Please explain kitchen islands to me!

[cathmom]

I've never had a kitchen island, and it seems to me that they would just get in the way and take up space in the kitchen. You always have to walk around it instead of walking directly across the kitchen; it would be harder for multiple people to be working in the kitchen because you would always have to pass between the island and the other person. But when I watch HGTV they're always raving about how buyers want islands. What am I missing? Why are they supposed to be so great? I see that they give you more work surface, but I've got plenty of counterspace without one, and if we need more room, we just sit at the kitchen table.

[mom4him]

I've never had a kitchen island, and it seems to me that they would just get in the way and take up space in the kitchen. You always have to walk around it instead of walking directly across the kitchen; it would be harder for multiple people to be working in the kitchen because you would always have to pass between the island and the other person. But when I watch HGTV they're always raving about how buyers want islands. What am I missing? Why are they supposed to be so great? I see that they give you more work surface, but I've got plenty of counterspace without one, and if we need more room, we just sit at the kitchen table.

If you have plenty of work space I wouldn't worry about it. We put one in our kitchen when we remodeled it but it isn't in the middle of the kitchen, it is as a divider between kitchen and the rest of the living area. It provided not only needed work space but also very needed lower cabinet space.

[Ellie]

If my kitchen didn't have an island, it would be pathetic. :glare:

 

Not all kitchens need islands, but if there's big floor space, an island is very useful. It doesn't get in the way--people traffic just flows around it.

[annlaura]

One reason I like my island is that DS4 can sit and draw/do a workbook page/play lego/tell me stories while I chop/mix/roll, and we're facing each other. It's also great for boy/toddler/dog parades. I have an open floor plan, so it makes sense in our home.

[Brindee]

We love our island. As others said it has extra storage for us, and people traffic flows around it. We have people over a lot, and we set food on the island and people can gather around it to talk or flow around it to fill their plates then move to the table or family room. This is dh's and my 2nd house that we've owned. Both have had islands, and open floor plans, and I'd miss it terribly if I didn't have it. It's like a gathering place, easy place to fix food/cut veggies, etc. without facing away from everyone.... yeah, I lke it! :D

[Julie in CA]

I think the best thing about the island is that you can be working along with another person so easily, and be able to have a face-to-face conversation at the same time.

 

Another plus is that if you tend to have gatherings where you're serving food from your kitchen, it's usually more convenient to place food on the island so that you can have people serving their plates from both sides, rather than a line of people waiting to pass by in one line at a standard counter.

 

One side of my island has two barstools. One of them is my place in the kitchen (where I spend a *lot* of time, lol! ;)), and where my computer lives. The other stool is there so I can put my feet up while I sit at the island with my laptop. :tongue_smilie:

[Alenee]

Of the three houses we've owned, this is the first one with an island and I have to say, I would have a very hard time working w/o it. My kids are able to do their schoolwork there, facing me while I work and I have a ton of extra storage space. It has also come in very handy for cake decorating. The walls enclosing the kitchen were not planned well, so in my case, to have any sanity while cooking, the island is a good thing. :)

[joannqn]

I have the perfect island; it isn't in the middle of the kitchen but rather off to the side. DH often sits at it while working; it has an overhang on one side for sitting at with barstools. We put stuff on it. It's an extra work surface when we need it. It provides extra storage space in the drawers and cabinets under it.

[swimmermom3]

I have a small kitchen that is in an L-shape. The island is to the outside of the L. The side that is accessible to the kitchen has two very large drawers that hold my pots and pans. These are behind cabinet doors. There are 3 shelves as well for my cookbooks. The opposite side has a counter overhang for two bar stools. The island separates the kitchen from the great room. We do all of our science experiments on that island. I also place all of the hot food on it when I am entertaining. Dh and I can cook together with ease in the kitchen in spite of its small size. The island is wide enough that it could safely hold a Moses basket or bouncy seat with child while I was cooking.

