Is my kitchen big enough for an island?

[goldenshoes]

I'm always impressed by the collective kitchen planning skills on mumsnet so I thought I'd ask advice on mine

I'm trying to figure out my kitchen space (potentially moving it from one side of the house to the other), I'm not totally sure there's enough space for an island but not having an island feels a bit small for the space and is a compromise on storage.

I've attached some images from the Ikea planner. There's only 110 cm space between the island and any other units (the planner tells me it should be 120). I know I could make the island smaller, but somehow that doesn't work either.

If we go for the island option the fridge/freezer/dishwasher are all along the wall with the sink and I'm thinking to put two under counter ovens in 9 and 10 (on the island) with the hob behind them in unit 7. No space for a dining table, we're not big users but I like the idea.

If we go for no island there's space for a nice sized dining table but we'll need to come up with some storage solutions (I'm thinking maybe a nice dresser along the wall to the bottom of the image) and obviously just one oven and a regular size hob.

There are only 2 of us living here, no kids and not too many visitors. The space adjacent will be a sitting/occasional dining room with big windows etc on to the garden. My heart says no island but my head thinks it makes sense and has a lot of plus points.

What would you go for?!

Island, definitely.

Should be ok. I would ditch the weird plants though, they would irritate the life out of me.

I think islands that are too small
Look quite 'oh look they crammed and island in even though they didnt have enough space. So id be mindful of that.

My only other suggestion is that where you have the row of eye level wall cabinets. I would go full height on as much of it as possible for max storage and to get a decent fridge freezer and possible your ovens stacked at eye level. You dont need the worktop space as your island is your main worktop space and probably the only one you will ever use. If the hob was electric id
Move it to the island and make that other wall a slick flush wall of floor to ceiling
Cabinets.

No would always choose a table and a comfy armchair or sofa. I hated my island in our last house.

We've got a similar set up though not sure about your two doors. We've gone for an island that connects to the side, with the floor cabinet in the awkward corner accessible from under the bar.

where to the 2 doors go to on the left edge of the plan? Is there scope to remove one?

you could go for a peninsula, so shift the island downwards & leftwards a bit towards the pillar in the bottom-middle of the picture. But if the door nearest that is a major door (not pantry/utility), then that might mess up the flow of people through the space.

The island looks plenty big enough to me, given that it doesn't include any seating. Presumably the area near the patio doors is for a table and chairs? Is anything else going in the room?

Thanks all mostly in favour of an island. Damn

@cauliflowerkorma I think islands that are too small
Look quite 'oh look they crammed and island in even though they didnt have enough space. So id be mindful of that.
I think that's my main worry about the island, I don't want it to look like I'm desperate for an island so it's either too big and crammed in or so small it looks silly! I see what you mean about full height cabinets and might have a play around with that next, I was trying to keep the island clear other than the tiny prep sink but maybe the hob would work well on there actually.

@breadfortea this is what I want, I just wish there was a bit more worktop space to play with.

@Di11y @parietal so the door to the top right will be a pocket door (probably) into a small utility area with the boiler and washing machine - I've just realised that I might need to leave a bit more space for it actually. The bottom right door is the entry. Can't move either unfortunately. I think I'll also have a play around with peninsula ideas and see how it looks.

@CasperGutman It's a good size, I'm just worried it will be too crammed into the room. The space next door will probably be a sofa and seating area with a small/extendable table if possible.

What about if I turned the island so it ran horizontally to the long wall and got rid of the cabinets to the right of the image? Would that be weird?

Defo but I might have it as a double width peninsular coming off the wall between the 2 doors and going down towards the patio doors

Been playing around and quite like this...

I'm thinking some clever cabinetry along the tall units so it looks like a cabinet but opens to 'reveal' the utility space behind, although might require a bespoke solution rather than Ikea depending on the width of the pocket door - will play with this more. Not totally convinced there's enough prep space but I think it will do for us.

Also I'd remove the two outer shallow cabinets at the back of the island/peninsula (not sure if this is either!) to create an overhang and a bar seat or two (that we'll maybe never use but might look quite nice).

Image with tall cabinets - realised this wasn't obvious in the plan above!

