island . or not island
Hello
need a bit of advice/opinions as very conflicted between two options, both involving some compromising.
we have recently knocked through the wall between kitchen and dining room and would like to have a big social space with new kitchen units, tables which can extend when we have people over, and a lounge area to use instead of our main lounge, with 3 seater sofa.
The layout of the room isn't the easiest one to work with because it is an L shape with various parts like a bulk head at one end and a chimney breasts along the main wall, plus door to under stairs under the bulk head and door to a small utility room at the other.
Our kitchen designer has come up with two options. One with island and one without.
The island option with induction hob, would only work if along the wall behind it we have a run of reduced depth units, because of the chimney breast wall.
The non island design has normal depth units which would protrude compared to the rest of the room because of the chimney breast.
I have added pictures of the lay out and of the 2 designs.
(The fridge and eye level double oven can only be positioned at opposite ends of the room because of height and because of bulkhead.)
Any opinions welcome, always wanted an island but I am unsure of reduced depth units, and also not sure if it will result in a crammed room adding table and 3 seater sofa ... !
Thanks
Comments (7)
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clac0302
last monthThanks for the replies
I see the point of freestanding island, and I'll check articles and pictures, however I liked the idea of the hob on the island because I do a lot of cooking and it would be nice to not have to stare at a wall all the time, and instead be able to look into the room, watch TV or chat to people if they are in the same room (which is not often to be fair, and soon it will be just 2 people in the house most of the time so it is purely for my own pleasure).I think that probably the only thing I am certain of is that the hob on the island is a must for me, or no point having an island.
Opposite the oven there is a bulkhead and enough space to have reduced depths units, possibly a midi or tall larder and a standard height double drawer unit (the door is for the 'under the stairs' space.
On the adjoining wall to the fridge there is a door to the utility room and then a window.
By the way, the floor plan shown here is not complete, it just shows the kitchen area. Opposite the kitchen 'room' there is the whole of what was the dining room, with fireplace, with patio doors on one side and sofa on the other.
The island would only be 70cm wide, and maybe 160/180cm long, I am concerned it will look more like a long desk.
I am concerned that with island and table it will look too cluttered, not much room to move around and too close to the table, and with no island I may not have enough work surface (once toaster, microwave, kettle, coffee machine are sited on available space)
I wish there was one specific reason to push me for one option over the other.I think I favour the no island design, but then I see pictures of islands which make me rethink that it could work better with the island.
I cannot even go with "no island" then add one if I feel like it, as behind the islands the units need to be half depth in order for the island to work so the decision need to be made before ordering the units.
Thanks for taking the time to read!
CWD
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Daisy England
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jopinkney