[akmommy]

Well, I'd like more of a breakfast bar, but would settle for an island. My Grandparents's bb divided the kitchen from the dining/ family area of the house and could sit three with leg space, but they could add two more stools on the kitchen side when needed. It was the hub of their home and life there seemed to revolve around it. I have many, many fond memories of time spent at that bb.

[sewingmama]

We have a very large island right in the middle of our kitchen - I love it. I use it as a cutting table for my sewing - far better then doing it on the floor or the kitchen table which is the wrong height. I've never had one before this house and I will sorely miss it when we move (rental) -in fact I've told my DH I will never live in another house that doesn't have one - I now consider it an essential item like a toilet :001_smile:

[happypamama]

This is the first house in which I've had an island, and I'm. . . ambivalent, I guess. It is sometimes in the way, but I have it because I have very little counter and storage space in the kitchen, and I really need the island for that. It would be really hard to accomplish anything in my kitchen without the island. It does have the overhang for stools, so sometimes the kids sit on one side; I do most meal prep on the island, so I can face them, but they can also just sit at the regular table too. (When I had just two kids, we used the island for breakfast and lunch, so I only had one surface to clean, which was a plus.)

 

However, in my previous kitchens, an island would have been in the way.

[Denisemomof4]

I find the kitchen island to be the main meeting place in the house, both when we're home alone AND when we entertain. I find this to also be true in all my friend's houses. We are currently getting bids on a kitchen remodel and I had to seriously consider whether or not we make a larger island in the kitchen or add another row of cabinets w/counter on the other side of our current cabinet/counter and place a smaller island in the middle. Not having an island would never be an option. I *LOVE* my island and always choose that as my work surface over counters. We have decided to go with the larger island for many reasons.

 

*First of all, the workspace is larger and easier to work on than the limited depth of counter top space. As a baker who would pull out the wheat grinder and then Bosch to make bread, then have all the ingredients and tools out, need space for kneading, etc., a counter top would not have worked out nearly as comfortably. The large island is much easier for these types of things, including prep work.

 

*when cooking and entertaining, I can work at the island and face my family/friends as I do prep work. We have chosen to again have an island with seating as it always is the gathering spot.

 

*When preparing meals I don't have to face a cabinet. Instead I can look to my dining room, outside, or at the tv - which I *love* because I sometimes tape a cooking show and then will watch it as I prepare.

Edited May 1, 2011 by Denisemomof4

[mytwomonkeys]

our island is where our sink & dishwasher are, it has underneath cupboards, etc. it has 2 stools that you can sit at as well. i love our island & feel it really adds to the beauty of our kitchen. i don't use it to prep food on or anything, but the island really isn't created to be that kind of space - at least our's isn't. i really love it though!!

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I have a fairly big kitchen, and the island is not in the way at all. Our island has our cooktop and lots of storage underneath. I love it. I can stand and face outward to the rest of the kitchen while I'm cooking instead of facing the wall. It doesn't interfere with the traffic pattern at all. I've been in some kitchens where the island was in an awkward location, though.

[DarlaS]

I think the best thing about the island is that you can be working along with another person so easily, and be able to have a face-to-face conversation at the same time.

 

Another plus is that if you tend to have gatherings where you're serving food from your kitchen, it's usually more convenient to place food on the island so that you can have people serving their plates from both sides, rather than a line of people waiting to pass by in one line at a standard counter.

 

One side of my island has two barstools. One of them is my place in the kitchen (where I spend a *lot* of time, lol! ;)), and where my computer lives. The other stool is there so I can put my feet up while I sit at the island with my laptop. :tongue_smilie:

 

:iagree:

 

We're planning an island for our kitchen remodel (still haven't started... sigh) and I expect to organize things so any cabinetry on the opposite side from the sink & stove is mostly cold storage. I plan on shallow cabinetry (12" deep base cabs or wall cabs floor to ceiling--my kitchen is sort of narrow for an island otherwise) on the wall just beyond it for storage containers, wraps, less often used baking supplies etc. There wouldn't be much over there I'd need very often.

 

A place for a laptop is a good idea. Hmmm...

