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.

I love the island we have in our kitchen. We don't eat at it though. The belfast sink had to go though, I find them ugly.

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.

We only have floor to ceiling cupboards on one side of the kitchen. the other side under counter only and large and small windows so the kitchen feels bright and airy.

Who wants kids in their face when cooking a meal?

It doesn't work, just put the kids in their space and do your thing in the separate kitchen surely.

Islands are probably going to be seen as naff quite soon, probably alongside serving hatches of the 70s . They’re more of a status symbol.
Cooks use the space nearest the hob.
The trick is to use your worktop.

If you need extra space ( because you’re usually feeding 20) then use a table , but wait... you don’t have the room because you’ve got an island.

Having watched endless renovation/ country escape type programmes I really think, Chuck the island and make a family room instead.
Replace the island with a curved sofa.
You only need a 12 square inch of space to prep your food.

We have a separate kitchen and dining room and when we moved in I wanted the wall knocked down. Then we had lockdown and we were on house arrest for months, and the dining room became my office and a room that could be shut and ignored when work was done.
Its great! we eat off of trays during the week (whilst bingeing 30 Rock) and eat in dining room at weekends. Feels nice to be able to change.
Our kitchen isn't massive though, if it was I'd have a proper walk in larder and no wall cupboards.

Our parent's houses were designed to keep it all separate.

And I agree with that now. I will revert.

@BranchAndPoppy: Would a "Murphy Bar" work for you?

Breakfast bars were IT in the 80s, I always wanted one as a kid. So modern and American
Now, my dream kitchen has a big, old, proper kitchen table, like they have in Gosford Park, and a cold pantry.
I like high cupboards, hate bending down to get stuff. Islands do look like tombs!

Disagree. I love mine. I’d argue you didn’t want open useless space in the kitchen, you want extra storage and surface and somewhere to sit. At least I do, might be different when the kids leave home and I’m not cooking for an army on the weekends.

@LightAsTheBreeze

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

Do you mean a coffin?

King tut was in a tomb which had a series of chambers, leading to the burial chamber, was in the valley of the kings and was quite small , (but not kitchen island small) ,,his mummified Body was in his coffin in the burial chamber of his tomb.

And the tomb is basically a vault that is under ground and often with a series of chambers or rooms. One of which is the burial chamber, and where he was placed in his coffin.

A mausoleum is the above ground version. And holds rhe tomb/crypt of rhe deceased person /people. The Taj Mahal for example is a mausoleum.

I'm still waiting for fitted kitchens to die a death.
Give me a dresser and some free-standing cupboards and a table any day.

We also have a separate kitchen, it’s long and narrow but has plenty of prep surface, a lot of the 1930s houses like ours have been knocked through to the dining room and have islands but we preferred to keep it separate, it’s also not too fitted either as it wouldn’t be in keeping with the house style.

I've seen them done badly and it tends to be when people are determined to put one in even when the room does not really suit it - or are determined to have a much bigger one than suits the room. It's like wedging a sofa into a not huge kitchen though - very much of the moment and not really that great an idea. But that doesn't mean no kitchen should ever have an island - or a sofa. I agree about the table issue BTW, large island, small table - that's not right!

The belfast sink had to go though, I find them ugly.

I cannot believe what I'm reading! They are beautiful. What did you do with your old one ?

BranchAndPoppy: Would a "Murphy Bar" work for you?

I'm not even sure what that is! Thank you very much for the suggestion. I am off to Google image it forthwith !

I hate kitchen islands.
We got rid of ours and replaced it with a ping pong table, which has proved very useful during lockdown.

I've just started the tedious process of getting builders in to quote for a single storey extension out the back. I've had two in so far and both tried really hard to get me to knock down a wall, change the kitchen, have a large 'open space', have an island...

No. I want a separate room. I don't want to 'relax' in a room where I can see that the dishes need washing. Or the smell of fried onions is mixing with my posh candles.

On Artex though- I had the ceiling and walls plastered a couple of years ago to cover that up. I still look up at my lovely smooth ceiling and admire it

Islands do look like those tombs you see in cathedrals, the ones that have effigies lying on top.

Re fitted kitchens - they are often the most practical way of maximising the space in an average or smaller kitchen.

I tend to find if your island "takes up too much space" either your kitchen is not big enough for an island or your island is too big for your kitchen and you should have chosen a smaller one.

I love mine, but I also have a large kitchen and it slots in perfectly and is so versatile. I cannot see it being tossed aside anytime soon

YANBU
They are a bit naff

Just in the process of getting my new kitchen (with island) fitted. I was so excited until I read this! I didn't realise there was so much hatred for an island! Too late for me now 🙄

Bluntness100

Yes it probably is a coffin, my bad

@BranchAndPoppy

The belfast sink had to go though, I find them ugly.

I cannot believe what I'm reading! They are beautiful. What did you do with your old one ?

BranchAndPoppy: Would a "Murphy Bar" work for you?

I'm not even sure what that is! Thank you very much for the suggestion. I am off to Google image it forthwith !

Not sure a Murphy Bar would work... Our kitchen is narrow, so I think it would hit the worktops on the other side when we dropped it down, unfortunately. Thank you anyway Wingedharpy.

I'm sure I can find a nice breakfast bar... I'd like one which is a bit wider, so people can actually eat off it. Some are very narrow.

Sarcophagus, I think, is what was meant up thread.

@yolio

Separate kitchen is coming back. Watch this space.

Inevitable really for so many reasons, privacy and space elsewhere is one.

You heard it here!

I think I would kill for a separate kitchen....Oh Honey!!!!

Totally disagree. I don’t know what we’d have instead, just a large empty bit of room with everything around the edge? Guess they look terrible if your room can’t take it.