Island V Peninsula - which of these plans looks best?

[SunnyTools]

We are currently planning an extension to the rear of our 3 bed detached home. We're trying to roughly plan the kitchen so we know what will go where and what size window to put in etc. Do you guys think we'd fit an island in the space? The door into the kitchen is beside the bank of tall units. I feel with an island we'll be in the door and straight into the island. I like the idea of a more open feel with the peninsula but am concerned about work space near the oven, hob and sink.

The room to the right is to be the utility room (currently our kitchen).

I've only estimated where the hob and sink might go along the window wall. We want a long narrow picture window but a kitchen provider said a hob under the window is against building regs. We need to check this out.

Like the island not the peninsular design - don't see the point of having seating there when the table is right behind it, plus it looks awfully crowded.
Maybe have a narrower island. What's the amount of space between the island and the utility room? Should be at least 1.5m to have room to manoeuvre behind the bar stools.

...... I prefer the peninsula!

With the island, it looks like you might have to zig zag round things as soon as you get into the kitchen.

I agree with @GU24Mum, I prefer the peninsular because I think the island looks hard to navigate around. Especially if you're carrying a load of washing into the utility and someone is sitting at it.

I prefer the peninsula layout, that island looks like it would just be in my way all the time.

the island you have two routes around it, whereas peninsula you have that pinch point where only one person can squeeze through next to it.
depends how much space you have around it and the scale but I would do island but maybe make it a touch smaller.

I think island, the peninsula looks like it leaves so much wasted space!

Also, with the island, the barstool sitting area is solely 'of' the kitchen, in its own distinct area. In the peninsula set up, you're sitting in the dining area looking into the kitchen and I don't like that as much.

I much prefer island. What's the actual dimensions in the kitchen area?

Thanks for your input everyone. The back wall can be moved back, as can the length of the the kitchen. We are at the design stage. I am thinking of bringing the peninsula forward to allow more room in the dining area if we go with that option. I don't want to have an island for the sake of having an island, it needs to work in the space.

The kitchen is approx. 4m. wide from picture window to utility room door. We've approx 8m. long to play with to allow for kitchen units on the left wall and the dining space.

"I think island, the peninsula looks like it leaves so much wasted space!"

I don't really see it as wasted space. We are so caught for space currently, our kitchen is the width of the new utility, that we can't have 2 people working in the kitchen at any time. I love the idea of someone else being able to make a sandwich or whatever while I'm cooking without having to step around each other! We're a family of 5.

I prefer the island, but I'd move the stools round to be on the short edge (backs to the back of the house), then they're not in the way of the circulation space. You'd only get 2 rather than 3, but with the dining table close by I'm assuming you're using them for social seating rather than eating.

Can you make the utility room a little bit shorter, to give you a little bit more space behind the island. If you can make the door a sliding one that will save a load of space.

Also, not the question you asked, but would you really put a sofa in front of your sliding doors?

@ReviewingTheSituation

I prefer the island, but I'd move the stools round to be on the short edge (backs to the back of the house), then they're not in the way of the circulation space. You'd only get 2 rather than 3, but with the dining table close by I'm assuming you're using them for social seating rather than eating.

I didn't think of that actually. We wouldn't be using the island for eating at. It's moreso for counter top space and having a cuppa!!

The island looks better but not a lot of cupboard space?

Agree with Reviewing - make the island a bit narrower and have stools at the end of it. Otherwise there is not enough circulation space to walk past the island.

@ReviewingTheSituation

Can you make the utility room a little bit shorter, to give you a little bit more space behind the island. If you can make the door a sliding one that will save a load of space.

Also, not the question you asked, but would you really put a sofa in front of your sliding doors?

The utility can't be too much shorter because there's a tv unit going on the back of it so we need the width there. We can play around a bit though.

Re the glass, the wall won't be all glass. It's a glass corner rather than glass wall. The glass isn't going all the way across and the sofa won't necessarily be the size I mocked up above either.

Feel free to throw out any other things you notice though, this is exactly what I want at this stage, rather than when it's all done!

@BungleandGeorge

The island looks better but not a lot of cupboard space?

The wall on the very left when you enter the kitchen is a bank of floor to ceiling units. We'll have some along the window wall and then in either the island or peninsula.

This is what I've mocked up.

And this

That's an odd place for a TV? And how big is your TV?! Must be huge if it's taking up the whole wall?
It can't be seen from the kitchen, so no good for keeping you company whilst you're cooking, and a long way from the sofa.

If watching TV is important, how about putting it on the long wall, and putting the sofa where the table is and the table where the sofa is?

@ReviewingTheSituation

That's an odd place for a TV? And how big is your TV?! Must be huge if it's taking up the whole wall? It can't be seen from the kitchen, so no good for keeping you company whilst you're cooking, and a long way from the sofa.

If watching TV is important, how about putting it on the long wall, and putting the sofa where the table is and the table where the sofa is?

We don't even have the TV yet
It will be a built in media wall with tv and electric fire type thing. I don't need a TV in the kitchen, don't have one currently and never missed it.

Why not move the utility to the left of the house and have the corridor without the left turn in it. You'd have the sightline from front door through to back garden and a more square kitchen / diner / family room.

I don't think you have enough space for an island, dining table and sofa area, so I would drop the island in favour of the dining table.

Have a look at 'George Clark's Old House New Home' from 1st December, Masum and Maria's House. They had a similar layout to you but without the utility, and they were getting rid of their island as it was getting in their way.

I love my island! It is so easy to take things out of fridge/cupboard and put them straight on island which I use for all my prep. I assume your fridge is in one of the tall units . You will also be able to take things out of the ovens and have a surface nearby to put them on.
I had the same dilemma of island v peninsula and am so pleased I went for the island, didn't appreciate just how easy it makes everything.

Ths island. Think about having one that's not fixed down so if you get fed up of it you can change it/move it.

The media/fire wall thing feels like it's in an odd place. Usually you want seating facing a fire, to enjoy looking it it, but only 2 of the places on the sofa actually face it, and they're a long way away with a lot of dead space in between.

The idea of moving the utility is a very good one. Although you'd lose the back door (unless you can put a back door out that side), and a back door is always a good thing to have. I think your utility is too big if you want all the other bits in, so I'd re-think with a smaller/repositioned utility, and see if you can get the media wall somewhere where it can be seen a bit more usefully.