[Impish]

Islands are something I look at when viewing kitchens. If there isn't one, I consider what it would take to put one in, even a moveable one. I'm so sick of having little counterspace or cupboards. A nice big area to work on sounds heavenly!

 

I've warned Wolf, if we end up putting one in, I'm eyeing a marble countertop. Bliss!

[DarlaS]

I find the kitchen island to be the main meeting place in the house, both when we're home alone AND when we entertain. I find this to also be true in all my friend's houses. We are currently getting bids on a kitchen remodel and I had to seriously consider whether or not we make a larger island in the kitchen or add another row of cabinets w/counter on the other side of our current cabinet/counter and place a smaller island in the middle. Not having an island would never be an option. I *LOVE* my island and always choose that as my work surface over counters. We have decided to go with the larger island for many reasons.

 

*First of all, the workspace is larger and easier to work on than the limited depth of counter top space. As a baker who would pull out the wheat grinder and then Bosch to make bread, then have all the ingredients and tools out, need space for kneading, etc., a counter top would not have worked out nearly as comfortably. The large island is much easier for these types of things, including prep work.

 

*when cooking and entertaining, I can work at the island and face my family/friends as I do prep work. We have chosen to again have an island with seating as it always is the gathering spot.

 

*When preparing meals I don't have to face a cabinet. Instead I can look to my dining room, outside, or at the tv - which I *love* because I sometimes tape a cooking show and then will watch it as I prepare.

 

You're making me rethink my kitchen plan. Again. My kitchen is 12'5" and I was going to put in a narrow (maybe 30") island and shallow cabs on the wall behind it.

 

If I make a bigger island, it'll be too tight for any cabs on that wall. Maybe some nice art, shallow floating shelves or mirrored tiles would look good...

[cin]

we don't have an island, per se, but a pennisula. at the 'end' of the kitchen, dividing the kitchen and the eating area. There are 2 chairs on one side of it and that is where the girls are SUPPOSE to eat breakfast and lunch. IF I can keep their carp off it, it is a great place to prep for my OAMC, and to leave the crockpots all day. But I have a budding artist who loves scissors, markers, and LOTS of scarp paper (not a misstype, it really is carppy paper). And she draws there while I work in the kitchen. I guess I shouldn't complain, she still likes to be near me, but she is only 6.

 

One of the things I like about the pennisula/island is that it opens up the whole back of the house, but still somewhat divides it. I can see what's going on in the family room, what's being watched, and as I told DH, when the daughters are dating, I can see what's going on. And we all know that if you nearby but not actually INVOLVED in the conversation, you are almost invisible, so you can also keep track of what is going on in that sense too.

[Tarreymere]

I need one, we don't have much countertop space, and walking over to the table to mix, chop, ect is a pain. If you can't see a need for one in your kitchen then you probably don't need one!

[PeterPan]

It just depends on the type of kitchen you have and how you cook. My kitchen opens up to the great room, so the island is essentially a wall providing extra counter. I made my aisles quite wide (over 4'), so we have plenty of room to work with lots of people in the kitchen. I specifically spec'ed it so you can have one person unloading a dw (with the door all the way down) and still be able to walk around. My stove is in the corner on an angle and recessed, so another person can stand there. It just makes my kitchen work. So effective islands are thought through to make the kitchen work as a whole. If they don't have water or electric or anything, a raised table would work as well. I have a sink, dw, and electric along my whole island (meaning I can plug in or work anywhere, it's almost 10'), and it's wonderful to work at. I do all my cooking facing my family. Clean-up area with a dw is on a different wall, with no window since you don't stand there long. My wall with a window has a long, open span of counter, wonderful for baking and doing big projects on.

 

I think people's expectations of how they cook and interact with their family have changed over the years. I designed ours for the things we cook (lots of salad, less stove time) and how we like to interact (me facing family sitting opposite at the raised seating). But no, I dislike the raised seating and almost never sit there.

 

If you're actually wanting a book on designing your work space, "Kitchen Design with Cooking in Mind" by Silvers is very good.

