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.

An Island with a single row kitchen behind it is perfect and can be managed in most sized kitchens. It’s when people try to ram cabinets on all 4 sides that it gets cramped.

Meh ...everything dates. We have an island plus a big kitchen table. French doors, not bifolds. We love it, works for us right now, who cares what happens to it In 20 yrs time??

@Thisismytimetoshine hyperbole darling, it’s a comedic device 😘

IMHO open plan is a way of building little houses but pretending they are spacious.

Commiserations on your swirls @Pineapplemonkey.
Thank God mine's just stippled😊

I have one, it was in the house we moved into. I don't really like it and would prefer a large table. They are just not my thing and the kids and DH just dump all their stuff on it.

See Bluntness's reply above, Regular.
Comedy only works if you get it right, I'm afraid.

I will confess that I need a new kitchen. But am reluctant to break down a wall to make it a Family Space. Feck that.

Who cares? me not much.

I am on my own now due to sad circumstances, but no matter, I will do what I want to do.

I don't really like open plan living at all. No escape lol.

I have no idea but I'm going to start calling things the artex of the future.

I have an island and it works perfectly in my space. It has my job, masses of storage and seating for 6. I also have a massive dining table for 10 which never gets used. An island is hardly naff. Only on MN

@Thisismytimetoshine

See Bluntness's reply above, Regular. Comedy only works if you get it right, I'm afraid.

Well to be fair, it amused me, although I’m guessing not for the reason the poster intended. It was the mistaken misuse of the word.

I love the island in the kitchen but it isn’t like an impressive stately home in my kitchen, Never seen one that is...🤣

They are more like a tomb, like the one that Tutankhamen is in.

I do have two friends who have beautiful open plan kitchens with an island but also a utility in the garage. The reality is they both have a kitchen in the garage and a display kitchen in their house. They both do look spectacular and clean though.

Gotta love the ads on Mumsnet!

I love our island so much! There would be a huge dead space in the kitchen without it (we have a big dining table too so don't tend to eat at the island). I can't see how a well designed island in a large kitchen could be naff? I agree when they're shoe-horned into a small kitchen they are rubbish though.

I like them, but I think they only really work in big kitchens. I just love having that huge prep space where you really have room to spread out. SIL had one in one of the houses she and her DH renovated/extended and DP and I cooked Christmas dinner there for the whole extended family. Although it was a huge space, the stove, fridge and sink were only a couple of paces from each other, all the rest of the surfaces was worktop, and it was a joy to work in.

I don't know how pps manage to prep stuff at a kitchen table. Mine's too low to stand and work at comfortably, it would kill my back. And I'm only 5'6", so it's not because of my height.

Islands not so much like artex because they’re relatively easy to get rid of.

The DIY groups I’m on are currently obsessed with:

1. Building a false wall in your living room to put your TV in, along with some gaps for shelves. Will be a pain to get rid of and eats up space from the room.
2. Painting all your skirting, picture rails, basically all woodwork dark grey. That will be a nightmare to get back to white.
3. Wooden panelling feature wall, featuring grey squares. Again, takes up space and will be a pain in the arse to get rid of down the line.
4. Weirdest of all: “soundproofing” rooms by gluing on those large foam jigsaw tile playmates. Bad enough on a wall, but someone last week no-more-nails’ed them to her kitchen floor.
5. Gluing pictures to your stairs. Easy to carpet over though I guess.

An Island with a single row kitchen behind it is perfect and can be managed in most sized kitchens. It’s when people try to ram cabinets on all 4 sides that it gets cramped.

^^
This!

Plus there’s no need for floor to ceiling cupboards...under counter height storage is fine, anything above counter height tends to make a kitchen feel very busy and enclosed (IMO). A clever thought out island can house a lot.

@BranchAndPoppy @EggyPegg
I love our Belfast sink but it does get very scratched and stained - keep having to clean it with that Barkeeper’s Friend powder! Also, nowhere to drain the pots is a bit of a problem, but one I am prepared to live with!!

Not a fan of islands and I dislike open plan.
DM said the worst mistake she made with her house was to knock down the dining room walls to make the kitchen bigger.
Separate dining room and kitchen is the way to go

I love my island. It's about 3m X 1m and has the induction hob and oven in it. The sink is on the wall opposite,along with the fridge,so everything is within easy reach. I don't like wall cupboards,so don't have any. I've still got room for a large extending dining table too. I don't give a stuff about fashion,I'll have what I like.

I'm amazed at these people who have enough space for an island and a huge table. We have a long narrow kitchen with no room for either and certainly not both. We have a breakfast bar against the end wall, basically a worktop with no storage underneath and a large separate dining room. Works well for us, makes the kitchen a sitting area if we want. Sneer away.

It is a fad.

If you don't have an island you are not with it.

BLX. Sorry now, be yourself and go with your gut not facebook or pinterest.

Do what is right for you.

yanbu they are horrid and they are designed to bruise hips and toddlers temples imnsho

I too might resort to a breakfast bar @SerenDippitty, for exactly the same reason. Obviously, if I had room for a kitchen table this wouldn't be an issue!

I don't like breakfast bars from an aesthetic perspective, but I can't think of another option which takes up so little space? Ideas and suggestions gratefully received! 'Scuse blatant mini hijack op .

Wingedharpey, we don’t have wood chip, just Artex but there is some hiding behind a few of the radiators, so it looks like the previous owners removed it at some point!