Island or no island

last year

I am designing the rear kitchen extension. Below is the plan attached. The dimensions are 5.2 m by 4.3 m with patio doors on 4.3 m wall. One design is kitchen with island the other is kitchen peninsula. Could you please help to select one?

Featured Answer

Sue Benson

last year

An island every time! i lived with a peninsula in days gone by and it frustrated the hell out of me. When you are working at the end of it you become/feel totally blocked in, especially highlighted if someone else is working at your exit side. So much easily to gain access and exit at both ends.

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Comments (19)

Ellie
last year
Can you share pics of the designs you are thinking of?

It depends what you want to put in that space. Is it just kitchen? If so, then you might fit an island. If you want anything else, eg dining table in there, then unlikely.
I have an island and dining table, but my space is 6.3 X 5.1
Isha Dave thanked Ellie
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Hi John, I think it's a clever solution you have come up with to allow the play/toy area you wish to be including within the space. As has been mentioned above, I would agree that the bar is on the wrong side as you'd be looking back into the room, away from the view... that said, if you were to open up the downstairs then this could be debatable. Looking at your the second picture you attached, have you considered a t-shape setup... losing the bar area all together? Having two seating areas next to each other won't be your best use of space. You could have a larger/longer island (more storage, front and back) with a decent table coming off adjacent, centralised to the island. Regards, SA Designs
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I agree with many of the comments on here in that if they really work in the space you have then why not? However they don't work for every space and other ideas can make the kitchen easier to work within and still have an impact. In our kitchen a peninsular worked best. It is 90 cm wide so I have kitchen units one side and on the dining side I have a long shelf for all my cookery books, drawers underneath that, and a cabinet for our water softener. There is an overhang at one end with stools for 2 people. I could have fitted an island in, but it would have ended up much smaller and less useful than the peninsular, with less storage.
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I guess the budget answer is as little as we can get away with but am guessing somewhere between £25k and £355k for everything. Does that sound enough? I guess the largest amount of money will be spent on the kitchen. We moved in beginning of December and so far we have replaced all the windows, removed water tank from loft and immersion heater from airing cupboard and have had an unvented system installed (think that is what it is called). We have also had the back end of our double length garage converted to a study/sewing room. Bathrooms are booked in for May, finalising the plans for those in a week. The kitchen is the big one though. Then it will be installation of new gas fire to replace the electric one in the sitting room, new flooring, hopefully new bannister, flooring, carpet, decorating and plantation shutters throughout. Then the garden!
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I love it.... and am planning something very similar!! So much so, I’ve just saved that photo! Our room isn’t quite as big, but thinking of a coloured island as well. I think as long as you have good lighting it’ll be fine. I also intend to go with a light worktop to keep the room light, and a lighter coloured floor, however lots of people make darker shades work!
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Isha Dave
Original Author
last year
Hi Ellie,

Thank you for the reply. I was thinking of putting dining table in that area but got put off thinking kitchen will be small. If there any ideas they are welcome. I am attaching all the designs

With Island

http://panorama.magnet.2020.net/view/szbatnel0aockrotka26a/

http://panorama.magnet.2020.net/view/cb3rlwnk4ukt1ehywaovog/

It has island but wall space is reduced.

With island and dining table -

http://panorama.magnet.2020.net/view/a1yjv88skcxiyxfwagbjq/

http://panorama.magnet.2020.net/view/ddvzetjt9kiouf08dlovw/

It takes up the dining table. So my seperate dining table can be converted to media room

Without Island and without dining table

https://my-kitchen.howdens.com/plan/TkZ8500032457wcb

It gives lots of storage space

All has pros and cons . I need someone to weigh in:)

Thank you,

Isha
PRO
OnePlan
last year
If they fix the wall unit infont of window - this one seems a good choice ...
PRO
OnePlan
last year
But - you will need to check with the gas hob instructions as to how close to a window it can be . Alternatively swap gas hob to an induction one .
Isha Dave thanked OnePlan
colleen_osborne84
last year
Who lives in the house and how do you want to live once it’s done? Do you want soft seating or a dining table? Do you see yourself living in the extension part almost exclusively or will you still use lounge?

I think you need to go back to your motivation for doing the extension in the first place. What problem is it solving? X
Isha Dave thanked colleen_osborne84
PRO
Trotman & Taylor Architectural Consultants
last year
last modified: last year
Hi Isha,

I guess its a personal choice but to assist you in this design decision, I've found feeback from similar as built projects very helpful, despite how many plans & 3D visuals one looks at. To that end, I've designed a few like this & have a HOUZZ web page you can look at the photos & plans. I'll paste the links below but there may be other projects I've done to also inspire your creativity.

