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Original poster

Talk to me about kitchen islands

74 replies

GraciousPiglet · 23/01/2022 18:16

We are about to remodel and are moving our existing kitchen to our new extension. We had a good floor plan but now I'm nervous that we are not using the space very well and that perhaps we don't need an island.

The space is about 3.5m square And we have two walls available for cupboards to go on. The rest of the kitchen space backs onto other areas.

We will have one row of cupboards and counter tops and then a few tall cabinets (like a pantry cupboard) on the wall opposite. The ovens are built in at eye height.

We were planning to then have an island, and on that island would be our sink - a small sink as we don't really wash up. The island will be just under 2m long and 1m wide.

There would be approx 800mm between the row of cupboards and the island, so essentially by adding our island we are creating a sort of galley kitchen, which I'm now feeling a bit nervous about.

If you have an island, what space do you have around it? If you don't have an island how do you find it? Has anyone regretted putting an island in their average sized kitchen? Is having a sink on the island a terrible idea?

If we don't have an island we'd basically have an l shaped kitchen with loads of space in the middle of the room. I can't decide if that's weird or not?!

OP posts:
Newnormal99 · 23/01/2022 18:42

Can you put in a peninsula to divide it from the other areas. Breaks up the space?

foggygreyday · 23/01/2022 19:54

Having just had a new kitchen fitted with an island, I would advise that 80cm between island and wall cupboards would not be enough. It would feel very tight. I'd say you need a minimum of 100cm, ideally 120cm.

hallamoo · 23/01/2022 20:24

Go for an island over a peninsula- a peninsula will create a corner and someone will always be in the way. No corners with an island/galley.

Go for an island over units on two walls, everything will be close at hand for cooking and you can have bar stools on other side to be sociable.

Don't have your sink on the island, everything will leave their crap around the sink on the island and you will be forever wound up by it. At least crap around the sink against the wall can be better hidden.

Mosaic123 · 23/01/2022 20:24

Would you be better with a table? At least you can move it, get an extending one perhaps?

trumpisagit · 23/01/2022 20:27

I don't think you have space for an island in that room size.
How about posting a kitchen plan?

Moonshine5 · 23/01/2022 20:52

I'm anti Island. On a personal level I feel that they were created for women to multitask in the kitchen: watch the children while cooking and or entertaining and now WFH.
On a practical level I think dining tables are better.m, more comfortable and socially friendly. With islands the bar stool type seating is hard on the back and not everyone wants dangly legs sitting so high up. Also who wants to stare at the cooker / sink. Plus sharp corners young children etc.
I'm aware I'm in the minority with my view (Islands being a tool of subjugation).

LazyDoll · 23/01/2022 20:59

Kitchen designer here. You need an absolute minimum of 900mm around an island otherwise it will be very cramped. Who’s designed your kitchen for you?

Paranoidandroidmarvin · 23/01/2022 21:04

I had a table instead of an island. Much nicer.

JustJam4Tea · 23/01/2022 21:06

We’ve got 1m between island and units. It’s just enough that we can squeeze past each other and open the dishwasher fully with a bit of a gap to walk past it when open.

It works for us. We put hob On island. Didn’t want sink as there’s always stuff like plastic tubs from dishwasher drying, oven trays etc.

I’d be put off by a small sink as well unless it was a prep sink and there was another one …..

JustJam4Tea · 23/01/2022 21:06

Measure the space out with cardboard£ or chalk and see if it works.

user1497787065 · 23/01/2022 21:18

I don't think you have space for an Island I'm
afraid. I'm presuming that this is an extension to relocate the kitchen? Another poster suggested a peninsula. Why would you add an extension and then visually divide it up?

Original poster
GraciousPiglet · 23/01/2022 23:05

We can't have a peninsula as we have a slight level change and, well its very boring but it doesn't work!

Husband designed the kitchen for us as we are having to reuse a lot of what we already have to save money - mostly worktop!

We have taken all this on board though and we have increased the gap so it's now 1m. I feel a lot better about it.

If we had cupboards on the two walls we'd end up with a huge space and no way of filling it - partly because of the step change and also because of a supporting pillar. Basically it's not really open plan even though it's 'open' visually. So the dining room can't encroach on the kitchen.

We don't need a table as it's right next to the open plan dining room. So I'm hoping our island will be more part of the kitchen for prep etc than for eating. I expect the kids will Potter about at it but we'll eat at the table still.

