Kitchen Plans - will an island look silly here?

[LizzyBee9]

www.houzz.co.uk/discussions/5934807/kitchen-design-ideas-can-we-fit-an-island

I dont know how to post pictures on here but would love some advice on these kitchen designs I have drawn up... I would love an island but not sure if its too tight. We would have 60cm for the unit run, 90cm space, 90cm island (is this a good size?) and 90cm space between island and wall... ? Thoughts please

i'll add your photos.

It does look a little tight between wall and island. Can you access the space to mark the plans on the floor?

Looks tight...

When I planned my kitchen I have used painters masking tape on the floor to outline where the cabinets and white goods would be and if I could fit a small table. I then pretended to be cooking and moving around I then made adjustments to my original plans.

Thinking further, if that's the door you'll come through, say with bags of shopping, you'd need to do a quick 90 degrees turn which would be awkward in that space.

I think 90cm is a minimum gap, a more comfortable size would be 1.2m

Personally I'd only have an island if there was room for a table and chairs or a sofa on the other side of it, under the window. I'd rather have a bigger space in the middle to circulate. That said, it would be great to be able to go in and out of the back door without getting in someone's way who is trying to do stuff in the kitchen. Do you have enough room to open cupboards and walk past them?

Agree this looks tight. I’d be putting cardboard on the floor to see how much space is left but I don’t think this works, sorry OP

90cm isn't enough between the oven and the island unit - you won't have the space to get things out of the oven. You need 1.2m for it to be comfortable. In your current kitchen, try placing a chair 90cm from your oven and then try it - you'll bump into the chair.

90cm island is tight to have a sink on as well, plus if the sink is there you'll constantly have stuff waiting to be washed up or draining (not everything goes in the dishwasher. I think sinks are always better against a wall.

IMO you don't have enough space for an island unit, sorry.

Just thought, what do you have beyond the end of the island, where the chair is?

why would you want an island? what would you do with that narrow bit of space between the island and the window?

It would be much better to push the island back to the window and have more space in the middle of the room.

think about the kitchen in terms of how people move about the space and use that to guide your planning.

@LizzieMacQueen thank you so much! No idea how you do that lol. I have units in the way of properly marking it out but from the overall thoughts on here its too tight... oh well.It was worth a try lol. I will work on some new plans and see everyones thoughts on them x

@LaughingDonkey yeah i think you might be right, and it would be so annoying if we spent all that money and it just felt too crammed in cause it is actually a decent sized kitchen just obviously a bit too narrow for an island. Thank You! Im going off to work on a new plan lol x

@longtompot no there wouldn't be room to have a cupboard open and walk past and thats a great point, that would be very annoying in a busy kitchen. I'll go and work on a new plan lol. thank you!

@TeapotCollection think everyone is absolutely right... I had island dreams tunnel vision lol! But seeing everyones responses has been a great help. I'll need to work with what I have and make it a practical space to work in. Thank You

@fresh Thanks so much for the reply... yeah i don't have enough room lol! It was definitely wishful thinking there. I will go away and work on something else keeping all these points in mind! thank you.

@longtompot it carries on through to the open plan dining and family room. The whole space is an L shape with the kitchen dining on the long it and it turns and there is the "family room" area. x

@parietal yeah your so right. The space between the island and wall would just be a walking space to walk round but as its been mentioned its really just a bit too tight. I think because I have a U shaped kitchen just now with a breakfast bar, I really just wanted something different but its not going to work. Thanks for your insight. Ive got a plan of what I think might work....

Ok so everyone has been amazingly helpful and, your all so right, its too tight for an island... I see that now! lol.
I think I have a new plan but hit me with your thoughts ....
(Again.. Im sorry but I have no idea how you add these pictures)
www.houzz.co.uk/ideabooks/115786356/list/webuser-168345303-s-ideas

You could turn the island through 90 degrees and have it coming out of where there are draws next to the oven. Then you'd still have room to move in the kitchen and could have stools and places to sit and chat with people in the kitchen area.

@IdrisElbow Great minds.....Thats what I've done in my new plan...
www.houzz.co.uk/ideabooks/115786356/list/webuser-168345303-s-ideas

What do you think now? better? Im the same... love looking at houses and making plans lol x

Cross posted!

That looks good, what's the gap between the drawers and the edge of the peninsula? You don't want that too tight!

Yes I would put cardboard or boxes to make sure before you commit :)

@Emmagen , @jmarie38 it sits back a bit from the edge of the peninsula if you get that I mean, so the drawers don't sit straight across from the edge of the peninsula. Its 1.4m from the end of the peninsula to the wall. 92cm on the angle from corner to corner if that makes any sense!

Ive reduced the size of the peninsula now after putting some boxes up, 90cm felt a little tight. x

I would try masking it out on the floor before you give up on the idea @LizzyBee9. Mark up where the cupboard door would be when it is open. I had a similar layout in my old kitchen and it was great. The island was about 120cm (two cupboards wide) by 300cmish (half cupboards, half table (room for 5/6 people to sit) in the centre of the room, units arranged in a L-shape on 2 sides of the room, sofa on another side. I don't have the plans (or the kitchen) any more but I don't think it was much more than a metre between the island and units looking at photos (sorry, I don't want to post them).

We have a galley kitchen in our tiny London flat and there is only 110cm width floor space. It's fine.

@LizzyBee9

Yes, looks very nice :) I will comment on lighting, sink and lack of extractor fan.

Switches and sockets! If you are doing everything from scratch including new electrics, then think long and hard about where do you want light switches and electrical goods (coffee machine/mixer/etc.) Again you need to visualize using appliances and switching lights on/off. I would have 2 light switches - one by the entrance into kitchen and the other by the door into garden.

Lighting wise - those two lamps on the sides of display cabinet will not be sufficient. In my kitchen I have spotlight bar with movable arms and movable spotlights. I really like two hanging lamps over breakfast area, so your solution to better lighting might be small fixed built into ceiling spotlights.

I also have a sink under window and my main problem is that splashes get onto windowsill, however I do not see where you could move it.

I noticed you do not have kitchen extractor fan?