42" for a one-person work aisle 48" if two or more people will be working in the aisle 36" is for walkway, not a work aisle And remember that aisles are measured to/from the items that stick out into the aisle the farthest. In your case, the refrigerator on one work aisle and the range on the other work aisle. The aisle behind the island is a walkway because there are no workspaces, appliances, or cabinets. However, if you plan seating at the island (I don't think you are based on how shallow the island is), then you need at least 44" since traffic will be passing through (48" would be much better). Seating may be problematical for the peninsula idea, depending on what is directly behind the peninsula. If a table, then you need 60" b/w the peninsula and table. If you're open to other ideas (and I think you are), consider some of the suggestions made by others such as Mama Goose, Apple_Pie, HerbFlavor, Marc Colo (!), and others. FYI...counters usually overhang cabinets by 1.5", so the depth of the counters on the perimeter i2 25.5". If you are getting inset, then 25" is the typical depth of counters. That also means the island will most likely be 27"D with standard depth cabinets (24"). Consider shallower cabinets in the island to gain more aisle space. E.g., 21"D cabinets will gain you 3", 18"D will gain 6".

I find the drive for higher and higher ceilings baffling. I have never yet felt cramped in a room with 8' ceilings. These were standard for much of last century. Many (most?) of us probably grew up with 8' ceilings. Anyone living in a tract-built home from before 2000 probably still has 8' ceilings. And the average height for men in the U.S. is 5' 9". So unless you play in the NBA, you'll probably have between 1.5' and 3' clearance above your head while standing. (Anecdotally, my 6'4" husband just looked at me like I was insane when I asked him if he'd ever wished we had higher ceilings. :) ) If you're making decisions strictly on an aesthetic basis, then I'd say optimal room height depends on the use and size of the room. A large room that you want to feel grand and impressive would probably benefit from a high ceiling, but it runs the risk of feeling cold and exposed. An area that you want to feeling cosy (e.g. a reading nook) could have a lowered ceiling. Sara Susanka talks about ceiling heights extensively in The Not So Big House. Higher isn't necessarily better. A 9' standard will likely do you just fine in most areas of your home.

What is your budget? Are you looking to gut or do you need suggestions for more moderately priced fixes? If you can't afford to gut and are going for a cosmetic facelift, I'd be sure to have the walls, cabinets, and counters the same color or as little contrast as possible. I'd ditch the island and potentially get a very narrow kitchen console type table with legs that is open underneath so you have some additional counterspace without the bulk of an island.

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