Kitchen layout new extension

[lifeturnsonadime]

Hi I'm just looking for some advice regarding the floor plan of our new extension. We are mid build at the moment but I've having second thoughts/ doubts about the kitchen layout.

On the floor plan you can see that there is going to be an unavoidable structural pillar separating the area with the kitchen design and the space by the back of the house which we have earmarked as a living area at the bottom right by the bi-fold and a dining area by the window.

My worry now the construction is done and I can see the space is that the gap to the right of the current kitchen island off the pillar is enormous as compared to the gap between the kitchen Island and the sink.

Originally I wanted to make a feature of the pillar by having the Island off it but now I'm wondering whether to move the island to be more central in the room, so either to the right of the pillar standing in the same directio or whether to turn it round so there is more space to all sides.

Considerations :

• If it is moved to the right of the pillar but keep it the same way round will there be enough floor space between the fridge freezer / oven unit on the back wall and the Island? from the plan it is 954 mm.
• The area where breakfast stools are currently going to be located are looking into the kitchen, would they be better reversed so they will face a TV that will be wall mounted on the bottom right hand wall of the extention?
• That would mean that the hob that is on the island would be the opposite side of the island to the sink, is that a no no?
• If I move the Island independent what would I do with the pillar? Could the hob be freestanding against the pillar. Would that be too weird?

Hive mind opinions on this would be really welcome. Im not sure whether I am overthinking but obviously now is the time to do that!

In an ideal world I wouldn't have had the hob on the island but that was the compromise to keep the extended part of the build as a family area.

I would not move the island, you don't really want more than a step or two between the sink and hob when you are cooking, otherwise emptying got pans etc gets annoying.
You've a lot of choices here, the room is enormous. Your space between the island and fridge freezer etc. 900mm is the min recommendation.
I definitely would not put the hob on the other side of the island.

If you are set on keeping the extension as the living family room I would turn the island and make it bigger in every direction. Deeper and longer, fill the space to the right. You could the use one end for the breakfast stools, perhaps two on the end and two facing the back garden.

Or keep as is and put a dining table in the space to the right, then the whole of the extension can be family room/lounge.

I'll be honest though, if this was mine, I'd put the kitchen all the way down the left and sandwich the pillar in the middle of a huge island. I'd have my tall units with fridge freezer, oven and larder units in the part where you have the sink run, then in the extension I'd have hob and sink on an L shaped run.
Then the whole of the right hand side would be for dining table and lounge area.
Just feels at the moment that you are cooking in a corner and not perhaps making the most of the space.

Thanks that's really helpful. Definitely fixed on having it with the kitchen as in the plan. The plan with it the other way felt disjointed to us at the time and we wanted the living space to face the garden. We can't rearrange it now as the window is not at the correct height for a ktichen window and is already in place.

I do agree about the cooking in a corner aspect though on reflection. Although the kitchen will still be bigger than our previous one.

The idea of turning the island is appealing. I assume you mean keeping the hob on the sink end just at the end of the island rather than in the middle as on the current drawing?

My hob is on the island. My sink is about 12 feet away. It drives me crazy. Remember the triangle rule.
I bought the house after the kitchen was done. I wish I could redesign it.
The family space, dining and cooking should all face to the middle. Are you having skylight windows?

Yes to the skylight windows.

Interested by the fact you say they should all face the middle? How does that work with locating TV etc, that wouldn't normally be in the middle? I'm not sure I understand what you mean?

Yes, I do mean keep the hob on the end. If you make the island a lot deeper you'll have plenty of space either side. Just think about surfaces though. It can be tricky or costly to find worktops over 900mm deep. Depends what you were thinking of having and budget.