Kitchen island or large kitchen table, any thoughts?

[Pannacotta]

We are planning our new kitchen (and have been for some time...).

It's an awkward shaped room but we have decided to work with the footprint rather than extend.

We can either have a large kitchen table to seat up to 8 and no island, or a smaller table seating 4, 6 at a push, plus an island.

We don't entertain often but do have family over fairly regularly for meals.

I can't decide which would be better - have never had either in a home I have lived in!

Any thoughts/experiences?

TIA

Another vote for a large table. We have one in our kitchen and love it, it's made the kitchen such a sociable room for the whole family.

fresh I did wonder if having seating on two sides only (ie not the side facing into the blank wall) would make best use of the space, it would make it easier to get up and down.

amazonian I think we are at the same stage, ie the dithering one! It's the first time we will have put in a new kitchen despite two previous renovations so I am not very experienced, am also worried about getting it wrong as it will be expensive even if we don't use pricey units (need to re-wire, replace ceiling, re-plaster, new flooring etc).

A peninsula wouldn't work with the bay seating as the bay is the only place you could extend the worktop into the room, but we could combine it with a large table, leaving the sink in the bay, though it would cut the sink area off a bit.

stealth I do like your idea re masking tape/paper etc but there are units and a kitchen sink in the bay at the moment which makes that impossible.
Did you end up doing a kitchen design yourself? Where did you source your units from?

We did have an architect draw up some plans before, but they involved reducing the size of the room (so it was a regular shape) and adding bi-fold doors which didn't feel right to me (its an old house with kitchen at higher level than courtyard outside).

So am struggling to move things on really...

Hmmmm. We have an island. It's great and we store loads of stuff underneath it (plate/cereal cupboards, microwave, veggie drawers). I can see how it can become a dumping ground as others have mentioned, but I love the look of ours clear so we put stuff elsewhere. We also have one end of the island as a seating area, which could seat four although we only have two stools there at the moment.

Having said that I can also see how lovely it would be to have a big kitchen table there instead. I've tried to imagine our kitchen with one, and I think it would definately soften the look of it and make it cosier, although tbh, I think I would miss the storage space. It's a tricky decision... Do you need more cupboards or could you make do with what you had if you put in a table?

We are lucky in that we have room for both - I love my island for standing up prepping food, using mixers/food processors etc, and laying out plates etc for serving up, but I also like the table for children to sit at doing homework, me to sit down at if I am doing a long veg prep job etc. Our island doesn't become a dumping ground - it is used too much - but the table does. I think the idea of a table in the bay with built in seating around it is good - have lift up seats under the cushions for extra storage.

ps if you're planning then kitchen yourself then make sure you put in loads of plug sockets! I don't think you can have too many. I had to persuade dh to put an extra double one in, and even then it's not enough! I also wish I had one in the island...

We are lucky to have an understairs area which will be a walk in larder so are ok for food storage, but at the moment there is very little worktop space, which is part of the reason for wanting an island.

Just not sure I want one enough to give up a large, family table...

And thats for the tip re sockets monkey, have that on my radar... If we do go for an island I would put in one of the pop up ones which I read about on Mumsnet before!

oooh, think carefully about the popup socket. Crumbs get brushed down it..... suggest you find somewhere you can fix a socket on one of the cabinet sides. But definitely have one, mine's invaluable for Magimix/cake mixer etc.

and i love love love the table in that picture!

Oh hadn't thought of crumbs!
Yes of course a socket could be placed under the worktop or on the sides, but would definately want one for the blender etc.

we rejected pop-up sockets because every office either of us has ever worked in with pop-up sockets has broken pop up sockets. Kitchen designer thought we were nuts, I think but it was our money. We put in more sockets than we could possibly need and we use them all.

we didn't do it ourselves - we spent a large fortune (budget for whole house) and it was all worth it because it came with truly lovely fitters, and electrician, and grumpy but incredibly skilled tiler, and someone who sorted out a new plasterer when plasterer #1 failed to turn up (all plasterers are called Steve, it appears, and are therefore interchangeable). The sandblasting people were all my own work, though (broke a window and filled house with sand, but worth it).

units were from Stoneham, and the best bit about them (all good) is the deep drawers which hold all our pans and crockery.

sorry - all of that was basically explaining why kitchen designer was worth his cut even though he couldn't add up or draw - because of all his contacts, and their ability to make him absorb extra costs when he had forgotten bits!

I LOVE the bay window in that link. It's beautiful.

The only thing I would say though (and I say this as someone who dreams of some sort of recessed sitting area in my kitchen) is that in my old playroom in my parents' house there is a window seat at one end and you just can't sit there in the evenings in winter because it is too cold. Do you notice it getting a bit chilly around your bay window in the evenings? If so it's probably not ideal as a location for your main dining table. If it's just my parents' dodgy window then lucky you and it's a great idea {smile}

stealth it sounds like you are pleased with the outcome, despite the designer's shortcomings!

Grace that is a very good point, not sure how cosy it is to sit at a window seat on a winter's night...
We are going to replace the windows so they shouldn't let in draughts but I do need to mull that over.

Food for thought!

