Replace dining table with kitchen island?

[HouseworkIsAPain]

I have a small kitchen that I have knocked through to the dining room. As DC get older, the kitchen feels very cramped - there's only really space for one person to be moving round comfortably in the space.

I'm have a table in the dining area part. I've tried to use it for food prep but it doesn't really work as the it's too low. I;m thinking of taking out the table and replacing with a kitchen island - would give more prep surface, extra storage. Would get barchairs with backs for comfort.

There's usually 3 of us eating at the table - sometimes DC have a friend or two over but not often enough to make me think I need a large dining table.

Has anyone else sacrificed a dining table for a kitchen island? Or has both and finds they use the island more than the table?

Have attached pic of current layout. I have a separate living room and no space currently for a table anywhere else in the house (would get cheap folding table for the living room for Christmas, cover with nice tablecloth). When DC are teenagers, I will change their playroom (a small lean to extension) to a dining room.

Arghh - so many typos and extra words - sorry!

Sounds sensible to me. I have a breakfast bar in the kitchen and we pretty much only eat there other than high days and holidays so no reason not to with your set up.

Is there any room for a dining table elsewhere in the house?

Are you planning on selling at any point?

Not having room for a dining table would definitely put me off buying somewhere.

Could you replace the low storage with floor to ceiling to give extra storage room?

Sorry I realise I completely missed the last part of your message on my phone!

If there is place in the future to create a dining room then I think it’s fine

Red - reassuring to hear you use breakfast bar for day to day meals

Friday - Good point about re-sale. I’d declutter and put dining table where DC have toys if I ever move.

My only niggle now is whether an island would dominate the room. But would be so useful as prep space.

Can honestly say I don't know anyone with an island who uses it to sit and eat at.

If you are going to try it, could you get one of those island-on-wheels from e.g. IKEA that could be moved if it doesn't work? They're higher and mostly used as food prep but you could possibly get enough space to eat at. Or alternatively a dining room table with adjustable height?

It might work everyday but do you not ever want to have family over for Christmas/birthdays etc? Is there really no other time in your year where you might want lots of people around the table?

A trial with an Ikea setup sounds good. Just checked - the island area would be bigger than the ones on IKEA’s website and tbh I don’t have the spare cash to use on a trial.

I do have family over for birthdays and Christmas. Was thinking that a bigger kitchen (which is effectively what I’d be getting) is better for us day to day than the times people visit. But if we end up not using the seating at the island and I can’t have a massive family meal round the table, that is an expensive risk for me.

I need to find someone with an island and stay with them to see how comfy it is to sit and chat and eat meals!

My friend has something like this - a small (higher) island for prep and then a dining table abutting it. Do you have space for that?

FWIW - we have an island and sit at it to eat probably 7 meals out of 10 (even though we have a big table next to it!). It's a really social space!

Name - that looks like an option actually. Thanks for suggesting - going to look for more examples along those lines.

I really really hate sitting on bar stools but that’s cause I’m short. They’re a pain to hoist myself up onto and not comfortable even with the bar to rest your feet.

I would swap your low storage for a bench seat with storage (what we have) and shove the table over a bit to get more kitchen - longer worktops on the U shape or Ikea butchers block type trolley added.

I did. When we replaced the kitchen I got rid of the dining room table and put a peninsula in instead. It is large, it sits 6 spaciously and I’ve easily had nine sit and eat round it. The dining room we use as a second living room so no dining room table there either.

We always eat at the peninsula, and I don’t and never have had “formal”dinner parties. We have friends over for dinner a lot, a least monthly, and everyone is quite happy in the kitchen, in fact even when I try to get them into the living room people tend to congregate in the kitchen and sit round the peninsula.

It also has cupboards built into it, so it’s simply a good use of the space and fits in well with the kitchen design.

I’d also say don’t do bar stools, they are horribly uncomfortable, mine are heavily cushioned, with a high back, so more like a raisable dining room seat, which are kept at min height. Uncomfy seating means no one wants to sit there for any length of time.

Also you get what you pay for, the more expensive ones have a heavier base and are more stable, the cheaper ones have a lighter base and are not stable, if someone leans back they are liable to break it,

We went the other way. We used to have an island but it only ever got used for breakfast - the table is far easier for meals.

It's not very comfortable sitting at an island and it's not very convivial sitting along one rather than around a table. I'd sooner reconfigure the kitchen space.

Thanks all - lots to consider.

The kitchen was installed 6 years ago and I can’t afford to reconfigure it. It worked perfectly when it was just me cooking. It’s only as DC have got older and I expect them to help more - washing dishes, helping me cook, etc, that I’ve realised we need more prep area so we can do things together.

I’ve been watching how my DC use the table like a hawk. They often sit down to draw etc. Hopping up will be awkward for them. Otherwise I’d see myself using an island like Bluntness does.

My mind is now along the lines that name suggested and snows MIL has. I’ve measured up and have space to fit cabinets in an island and a normal table alongside. Seems the best of both worlds!

Could you take out the low storage and use it to create a peninsula at right angles from one end of your units - so that you have more prep and a breakfast bar when needed - this would free up space to keep your dining table and chairs which you can push back up against the wall where the low storage was?