I'm a kitchen table girl too - a kitchen diner is perfect for me, the table has a bench at one side, Grandma's inherited jumble sale mismatched chairs with wipe-clean cupcake seats at the other and an auction find second hand balloon back at the head, room for 8 - table stretches to 12 when needed. Currently the table houses 50th birthday flowers, a get well soon card (sciatica), a box of wine delivered yesterday but not yet opened (temptation too great when on these tablets!), the ubiquitous condiments and this laptop. Eating will happen somewhere else tonight. My sister in law has two dishwashers in her island with the double sink (stretchy tap) and waste disposal. They tick my boxes too as long as I'd also have room for my precious well-scrubbed kitchen table.

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.

Thanks 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!

We had our kitchen renovation around 9 years ago & originally I wanted 3 hanging pendant’s over island & didn’t realise until kitchen fitted said that it wouldn’t be possible due to the extractor fan & steel plinth, so this was the best they could do. I have always felt that they didnt look right & was wanting to change them. Thinking of removing both & replacing with a cluster selection of lights where the light with the longest lead would be? Would love your advice thanks 🙏