We have both an island and a large table.I think both are useful as we would have very little worktop otherwise.Could you have a small island on castors that you can push back against the wall when needed?.The table into the bay window sounds lovely.Banquette seating takes up a lot less room than chairs as do benches/pews and is really comfy.We have an old painted pew in our dining extension with lots of cushions on and it has given us so much more room than we originally expected.We also have an old house and wanted to have doors into the garden.I ended up building a patio on a higher level outside the kitchen with french doors leading out [i hate bifold doors on old houses].Its lovely to sit out on the steamer chairs and it already has a mass of clematis and climbing roses round it [the climbing rose is still flowering!].Its also lovely to be able to open the doors when cooking as our fan is pretty useless.

teta that sounds lovely! Love the sound of the rose and clematis around the
patio, very romantic. Out of interest, where did you source your kitchen units? I do remember you posting about your kitchen and building work and have a feeling your house is a little like ours, ie old and idiosyncratic, is that right?

We do have french doors out at the moment, which we will replace with wooden versions, but we cant raise the patio as it is very close to our neighbour's boundary and would really overlook her garden. Our house is on a corner plot so we dont have a view of the whole garden from the kitchen, though it is a nice view of trees and back gardens...

If we have the banquette seats then there is room for an island, but this does mean we cant have a large "family magnet" table, the bay is only 2.3m wide, so it would be a small-ish table for family meals only really, no good for bigger groups. Not sure if a small table would be such a family magnet and that is where the compromise lies.

I am horribly indecisive, have been thinking about the kitchen for a year now and still cant make a decision!! In fact am pretty sure you posted on my kitchen layout thread last year

Is the room able to take a table at the moment? Then you could test it out and see if it does become a family magnet.

Our island has seating at one end (semicircular), for 3 people. We also have a dining table off to the side, but in the same overall space. DH and DC's routinely sit at the island to eat, and the only time we use the big table is if we eat together (rarely) or when IL's come (fortnightly). Homework is done elsewhere (and by osmosis apparently as I never actually see it done ), but you're probably a more sociable family than we are!

If it helps, I have a sheet with the sizes of table needed to seat various numbers (for square, oblong and round tables) - can scan it and pm you if you want.

Our patio overlooks our neighbours garden too apart from a massive overgrown laurel hedge in the middle.I have planted lots of clematis and a pretty camellia to block the view.But we do have views of hills and sheep straight on!.Can you not get a table thats oval shaped at the ends so is round without the middle sections.These can be added on to make a long table .We have an antique one like that and can fit up to 12 [very squeezy] people at a pinch.So ours will do 4 with no middle bits.6 with one and 12 with 2 sections[pedantic].It would fit into the window but could be extended when required.Would it work?.Kitchen came from Pineland Kitchens and was made out of pine and customised to fit - but was a long saga [as was builder!].Yes,our house is old but i think not as old as yours.

If by "old and idiosyncratic" you mean wonky and difficult (like ours) then the secret is definitely in the skill level of the fitters - whoever you decide to use, get (and take up) some references. I have been a reference a couple of times for our fitters and am happy to do it.

My dc's never sit round the island to eat.Maybe its because they are young and like to lounge on cushions[as does the dog!] and feed the dog at the same time.Their friends love to come and have tea here as it is very sociable [and at home they have tea on their laps watching tv].

fresh yes please to the table info, I do have an Architects handbook somewhere with the same info but cant find it!

We do have a table at the moment but its not that big, 110cm diameter, and is in the middle of the room (ie in the way!) so doesn't feel very relaxing. DSs not at homework stage yet, but we do sit and do stickers/play cards but it is cramped. I am not very sociable in fact but I do want the boys to grow up knowing how to behave at a meal table - bit of a struggle at the moment admittedly!

We do eat together often, breakfast every day, all meals at weekends and I sit with the boys while they eat their evening meal so a decent table is important.

teta yes we could get an round/oval table for the bay but I dont think there would ever be space to seat a large number which is a shame, esp in a big 5 bed family house (also thinking of re-sale).

Other option is to keep the kitchen for family meals and have a larger table in our sitting room which has space for a decent sized table.

And stealth yes it is indeed wonky and difficult, very much so, so would deffo get references for fitters. Not that we are at that stage yet! Dont suppose you are near Norfolk?

Thanks all for your thoughts, is good to get some feedback.

I'm glad someone else is as indecisive as me

Our current kitchen table is the same size as yours and it isn't big enough for more than 4 to eat. DCs have friends here once a week at least for dinner, so if they have a friend each there's no room for me and another mum, which is a pain.

We have a large dining table in a room off the living room but down the hall from the kitchen and we only use it if we have people for dinner or family staying. It's a waste of a room really, and even when it is used, people still crowd in the kitchen while you're cooking or sit at the table and I feel isolated in the kitchen. I hate it! Hence reason for moving kitchen to create big kitchen diner...

So I'd go for big table in kitchen, and plate up food at the table!

saw a very nice prep trolley locally. It looked like a 2m kitchen unit when pushed back to the wall, but rolls out, and had chopping board, hanging utensils, shelves under for oil, spices and dishes, also drinks area. Too high to be a table, more of a work island that can be rolled out of the way. The wheels must have had brakes to keep it steady. It may have had the 800 worktop rather than standard 600 as it seemed quite deep.

Big kitchen table.
Have one now. The kitchen is now the place to hang out and can easily have people round for tea.
IMO a kitchen island is a way to get you to buy more units......

Personally, I would have a large, old battered table in the middle of the room and a comfy sofa in the bay window, with a reading light above it, for cosy evening reading when you don't want to watch what the others are watching.... Love sofas in kitchens, friends can sit and chat while you prep.... I found that I thought I needed more worksurface than I actually really use. If it's spare then people will fill it up with junk anyway.... Like most people, one end of our table is full of piles and is homework end, but we can still sit the five of us up the other end