Is this kitchen island too big?

[littletwinstar]

Dear all,

This is my first post. I'm really in struggle and hopefully can get some insight from you all.

I've always dreamt of having a huge island. My kitchen dining is 680cm x 430cm. (~29 sq ft). Around 300 x 430 belongs to kitchen area and 380 x 435 belongs to dining area.

Today I went to two places for a kitchen design and they came out like the attached file. Biggest size of island I could have with minimum passage way along each side of island.

I showed them to my friends and all of them said it's too big and have filled up the whole room. They think it doesn't look great. They prefer a small one like 120cm x 100cm with back of chairs facing dining area. That would be a reasonable size with a bit of space.

What do you think? If I'm going to sell the house years later, will the huge size island put people off because it makes the space looks very tight?

I will be very grateful for any input! Thank you!

Looks fine to me but I have a huge island myself and I love it.

In your designs I couldn’t really see what you’d use the leftover space for if you had a smaller island and you don’t have that much workspace anyway so you need a fairly substantial one. I assume you’ll have power running to it.

That looks too wide to me - you don't have enough space hardly to walk round it or open the cupboard/fridge doors and you would have to walk round it every time to get to things the other side which would annoy me - I'd have a peninsula, on the LH side, with seating behind, with that sort of space so you have room to walk to and fro between all the units.

How would you open the fridge/freezer door if people are sat on the stools?
It needs to be quite a bit narrower imo.

If you oven is in the unit behind the chairs, it looks a bit narrow if people are sitting there and you are getting hot dishes out.

A lot depends on where the fridge, hob and oven are in relation to each other. I would not want to be walking round the island constantly to get things and cook them, the gap looks rather tight. You need more of a clear walkway between key appliances.

But then I’m not a fan of islands as I hate sitting on a bar stool so as the dining table is so close to the kitchen area, I would not bother with one. That’s just my opinion though and if you have your heart set on one, them maybe look at the size. Could you mark out the size of the one in the picture in your existing kitchen using newspaper and tape, then you could see what space is left for movement.

I would get rid of the chairs or just put 2 on one end of the island. By that I mean put them on one of the short sides .

That will give you more space to walk around the island. Or you can have full depth back to back units.

You will never use 4 of the chairs on the island at once.

I think it looks great and if it's practical ie you can open/use everything (and people can easily move around) as people have asked then keep it as is, bigger is better who needs dead space

I don’t think you should have any bar stools, imagine 3 or 4 people around the island whilst you are trying to get food out of the oven or fridge, it would look and feel like Piccadilly Circus, also if you were stood at the hob the people on the stools would be staring at your back! The stools need to go, completely unnecessary and a hindrance.

I don’t get why you’d need all the stools when you’ve got a dining table in the near vicinity which would be much more comfortable to sit at . I think it looks far too wide as it’s left narrow looking aisles on either side .

We have an island that instead of square curves at one end the other end is a built in bookshelf. I love it, you do need enough space to comfortably walk around it and I think 4 chairs is too much. Ultimately you have to be happy it's your island!

How much space is there between the cooker and the island? I have a huge island and the gap between the island and the cooker is 1.3metres.

I agree with @SkiingIsHeaven - but I would because I have done similar - put 2 chairs at one end of the island with knee room and plugs underneath - so useful . then make the island big enough for access / opening doors / fridge etc. If you have a dining table in the same room - well - think about if you need 4 stools there.

But your choice and only my opinion. I hope you end up with what you want .

All best

I think it's too big depending on how many people you have in your kitchen. It will be awkward as only one person can pass around it and with doors or drawers open you'll have queuing

The space in the passage needs to be big enough for both sets of cupboards or whatever to be open and for you to move through them.

Agree the four chairs are needless and if anyone's sitting in them, it's way too squashed at that side. I'm not a fan of bar stools at islands anyway unless there's bags of room (and even then, why not sit at the actual table nearby). Also think island is off puttingly big and because it's white and has not curves etc it looks kinda basic like in a lab. I'd go smaller and have a bit more style to it. Two chairs at short end if any.

It’s too wide. The gap between chairs and fridge narrow

I the bar stools also.
i would ditch all stools, make the overhang part gone so it’s narrower. And the side facing fridge open oak shelving for cookbooks, and displaying nice kitchen stuff

Too narrow.

My stress test is can someone walk behind you comfortably if a unit door is open.

If the oven door was open that gap would be uncomfortable for one person to get through.

Separately I'm not sold on functionality of overall design. UK generally seems to have badly designed kitchens and I hate it.
I'd really recommend going to a second showroom and getting another kitchen design. You can the pick the ideas from each you like.
Or try a kitchen designer (karen at one plan is highly recommended here. We used her and thought she was great. )

I think it looks right - but tbh an island would drive me mad anyway having to walk round it all the time.

I have a peninsula in my kitchen rather than island - would that work?

I have an island that is 1800x900 with a walkway of 1050 all round which works well. I don’t think you could have any less than this for waking round the island. I would not bother with your island seating and instead seek to maximise cupboard space. You will not use the seats (we have some, my insistence) and you do not want them to be sticking out.

In a previous house I had an island that was 2000x1200 which was really fab.

I think you need more space around it so yes too big. I don’t agree about the chairs. I think they’re a large part of the point of having an island. I think it’s lovely to have people being able to perch there.

I think the island is too wide.
I would want 120 cm between the fridge and island.
I like the stools (if you have any) on that side so that those seated can converse with the table and the cook.
I agree with someone pror in this post that there might not be a need for any stools. I would very carefully choose the style and size of any stools you do have.

Can you comfortably open the oven in both designs, while being able to stand between the open oven door and the island?
Can you open the fridge easily, even with people sitting at the island? If it was an island we planned to use for seating regularly, I wouldn't want to always be saying "oh sorry, can I just squeeze past you to open the fridge, would you mind moving over a bit" etc.

Oh yes, makes a massive difference having the stools tucked beneath. If you must have stools, do that. I think the people perching while you cook is quite often the fantasy and is rarely the reality, and OP's hob, sink etc are facing away from the island anyway so not that great for cookery chat. Definitely don't want four huge stools sticking out into the thoroughfare anyhow.

BasiliskStare

I agree with @SkiingIsHeaven - but I would because I have done similar - put 2 chairs at one end of the island with knee room and plugs underneath - so useful . then make the island big enough for access / opening doors / fridge etc.

This. Your plan looks looks too tight, especially on the stool/fridge side.

I think it's too big, two stools at the table end of the island is a better idea. As it is it's going to be hard getting stuff in and out of the fridge with people sitting there, if they don't push the stools in fully you will constantly be having to move them. I assume there is a dishwasher somewhere, you want to be able to walk freely past that with it fully open otherwise loading and unloading is a pain.

I think it’s fine. Islands provide a good practical space. In real life it will be absolutely fine, because kitchen designers know the space needed. Much better than mumsnetters.