very happy to hear Artex is making a comeback, it’s so variable and must be difficult to get right. Hated it at first but have been contemplating it and it’s growing on me. Have the fan one, not the frosting. Couldn’t afford to get rid of it but maybe that won’t be such a bad thing ....

@GervaseFen

Love the ping ping table alternative!

Here are photos of the one that got me thinking them. It's like the cupboards have the best view / take up most of the kitchen. The sink is round a corner from the cooker. And if you had people eating at the table you'd be metres from them between courses.
It's a lovely space so you can just imagine it being remodelled in another few years.

If there was no island in this massive room and you had to only have units round the edges there'd be virtually no storage though.

#mumoid - as big as one of the South Pacific islands or more Madagascar? 😂

Things that are truly dated are coloured bathroom suites, Artex or woodchip wallpaper, solidly coloured (red, blue etc) or patterned carpets, certain wall colours like peach, magnolia or terracotta

Lots of this has long since made a come back.

I have a huge expanse if floor now which is great for a party, kids dancing or a bit of yoga, but a huge waste. Could easily fit a largish island, sideboard, 12 seater table plus a small sofa/armchairs. Our living room is also a decent size on the first floor.
More pointless boasting... . What does it matter what online strangers think of your great tracts of land?!

I’m not sure it is boasting. When posters are claiming islands are naff, take up too much room, why would you have one instead of a table?

Then it’s worth pointing out if you have a big kitchen then no the island doesn’t take up too much space, you can also fit in a kitchen table and if it wasn’t there you’d have a huge expanse of floor with nothing in. Just cupboards round the edge.

It is boasting. That poster gratuitously listed the things her kitchen could accommodate if she chose, taking care to mention that her living room on another floor entirely was also a decent size.
How on earth is that useful information for anyone? Sad.

@Thisismytimetoshine

oh give over. Who cares. A lot of the issues with islands are around size. I'd say it was more rambling than boasting.

Depends on your kitchen. My island is the most used part of the kitchen. It's a very wide room with about 1.5 metres between the island and other worktop space. I still have a working triangle. The island has loads of cupboard space and is only used as a worktop. It's the centre of the kitchen and makes the room more sociable. We still have a dining table at the other end of the room and plenty of room to move around. If it didn't have so much space I wouldn't have had one though. I can imagine it being a pain in a smaller room.

@2018SoFarSoGreat

The number of posters with enormous kitchens, that have seating (island and/or table) for 10 or 12 and even more, is totally eye opening to me. Add to that those of you with couches (plural!) as well, and I am gob smacked. Is what you are describing the result of knocking all of your downstairs rooms into one huge room, or just the result of extending the old kitchen? I am in the US, and have a typical 3 bed/2.5 bath, and have a normal sized kitchen. I actually can't recall homes with that amount of space AND other reception rooms, certainly not typical on the West Coast. The McMansions on the (much, much cheaper) east coast, maybe. But in the UK? Nope, haven't come across many of them, and I have been to quite a few homes of friends and family at all income level. Well, with a few exceptions (the very rich friend in Brighton, and the farmer friend with enormous farm house) at least.

Like a parking thread, I guess I need a floor plan :) I'll show you mine if you show me yours - as they say.

We extended our kitchen a lot and it's now a 8x5m room. We also have a lounge so it wasn't a knock through and open plan job. Its just a standard 3 bed semi detached house we just wanted to make it spacious so we can stay here long-term.

@Gardenpad

Most recently we've seen a lot of this with mid-century stuff, but before that it was Victorian, Edwardian, Georgian properties. those kitchens were very functional, for the servants - no one had big kitchens they entertained in...it's a change in lifestyle and function, not just a change in fashion.

I'm not sure this is really related to what I said. I agree that lifestyle changes account for some changes in kitchen and house design, although that also includes mid-century stuff, but you still see the cycle of trends in the way people deal with the whole aesthetic of a period.

@Titsywoo that sounds lovely! So roomy. I just measured my kitchen, and then googled to see where mine falls in average size (square metres):

CA: Small - 9.56; Medium - 14.04; Large - 16.16

UK: Small - 6.5; Medium - 9.2 ; Large - 18.5

Mine is exactly 14.04 - dead on average. I'm like that :)

"The number of posters with enormous kitchens, that have seating (island and/or table) for 10 or 12 and even more, is totally eye opening to me. Add to that those of you with couches (plural!) as well, and I am gob smacked. Is what you are describing the result of knocking all of your downstairs rooms into one huge room, or just the result of extending the old kitchen?"

I'd say a lot of it is the result of making shit up as you go along.

whatever @DancingCatGif

Extended our old kitchen.

@sunglassesonthetable

No doubt some people have a big kitchen, obviously. But the number of people on mn claiming 6 figure salaries and massive houses and gifted offspring is noticeably suspicious