I hope this helps ?

https://www.houzz.co.uk/hznb/projects/rear-single-storey-extension-yeollands-park-ivybridge-pj-vj~2860390

https://www.houzz.co.uk/hznb/projects/single-storey-rear-extension-ivybridge-pj-vj~2605616
Isha Dave thanked Trotman & Taylor Architectural Consultants
PRO
Ang Lee Projects
last year
I think it really depends on what other space you have in the house and how you want to use your kitchen; is it for cooking or is it for spending time in? Do you have space for a dining table elsewhere in the house? How much storage do you need (the one with no island and no table has what appears to be a huge amount of storage but maybe there's a reason to have so much?) Would love to weigh in but feel I need a bit more info first!
Isha Dave thanked Ang Lee Projects
PRO
Andrew Morley Stephens
last year
Island are great. However, if you cook properly, avoid putting the hob in the island, fat splatters go everywhere. The hob is far better against a wall which can be kept clean and vented properly with an externally vented hood. I've often put sinks in the island. good luck.
Isha Dave thanked Andrew Morley Stephens
Ellie
last year
Appliances on the island, it depends on how you use your kitchen. I see a sink as for cleaning and for dirty dishes so wouldn't ever have it on island. Hob, I use only few times a week and never anything that makes mess so was happy with that on island.
Isha Dave thanked Ellie
tressette
last year
We have a kitchen similar to your design with the big island and no dining table and find it great - we cook a lot and having a big island that works as a worktop and a table for meals is great, if difficult to keep uncluttered. I would add that we do have a big dining table elsewhere for when we have guests, so you may want to consider if you have space for it elsewhere. Islands also provide with good storage, and you can always put a sideboard or dresser where the armchairs are in that design of you really need more, so wouldn't really go for the design with no island and no table. Never had a peninsula but I can see how it may not be very practical in such a big space. Best of luck!!
Isha Dave thanked tressette
Lindzzerz T
last year
I’ve got both island and table in the extension I had last year - the table doesn’t get used but I wouldn’t be without it. The island is a godsend and actually if you have the space, the kitchen would probably look empty and bare without one. What dimensions do you have between the island and the long run on the far wall? I think I’ve got 1.2m and actually wouldn’t want any more - 1.1m would also have been fine, otherwise you’re having to do extra steps to move between them.
Isha Dave thanked Lindzzerz T
Kristinna Counsell
last year
The island in the pictures you shared just looked like an overwhelming feature every time. It’ll end up being a dumping ground too!
As someone said earlier a cleaning nightmare with a job on it too!
Storage and an area of large workable work surface is key for me but it depends how you use your kitchen?
Isha Dave thanked Kristinna Counsell
cushioncover
last year
I would be wary of shoehorning too much seating around an island when you have a proper table nearby. One or two seats for somone to chat to the cook, but will 4 people perch round an island eating when there is a decent table 4 paces away?
Isha Dave thanked cushioncover
info447051
last year
You have got 4300 width,
600x2=1200mm for each side kitchen units if you want to you both walls for units and you need 800mm minimum between the unit and the island to walk around.. and the rest is around 1200mm for island in the middle ,,
Depends on your design, if you put units on 1 wall and the rest in the island it would work..
I m a kitchen designer ,, find my designs complete_home_interior on Instagram..
Isha Dave thanked info447051
GJ Dee
last year
We got rid of an island and added a peninsula as we only ever walked round one side of the island when we had it. Love it.
Isha Dave thanked GJ Dee
Isha Dave
Original Author
last year
Thank you . I was also thinking the same that by putting the island in middle (ofcourse in my space) , I would be going in one direction.

Do you see any issues with the entrance where peninsula is located ?
Ellie
last year
Which plan are you now considering?
Isha Dave thanked Ellie
Isha Dave
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
After looking at all the wisdom you all have shared, I am inclining towards the Peninsula.

The reasons are as below

The walls on one end are parallel, not in L shape. The other two sides open to dining and garden.

Dining area is literally adjoining to the kitchen, making an island look like a second big table in the overall plan.

I also went back to the motivation for doing the extension in the first place as suggested by @Collen_osbourne84. It was more storage space and big fridge/freezer.

As with Island, I might ideally have to keep all three in one wall or put sink or hob on island – both which I wanted to avoid.

Thank you all once again for helping me to reach this conclusion.

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Island or no island

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