[eternalknot]

I like islands. Kids in our family love to "help" cook and bake, and the island space makes it SO much easier to indulge this! Some of my own best memories were gathering around the island with my older sisters, aunties, mom and grandmothers just talking, laughing, and preparing meals. It wasn't a true island, rather a small table in the middle of an eat-in kitchen :)

 

I don't really care for (or understand) islands that are all or mostly stovetops. That defeats the purpose, IMO. I'd feel like I was doing a cooking demo! It's actually a dealbreaker for me when looking for homes; the price has to be negotiable so I can afford to re-do that feature.

[DarlaS]

I like islands. Kids in our family love to "help" cook and bake, and the island space makes it SO much easier to indulge this! Some of my own best memories were gathering around the island with my older sisters, aunties, mom and grandmothers just talking, laughing, and preparing meals. It wasn't a true island, rather a small table in the middle of an eat-in kitchen :)

 

I don't really care for (or understand) islands that are all or mostly stovetops. That defeats the purpose, IMO. I'd feel like I was doing a cooking demo! It's actually a dealbreaker for me when looking for homes; the price has to be negotiable so I can afford to re-do that feature.

 

:iagree:

 

I'm having a hard time even deciding if I want a tiny bar sink in mine. It might be convenient, but it would also be two just steps from my full-sized sink. :001_unsure:

[Crissy]

I don't like the idea of an island, so we went with a peninsula. I love the amount of storage and counter space, not to mention the actual open floor space in my kitchen.

Attached is an image from the final weeks of our remodel.

[littleWMN]

We have a tiny kitchen with an island. I have a love/hate relationship with it because it's in the way. You can't pass the dishwasher when it's open and you can't open the island doors when the dishwasher is open either. One the other hand, it has two cabinets in it and is more workspace.

[delaney]

Storage, bar stool seating, extra outlets, down draft stove and a barrier! I would love to convert to and L shape that really blocks off one side of the kitchen but that isn't going to happen. I do wish I had opted for the small sink in ours when we had the option.

[gardening momma]

This is what my kitchen & dining room look like with the island. The island is not in the middle of the kitchen, but at the outer edge of the kitchen, separating the kitchen from dining room. The dining room was an addition before we moved here, so I think the kitchen was an eat-in kitchen. There would have been no room for an island because the kitchen table would have to have been there. ETA: my sink is in the bottom left corner of the picture (not drawn).

Edited May 1, 2011 by gardening momma

[Denisemomof4]

You're making me rethink my kitchen plan. Again. My kitchen is 12'5" and I was going to put in a narrow (maybe 30") island and shallow cabs on the wall behind it.

 

If I make a bigger island, it'll be too tight for any cabs on that wall. Maybe some nice art, shallow floating shelves or mirrored tiles would look good...

 

Well, I personally LOVE a large island. I also came to this choice because if we added the row of cabinets, we would have had to put a large window above and lose the slider. I *LOVE* the full sun that slider brings in (southern exposure) and I didn't want to lose half of the light, so that also played into my decision.

 

Still, I'd chose the larger work surface over more cabinet/counter space. Again, it promotes gathering and conversation. At a counter it's just different.

 

Darla, have you had a designer come out to the house? They're VERY helpful and it won't cost you. I loved having the additional input.

[gardening momma]

I don't like the idea of an island, so we went with a peninsula. I love the amount of storage and counter space, not to mention the actual open floor space in my kitchen.

Attached is an image from the final weeks of our remodel.

I really like that. What kind of flooring is it? I see some faint lines...some sort of tile?

[Denisemomof4]

:iagree:

 

I'm having a hard time even deciding if I want a tiny bar sink in mine. It might be convenient, but it would also be two just steps from my full-sized sink. :001_unsure:

 

we haven't made a decision on this either yet.

 

The contractor came up with a plan to have the cooktop in the island. When the designer came, he said he hates the cooktop/stove in the island. I'm thinking I may, too.

[Crissy]

I really like that. What kind of flooring is it? I see some faint lines...some sort of tile?

 

It is a limestone composite tile.

[gardening momma]

It is a limestone composite tile.

