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.

@superfairy - being dim but why two tables? I'd just have the one and absolutely no to an island under any circumstances, just hate having to perch on a bloody bar stool.

@SuperFairy

I hope not! We are about to have an island retro fitted into our kitchen!

It’s 26ft long and 13ft wide and we currently have a kitchen one end with a 6 seater kitchen table and a 10 seater table at the ‘dining’ end.

It currently looks like we run a bed and breakfast and if we take out the ‘kitchen table’ we are left with a huge floor space.

We are getting rid of the kitchen table and replacing with a 200cm x 900cm island.

I started reading this and thought you were getting a 26ft long island!

Islands are great if the kitchen is large enough. Too many have been shoehorned into inappropriate spaces.

We have an island and it's quite big but our kitchen is huge - 8m x 4m so we have a large kitchen and a large table and sideboard but NO SOFA OR TV (which makes for a crap shared space). We do have two other reception rooms so there was no need to squash the whole family in one noisy place.

That said, whoever said they want a sink in their island - do not! They're always messy places and you'll constantly be washing up to keep it tidy. Sinks are better on walls and hobs on islands if that is the only way you can.

One thing I love about the island is that it draws the eye, so if it is clear/wiped down the kitchen has a tidy feel to it, even if there are a few things lying around on the worktops (which there ALWAYS is!)

I spent hours trying to squeeze an island or breakfast bar into our kitchen design. Gave up in the end and opted for a kitchen with a dining table in the middle. I don't regret it for a second.

Just measured our kitchen. It's 8mx6m so very spacious.

Some islands have castors which give more flexibility.

I have a huge island and a huge table and still room for a couple of 3 seater sofas. I just love being able to cook facing the room and the people in it. We decorated for us and we still quite like it - nearly 10 years later.

That said, whoever said they want a sink in their island - do not! They're always messy places and you'll constantly be washing up to keep it tidy. Sinks are better on walls and hobs on islands if that is the only way you can.

I agree about the main sink being on a wall, but if space allows there’s nothing wrong with a second sink being put in an island. We have one and it’s just used for vegetable prep and filling drinks. Nothing is washed up in it or plates left in it.

@Freddiefox my island is like a high breakfast bar, the table part is level with the height of the kitchen sink, when we sit there our eyeys are not drawn to the sink, it means though when at the sink i can see out to the dining roombut when sitting at the dining table no one can see the emss at the sink unless they get up and wallk to hit so its hidden in one way. @eggypegg i agree with you on the belfast sink, had it in my old house, hated it delph got broke in it plus its shows up every bit of dirt and satins, was always scrubbing it with bleach so refused to ever have one again, Now have a stailenss steel sink inset into my granit worktop in the island

Also it kills e when go to freinds houses and they say oh we went with a mdern kitchen and you go to see it they have a huge belefast sink in it, eh thats not modern at all

I voted YABU. Depends on the overall kitchen design and unless they put asbestos in the island they are in no way comparable.

Work in the interiors and construction industry and everyone asks for an island
Even if there isn’t any space

Far better to have a table or a butchers block that can be moved

Terribly bulky ugly things and have just replaced the ugly peninsula’s of the 90’s

I'd have an island if I had a huge kitchen but it would be workspace and not have anything on it (like sink or hob). But I prefer separate rooms and wouldn't have a kitchen as a family room.

When I had my kitchen redone last year I didn't have any wall cupboards replaced, it really makes a huge difference to the feel of the space.

I was thinking about kitchen islands last night. We have a galley kitchen but we are on the market and I would love to move somewhere with room for a kitchen island. I was thinking about how one of my exes parent's had a really lovely kitchen with an island. I realised it's 20 odd years since we split up and so kitchen islands have been around for that long. They have been around for too long to be a passing trend and they are quite practical so will probably be round for a long time to come.

@Shodan have you thought about sliding pocket doors deviding the room insetad ? i have that between my lving room and kitchen dinner and it means in the evening to realx but when people are over i can have the dorrs open forfor free space

I have a large kitchen table (with drawers). I don’t have an island. I prefer the table- we can move it in or out closer to the wall; we can turn it widthways across the room when we fancy a change; it will come with us when we move; we can sit at it and use it for cooking/baking/food prep.

I think they are ugly....but they are so practical I can see why people have them

I have that one jn the bedroom pineapple. monkey and a different rainbow ish one in lounge. I wanted rid but dp works in construction and said no way are we touching it. Can't think how anyone ever liked it tbh

We're currently making our island into a peninsula by attaching it to the wall. Can't have enough worktop and storage space in a kitchen IMO.

We have a kitchen that we can it in at a deep bench(not as think as a breakfast bar) and a separate dining/sitting room which opens out to the garden. Everyone said we should knock through but we had reservations.I prefer separation especially the last 6 months with teens home. I love to retreat into the kitchen on my own with the radio and just cook away. Each to their own I guess.

Our kitchen is huge and runs the entire width of the house, so we have an island for workspace (and because it doesn't make it look cramped). I love ours and use it every day while I cook.

I agree about them being overused - in a smaller kitchen, they offer important storage/counterspace though, so I can see why people would want them.

*that we can eat in

• not as thin as

Islands work beautifully in large kitchens.

In the average Edwardian/Victorian terrace or 1930s semi, because of the width of the plot (even with a side extension), islands look a bit forced and cramped in IMO, usually alongside a dining table and even squeezing in another sofa.

Same for Victorian cottages which are usually squarish-rooms and lower ceilings - you are better off putting in a large dining table in the middle with space to manoeuver and walk round.

However most detached houses have a good sized room. NOT having an island makes the space ungrounded and wierd. I think kitchen islands are timeless and requisite in those spaces. Everybody gravitates towards it naturally.

Islands are ideal for anyone who hates going to a gym; it's like having your own circuit track in the kitchen. You'll soon get fit, thin and very fed up of running/walking miles round the damn thing.