Kitchen island questions

[peachpearplum01]

We are currently designing a kitchen including island and struggling with a couple of fairly minor details. We were thinking of having a pop up plug on the island but it takes up a bit of cupboard space. Are there any alternatives - where else have you put plugs on an island?

And how many stools do you have / use? I really want four stools but there may only be room for three - does this matter? I guess we won’t sit all four in a row (and will have a dining table anyway...)

We have a fairly big island (3m x 1.2m) with quartz top and down stands and we have double sockets at both ends of the island which work well and look perfectly fine.
We are a family of 5 but have 4 stools. I just felt more would look too cluttered, even though there is room for more... as you say though, when all of us eat, we sit at the dining table.

We’re about to redo kitchen with an island. We’re going for sockets just under worktop over hang and 3 stools because I like uneven numbers.

My worktop on the island is 1.3 wide and has pop up sockets. Whoever thought 1.2 worked is wrong. You have a void down the middle for electrics etc.

If not, surface mounted under the worktop but not if you have cupboards. Can you alter the size of the island.

If you have cupboards you are stuck with them at the ends. Pop ups are more versatile re position.

I have a double socket under the overhang at one end (but to one side) and a cookbook shelf built in at the other end of the island and that has another double socket at the back of the bookshelf, so it can be hidden if not in use.

We have sockets at both ends of our island too and I've never had a problem (much nicer than the pop-ups IMO) and we only have two stools, very occasionally the (adult) dc will sit there together but more often than not they're used just when a person eats alone, mainly breakfast. We eat ' properly' at the table so works for us.

I'm also planning a new island, and I'm having this
www.firstlighting.co.uk/evoline-back-flip-worktop-socket/

Thanks all, really helpful! I’ve never thought to look at where the plugs are in people’s islands so it’s good to hear about what has worked

My islands 3.2m long with a circular table off set at one end. The other end has my veg prep sink so sockers are not really possible in thos locations. Under the table is a circular large pedestal with built in cupboards so no space for sockets there either. I like the flip over sockets. Hasving sockets at the ends is fairly useless for a large island. If it has seating down one end or at one side with no cupboards then get the socketrs there but they are not always convenient for mixers etc if you use the island as a prep area.

We have an island with a pop up plug, three I think with two USB sockets.

It’s towards the end of the island and I think the fitters moved the plinth out slightly so it fits between the back of the drawer and plinth.

With the seating could you have two seats on one side and two on the end rather than sitting in a row, bit more sociable. So you’re sitting at right angles. Hope that makes sense!

We have a socket in the recess where the stools are pushed in, halfway up the island. Works brilliantly, would never have a pop up as think they are crumb traps and also would be a pain if it ever broke.

If they are where seating is, I assume you have to walk all the way round to use them? For kitchen appliances this seems somewhat difficult.

I do think pop ups only work on big islands. They don’t get anything down them because they are right at the extremity of a prep area. We have not had any issues with that.

I'm sure I've seen plug sockets in drawers before somewhere also, which is a nice way to keep them out of sight I guess, I just dont like the look of them in the worktop personally so would avoid if possible. Our island is large and having them at both ends is fine for us but it's certainly good to think about in advance

We have a double socket at the flat end (not overhanging seating end) of the island. It is set slightly off centre so that when I am using it for the food mixer etc I am stood at the centre of the worksurface. The builder was going to put it centrally but saw the logic behind where I wanted it as soon as I showed him where I wanted to stand to use it.

We have an L shaped overhang around one corner of the island (whole of one short side and half of one long side). Fits 4 bar stools, 2 on each side of the L. Then plug sockets are tucked under the overhang on the side of the cabinets.

Bear in mind that if you install a socket on the side of a unit, the socket box will stick into the unit interior, which means it may be tricky to have drawers in that unit. Kitchen companies can advise on whether there is space. If you have a decorative panel however, the thickness of the panel plus unit side is often enough to absorb the box depth.

If there are 4 of you I would have 2 stools or 4 stools. Having 3 seems mean somehow 😆