Sink wise, definitely rather have the sink on the island than the hob as I would worry about kids touching things when I'm cooking etc. Sink also takes up less room.

The sharp corners def fill me with dread, not going to lie!

OP posts:
JustJam4Tea · 24/01/2022 07:51

Just measured ours is 800mm from worktop to worktop. It’s just enough, but you have to stay skinny.

55Jumbo · 24/01/2022 08:10

Our kitchen proportions are bigger but units laid out the same, and it works so well.

Totally agree re sink on island, rather than hob. We did it that way and have never regretted it. It's also quite sociable for getting people drinks or whatever. Offset it so it's not smack in the middle of the island, breaking up the space!

Good you've increased the island-kitchen gap to 1m. That gap feels just right for us.

Could you get curved end units if you're worried about sharp edges? It will also make island feel less dominant. More expensive though.

NeedAHoliday2021 · 24/01/2022 08:47

I’m not having an island because I know my family would just use it as a centre point to pile their random crap. Also my dc love roller skating round the kitchen. When I did look at them though the advice was more than a metre around the island.

hallamoo · 24/01/2022 08:56

We have the hob on the island. It's an induction hob, so is only hot when there's a pan on it, so very safe with children around. It also looks very sleek on an island compared to a sink, which will stick out like a sore thumb.

Hob is also sociable for chatting to people whilst cooking. I feel like I'm on Saturday kitchen 😜

I'm so glad my sink is not on my island.

Bitezbabe · 24/01/2022 09:17

Also have an induction job on our island. Nice to be able to cook and chat to people sitting on bar stools on other side of island. Think a sink and taps would look a bit messy.

JustJam4Tea · 24/01/2022 09:45

Hob on Island, induction, wipes clean, so the whole Island looks tidy.

The sink on the other hand....

Why2why · 24/01/2022 10:04

@Moonshine5

I'm anti Island. On a personal level I feel that they were created for women to multitask in the kitchen: watch the children while cooking and or entertaining and now WFH. On a practical level I think dining tables are better.m, more comfortable and socially friendly. With islands the bar stool type seating is hard on the back and not everyone wants dangly legs sitting so high up. Also who wants to stare at the cooker / sink. Plus sharp corners young children etc. I'm aware I'm in the minority with my view (Islands being a tool of subjugation).
I couldn’t agree more.
MaggieFS · 24/01/2022 10:13

It sounds like you've given yourself enough space now which is a start.

I'd be very concerned about a kitchen with a small sink. Unless you have a separate utility sink? What about oven trays or other big item.

Our hob is on the island and it's perfect. The sink is behind and out of the way. There is never ending clutter around the sink and it would drive me mad if it was all over the island.

JustJam4Tea · 24/01/2022 10:42

I'm not sure Islands are a tool of subjugation any more than a kitchen table or a kitchen itself.

It's a handy way of getting more storage. I'm happy to perch on a bar stool for 20 minutes while my husband cooks.

WildFlowerBees · 24/01/2022 10:50

Our island doesn't have sharp corners we went for a more rounded edge. I love it, mostly because it houses the bin and recycling Grin

foggygreyday · 24/01/2022 10:56

MN is hilarious sometimes! Islands were created to keep women in their place in the kitchen... ok then!! HmmGrin

We have an island with a hob on as it makes the space more sociable as when cooking (either me or DH.. shock horror we split cooking duties) we can still watch tele and face to room to chat. We have a separate dining table in the same room that we eat at. We have an induction hob which is flush with the island and a pop up extractor fan. I like the hob on the island as it prevents it becoming a dumping ground.

Caspianberg · 24/01/2022 14:00

Yes I just don’t get islands

High up stools, usually in a line so hardly social. Not great for young children, old or any physical issues.

Every single person I know with one uses them as a junk collection spot, and eats at the actual table

If the tables right next to it anyway, why don’t you just make the worktops deeper so you have extra space at the back, and just keep the space as space? We have just added worktops that are 75cm deep.

foggygreyday · 24/01/2022 14:13

@Caspianberg I think it depends on how you want to use the space, deeper worktops still mean you're facing the wall rather than other people while you're preparing meals or whatever you're doing. We do a lot of cooking, make everything from scratch, so for me it much more sociable to be able to stand around the island to cook and prep.