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Design Dilemma Kitchens

Kitchen island - help needed

6 years ago

Hello Houzzers, we’re planning to update our kitchen and we’re currently struggling with the size of the island. We need to maximise the storage potential but don’t want (obviously) for it to be out of scale or to cause problems getting around the kitchen. There is no flexibility in terms of moving anything else in the kitchen. I’ve added photos of the kitchen below plus sketches of the existing island/location measurements and two options we’ve come up with. All advice or criticism welcome as keen to get it right. Please forgive scribbles on plan - a small boy on the loose!

Featured Answer

HU-752410343

6 years ago

Having open end(s) and side(s) would free you from constraints of doors and adds visual interest. Access from both sides makes the internal space more usable, since deep cabinets tend to lose things at the rear. Incorporating some drawers facing the table, sink, and cooker could be helpful for cooking gadgets and tools and serving items (cutlery, hotpads, and napkins) can be handy and reduce counter and wall/backsplash clutter. I recently had an island included in my newbuild with access from 3 sides, which included deep drawers, shallow drawers just under the countertop, and the end access is a door on one end and is open on the other. I also included electrical sockets under each end and these are very handy for things like toaster, mixer, blender, grill, waffle iron, phone charger, etc., some of which can be stored below but readily accessible for the dining table or for cooking prep work.

Be sure to include some overhead lighting (and decide if it will be recessed or a feature). Consider an overhead pot rack but don't get hung up on the idea- it has advantages and drawbacks. Keep the walkways to 1.2m minimum and 1.5m if there are 2 cooks! One of the best things you can do is make a model (or several) using posterboard. It's easy to do and you can view it from various side angles rather than just a plan view from above and even photograph it from different angles to get a better sense of a future reality. Put the model (or photos) where you can see it/them over several days before deciding on the final form and placement.

If you want to use off-the-shelf (vs custom) components, you could join upper wall units mounted on a base facing different directions. Consider having a different countertop surface and colour or texture of materials to make your island a feature. If you are retaining the wood cabinets shown in your photos a light colour island will keep your kitchen feeling more open. I chose a stunning cultured stone top but a very plain laminate for the wall counters to emphasize the island as a feature.

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Comments (11)

olivia38
Original Author
6 years ago
And the plans.
PRO
Amberth
6 years ago
Good morning Olivia,

Minimum distance between the wall units and the island should be 900mm all around. 1000-1200mm is most efficient and comfortable if you have more than one person working within the space. The diagonal distance could also go down to 900 or 1000mm so it looks like option 2 should work fine and you could move the island a bit more towards the pillar and make the kitchen island 1400x900, which could give you island with an overhang or units on both sides.

However, best approach would be to think about the overall design of the kitchen area and how to make it functional and beautiful. There maybe other options possible.

I hope it helps.

Kind regards

Inga Kopala
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I think 1200 is a good clearance- I have 1000 which is fine but they reckon that 1200 is right if you have two people in the space. If you had a smaller island I think the island would look too small so I wouldn’t make the walkways bigger. In addition you currently have a foot hole for the stools that is 2200mm- in my opinion this is more comfortable for 3 stools than four so you certainly don’t want to go smaller. In fact you may want to swap the 300mm units and replace them with end panels. I hope you don’t mind other observations too. To continue the symmetry I think I would centre the range to the wall and island. Perhaps 900mm drawer units each side of the range would fill the space and personally I would rather have drawers there than behind you when cooking. I think I would also swap the extractor hood for something more decorative since it is the only thing you see when sat at the island. For me I also feel that the American Style fridge has had its day in high end projects and I would rather see two integrated appliances. You could have a side by side larder fridge and larder freezer that would have more chiller space than an American Style fridge or you could have 70/30 fridges side by side. You can get a 900(ish) wide integrated fridge freezer too but this is often a more expensive option. For visual interest interest you could fit this wall with a breakfront. Personally I think the island is one place you don’t need symmetry. Personally I would put the prep sink at one end so the prep area is uninterrupted. I would also include a large pull out bin cupboard so you can easily dispose of recycling and food waste. The island also seems like a great place to integrate a microwave rather than having it cluttering a worktop. Lastly I think I would probably add either some wall cabinets or paint the sink wall in the cabinet colour to balance the tall units at the other side of the room.
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Jonathan
6 years ago
If you need extra storage why not look at swapping the table at the side of the kitchen for more storage?
Janet
6 years ago
Have you considered a square island? This could be in proportion to the L shaped run you currently have and the same distance from each run of units. We did not design our kitchen but the square island we have works well in the space and is very practical for cooking and serving.
jackietravers61
6 years ago
I would make the island as big as possible and square 1300mm by 1300mm.
Shakti Kotak
6 years ago
Hi Olivia

We are almost in a similar layout while doing extension I was thinking to maximize island and bring cooker or sink on island and utilise the whole wall as storage anyways what ever you go with plz post your completion it's always good to look at different ideas good luck for your project.
olivia38
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you all for taking the time to comment. I really appreciate it.

Amberth - we’ve plotted out your measurements which has been really useful.

Jonathan - I know, I know! That table is both a love and bane of my life! We bought it when we first married and have dragged it around the world with us and now we are home THIS is the only wall it (almost) fits along.

Hu - such a good idea re open ends not impeding access or flow with doors. Lots of inspiration! Yes, I agree about the light coloured top - I think we’ll put a white quartz top on all the counters (maybe with a grey vein) which I think will brighten the room too.

Shakti - I would love a wall of storage but my husband is super keen on the range cooker! Good luck, too! I’ll post photos. Please post too!

Janet and Jackie - we hadn’t considered a square island! It seems odd that we hadn’t so thanks so much for opening our eyes to that.
saxonend2
6 years ago
We also wanted to maximise storage when we moved from a peninsular arrangement. We ended up with a more or less square island with shallow back to back 60cm drawer units and 2 narrow shelf units - overall it is 120 x 98cm. We mounted it on large, lockable casters so we can move it out of the way if we have a large crowd of people or if we just feel like a change. It is also more flexible with space between it and the fixed units.
PRO
PAD Kitchens
6 years ago
Hi Olivia,

Making sure you have sufficient room all the way around the island is very important for flow of the kitchen (especially with the children always by your side). The minimum distance all the way around would be 900 but ideally 950+ if possible.

I really like the Option 2 as is feels like the island is made to the suit the shape of the kitchen.

I would also suggest lovely big pan drawers on the new island, and this will give you much better and more efficient use of space. You could even consider bar stools on the back, to create a social area or a place for the children to sit and do homework whilst you are preparing dinner.

We are a London based kitchen design company and would be happy to discuss further, please feel free to get in touch. My email is lj@pad.london

Libra
PRO
Lima Kitchens
6 years ago
Hi Olivia, using drawers in the island instead of cupboard will maximise the efficiency of storage. Also, rotating 90 degrees so that it runs the other way should allow you to make this longer and deeper, potentially even adding casual seating. I would anticipate being able to get Upton 2 x 800 drawer units and 2 shallow depth units on the reverse.

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