I don't like your updated version. I like the initial one with your island, definitely enough space. It depends how you live - we're a family of 5 and there's always comings and goings in the kitchen so having one end of the island fixed to the wall (in the updated peninsular drawing) doesn't work for me - means only one person can be in the kitchen at a time.

I wouldn't worry about the space round your island. The 120cm your planner suggests seems like quite a generous "minimum".

Most US websites I looked at when planning our kitchen seem to suggest allowing either 40 or 42 inches (102 or 107cm). The page linked below suggests 100cm is ideal and 80cm an absolute minimum.

www.houzz.co.uk/magazine/ask-an-expert-do-i-have-room-for-a-kitchen-island-stsetivw-vs~50404095

Another vote for the island. You've got plenty of space. You could consider Neff hide and slide oven if you want to keep space when your oven door is open.

I liked your island better than your second drawing and I think it’s a good size though I think your initial suggestion of table and dresser might still be best.

Take a measuring tape to the beach and mark it out with a stick in the sand. It will give you a better sense of proportions.

I have a 110cm in my kitchen and room for plenty more but my designer was adamant. I had more space in my older kitchen but I was always taking an extra half step. There isn’t room to work back to back but we don’t do that anyway.

I wasn’t keen on the island either (my kitchen designer was pushy ) but I’m so glad I got talked into it. What I didn’t appreciate was how versatile the space is - sometimes I work at the ends rather than the sides. And when the dc are helping it’s good to have it open as the flow is better.

I love the idea of a secret utility door!

There’s hardly any worktop space in the second drawing. Why don’t you go somewhere that will draw you a design up for free? They will have a good idea of what would work and what wouldn’t

ive got 100cm between my fridge and island, its plenty.

I like your second picture but I also think you might find there is not enough work surface. If you have a pantry, you might not need to have a whole wall of tall cupboards. you could put the hob over the ovens on the back wall & then get more work surface on the peninsula.

I quite like the peninsular design but I’d have the sink on the back wall to free up prep space on the peninsular. It’s very modern that design. Very sleek.

120cm allows two people to be working, have both side drawers/doors open at the same time.

I think 100 is ok. Not sure I would want to go much below that for a large area.

Where is the FF in the peninsular design?

I wouldn’t want people having to get past all the way down the peninsular to get to the FF.

LOVE the idea of hiding the util door behind cabinetry, it'll get you a very sleek look.

The second looks nicer than the first, but when you think about it you've basically got a fancy version of a galley kitchen with that option. One way in, one way out. If you make sure you've got plenty of space between the counters it shouldn't be too bad but I would try to keep it as open as possible and not be tempted to bring the island in to make more space on the living area side.

I think with counter space it really depends how you use it. We have an island and still use the wall cupboard counters for most tasks, as the kettle, toaster, coffee machine etc are sat on them, as is the hob.

No would always choose a table and a comfy armchair or sofa. I hated my island in our last house.

Snap. I much prefer a table to an island.

Thanks so much for all the input, lots to think about and play with.

I think it is possible to move the utility door into another room but then it will be a faff finding space for all the utility stuff, plus moving all the pipes etc for the boiler, and the washing machine would need to either be integrated or not be in the kitchen. It would make a better kitchen overall but I think the architect will point out how much more money it will cost to do this.

@CasperGutman that's a really useful link, thank you!

@YellowFish12 I like the peninsular too, it would look quite cool I think. I'd put the fridge to the outside of the bank of tall units and maybe change the ovens to be on top of each other.

@thelegohooverer I keep coming back to a table and chairs. It's a little cottage and makes me nostalgic for my grandma's kitchen! I'm just not convinced it leaves decent space for the actual kitchen but if I could move the utility it would be perfect, maybe I'll speak to the architect...

@TheCraicDealer now I've thought of hiding the utility, I really want to do it!

I'm not too bothered making space for lots of people, it's very much a 2 person house, you'd certainly never get a family with teenagers living here as there just isn't the space so we don't need to worry about that.

Honestly, I'm overwhelmed by decisions now and I still don't know if we'll even definitely move the kitchen yet! But it's useful to work all this stuff out and weigh up the pros and cons before making the decision (I really want to move it!).