Thanks for your comments so far; it’s really helpful to get other points of view. Maths Wife, I’m with you on the pantry idea! In fact, I spent a long time trying to work out if we could put one there by getting decent-width access to the garden via another route. But coming through from the front door involves a narrow hallway and getting through several internal doors, and coming via the utility room would involve losing washing space to add a door, and a sharp right-hand turn. Apart from the fact that we’ll ultimately re-landscape our entire garden, which will all need to come through the house, I also sometimes use a mobility scooter, and although I don’t intend to take it into the house, I’d rather be safe than sorry in terms of access. We’re compensating for the lack of pantry by planning on turning the area outside those doors into a little shaded patio with small table/chairs. So in theory we could have those doors wide open in the summer, and have garden views from both ends of the kitchen. minnie101, I didn’t explain the meals for 30 very well . We set up another table in the playroom in those cases, so about half the people in each room. So in the kitchen I just want to make sure that we can have table fully extended whenever we need it, which seats about 14. For the drinks area, yes we’re debating having bifold doors so there is max countertop space for a small sink, kettle etc. As you say, it makes sense and saves the countertop space elsewhere, just makes for an expensive cupboard The roof lantern size is indeed limited by the fact that’s the only area of the kitchen that isn’t double storey. Other than squaring out a corner, we are keeping to the current footprint, as it’s just about on maximum extension already. That area, in a bizarre design choice by the previous owners, is currently the utility room, which just about blocks any view onto the garden - we need the lights on even in summer, despite that being a south facing view. I’ve spent most of the last 6 years trying to understand WHY someone would choose that layout as part of a fairly substantial extension, even going so far as to move the kitchen, which was south facing, to the other end of the room. I’ve yet to think of a sensible explanation…. We are going for a fairly timeless/modern country look, hence the orangery rather than bifolds, and also want to maximise the light as it’s a long room. Fingers crossed, it will look something like this, although with a lot more planting around it and step-free patio.

Hi. Yes, our first fix electrics are already in. Although, in theory, we should have been able to leave exact positioning until after the units were fitted (mid May), our ceiling is quite complicated: We have a hidden steel running down the centre of the room. So they have made special fixings in the ceiling, so that the pendants can still be fixed in the (hopefully!) best positions... We have one in the centre, then one equidistant between the centre and each end of the island. I think that should be ok. So they are about 750mm centres I think. They are slightly off centre, width ways, away from the hob side. Yes, too many big decisions. Not sure that I have made all of them right, but we are getting there. Current hold up are the bifolds, windows and doors. They are plaster boarding and plastering everything except for the reveals, but can’t finish or start the flooring until the windows are in. It’s giving me a bit longer to either about wall and kitchen cabinet colours 😱

With any island just make sure that you allow enough space around it, and we would recommend a minimum gap of 1m+ to anything else. At 85cm the worktop depth is on the narrow side, and assuming you have a standard base unit on one side, the overhang may not quite be enough for comfortable sitting. If this is the maximum size that will work within the space, you could explore having slightly shallower cabinets and that might give a more standard overhang of 30cm?

How narrow is the room? Need min 900mm walkway between fixed things (kitchen units, island, walls) - ideally 1000-1200mm really.