Does it have grout? I see from your link that there is an option not to use grout, and I can't see it in your picture. It also says it's warmer and more comfortable than ceramic. Can you tell the difference?

[Crissy]

Does it have grout? I see from your link that there is an option not to use grout, and I can't see it in your picture. It also says it's warmer and more comfortable than ceramic. Can you tell the difference?

 

We didn't choose grout. My husband likes the appearance of no-grout, and because he only cared about a few things, I didn't argue. I do like the traditional look of grout better, though.

 

It is definitly warmer than ceramic tile. And it has some give to it, so I don't worry about cracking one when I drop something (which I do far too often).

I think we've had the kitchen finished for nearly three years now, and so far I love the tile.

[DarlaS]

Well, I personally LOVE a large island. I also came to this choice because if we added the row of cabinets, we would have had to put a large window above and lose the slider. I *LOVE* the full sun that slider brings in (southern exposure) and I didn't want to lose half of the light, so that also played into my decision.

 

Still, I'd chose the larger work surface over more cabinet/counter space. Again, it promotes gathering and conversation. At a counter it's just different.

 

Darla, have you had a designer come out to the house? They're VERY helpful and it won't cost you. I loved having the additional input.

 

I will most likely do that before we start. Placement of certain things is kind of non-negotiable though and limits us a bit in a 12 x 14ish room. Probably all the more reason to consult a designer...

[Denisemomof4]

I will most likely do that before we start. Placement of certain things is kind of non-negotiable though and limits us a bit in a 12 x 14ish room. Probably all the more reason to consult a designer...

 

a designer will help you to figure out what's most important to you, and he will maximize the use of your space. In a simple conversation he decided that on one side of the stove I'll have pull-outs for all my platters/baking stones, and on the other side pull out spice racks. I never would have dreamed of the pullout for the stones and platters but we *really* need it! He also told us that pull out drawers is the way to go to maximize space. I agree. In my current kitchen there's a lot of wasted space above the items. Pull out drawers would take that away.

[Crissy]

He also told us that pull out drawers is the way to go to maximize space. I agree. In my current kitchen there's a lot of wasted space above the items. Pull out drawers would take that away.

 

I have pull-outs in all of my lower cabinets. They are fabulous!

[DarlaS]

a designer will help you to figure out what's most important to you, and he will maximize the use of your space. In a simple conversation he decided that on one side of the stove I'll have pull-outs for all my platters/baking stones, and on the other side pull out spice racks. I never would have dreamed of the pullout for the stones and platters but we *really* need it! He also told us that pull out drawers is the way to go to maximize space. I agree. In my current kitchen there's a lot of wasted space above the items. Pull out drawers would take that away.

 

Sounds pretty close to the pantry cabinet I've been designing in SketchUp. I went and measured common items in my existing pantry (and I'm using the term "pantry" loosely here) and added thickness for drawer bottoms and a little for clearance and you can get way more space out of a pantry that way than with shelves. I put some closer and some further (tall cereal boxes etc.)

[KidsHappen]

I don't like the idea of an island, so we went with a peninsula. I love the amount of storage and counter space, not to mention the actual open floor space in my kitchen.

Attached is an image from the final weeks of our remodel.

 

My kitchen is 18X12 with a long bar like this. I can fit three bar stools on the long extension and two more on the angle and then two more on the short extension although I usually just have two on the long and the other two at the bistro/pub style table in the dinette. My kitchen seems too small for an island. It really seems like it would just be in the way.

 

My dd's kitchen is about 14X14 and she has an island and I can't imagine her kitchen without it. When we are all there we gather around the island to cook and eat andmake drinks and what have you. Traffic seems to flow right around it and it is a handy place to sit things from the stove, fridge or sink.

 

I have had the strange circumstances of living in two different house with the exact same floor plan - one with an island and the other with a bar. I much preferred the bar in that kitchen so I guess it really depends on the kitchen. I would have to see it to know if it would work for me in that particular kitchen which means a remodel would be hard because I don't know if I could visualise what it might look like.