I don't have an island but would like one if I had the room and would problably put nothing in it. It would be extremely useful for prepping, rolling out dough, serving appetizers and drinks at a party, etc. Also, with stools, people can sit and eat at it. IMHO a range/cooktop belongs on a wall, not a island, where you can vent it properly. A sink or prep sink would probably be okay in an island. Facing your guests while actually cooking is highly overrated - cooking takes up a small fraction of the time compared to prepping.

In my opinion it isn't so much the absolute size of the island that might look "too big", but it's scale in the overall room and the pattern of the countertop.

We once toured a house with a very large island in a not so large kitchen. The granite had a really striking but very busy pattern that looked just like river rock (I think igloochic had something similar on a vanity) on this giant continent and the perimeter cabinets. It was overpowering.

I have an uninterrupted island of about 22sf, and could easily picture a larger one if my kitchen was larger. I don't like ranges or large sinks in an island, but I wish I'd found GW before doing my layout. We have a "pinch point" where traffic jams happen that probably could have been alleviated with better planning and possibly a prep sink in the island.

If guests are sitting at your island and you will do your prepping on the counter behind the island, you won't feel very connected with them IMHO. Prepping could be done on a large island to face guests, but you'd need a prep sink (doesn't have to be HUGE) to make that the most convenient.

I will have a large island (9'x4') with counter stools in new kitchen. I am planning a prep sink there across from the cooktop. That way, I have a huge prep area (on my wish list) and a sink separate from the dirty dishes (also on my wish list) at the cleanup sink. This suits the way I cook (everyday, every meal).

I do think a huge island without a sink or cooktop can be absolutely fine. As long as the kitchen functions well with the appropriate zones laid out.

Can you post your plans here so we can take a look at your ideas?

I'm going to agree idrive65 that it's not the absolute size of the island-- it's the way it fits in with the scale, layout, and colors of the room. It should be just the right size, and draw just the right amount of attention.

I included my original design.

Buehl did her magic and came up with an alternative design by moving the sink onto the west wall too. She wanted to place a prep sink in the island but for various reason, we have chosen to leave it out if we would go with Buehls plan which ultimately would have no sink or stove.

So that is where we're at. We are like 51%/49%. We've tried to place ourselves in both kitchen designs but we need from others actual experiences. I can imagine but reality doesn't always coincide (I thought I'd use a kitchen desk and in reality it rarely ever happened).

Being that we will have approx a 40 sq ft island we wanted others actual experiences with islands at least 30' or more.

{{gwi:1588088}}

Sorry about that...

I meant Buehls design was to move the stove off the island and onto the West wall to the right of the sink.

We've only had it a couple of weeks but it seems to be working out for us. 10'X 3'

DH has drawn the plans for the kitchen in our new build (if this one ever sells) and it is so much like the one you have drawn....our Jen-Aire cook-top will be in a 5x10' island. I don't want my back to everyone when I am cooking...I like to see the "action". Right now, I don't think we will angle the corners...that gives more serving space for buffet serving.
Good luck and let us know what you decide.

A large island (continent?) can serve as wonderful seating space or prep space, IF the other componenets of the kitchen are optimally laid out. If it the rest of the layout doesn't lend to the island being a useful space, you've just created the Sahara Desert of islands. It becomes a huge lifeless spot that dominates the whole continent.

However, adding just a small prep sink doubles the utility of the entire kitchen, not just the island space. Water sources are highly sought after "pinch areas" and adding an additional one allows two or more kitchen workers to share the space without conflict.

I have around an 8ft island with double tier. I have a cook top in the middle of the island with a wall oven to my left against another wall. I will be minimizing my island by at least 30-36 inches with nothing in it in my new kitchen. I never use my upper tier except to put junk on top of it. I never bought stools because I felt it would be a tight squeeze. I feel like the island is both too long and too wide. Even though there is three feet on both sides I still feel like it is not big enough and when the dishwasher is open no-one can get by and it always gets in the way of when I want to put stuff in my fridge after clean up after dinner. It is really what would be best for you and how you cook. I never have guests except twice a year so worrying about having my back to people is not a huge worry.

Here's the design Aloha2009 mentioned (for comparison's sake). The "prep sink" is what she and her DH have decided against, so ignore it in the layout.

Chrisa your kitchen looks beautiful! Where are you prepping? When you do use the island? What have you used it for? What is the distance from countertop to countertop?

Phoggie, we only clipped the corners since out house has more angled walls then straight walls (need to maintain the architectural integrity). I would have preferred keeping them straight too. So many talk up their prep sink but in our last house, we gravitated towards the prep zone next to the cooktop on the island. Though there was an additional prep zone just as large between the SINK and frig...we ended up prepping on the island - furthest away from the sink.

Thanks Buehl for your posting your design (and of course for taking the time in the first place to come up with it).

I like buehl's design and you will be fine with the large plain island without the prep sink. If it were me though I'd give up almost anything to have the 2nd water source in the kitchen, but I'd rather have a large plain island for a good entertaining space than to have the cooktop break up the space in the middle.

Chrisa- Your island is beautiful...and so is your cabinetry! Do you have any other pictures?

Aloha- I really like Buehl's plan, so you aren't walking across the aisle, to go between the sink and the stove. With this layout, I don't think you need a prep sink, it would just depend on how you cook. Do you bake, more than prep...or is the island for buffet and seating?

That's the dinette, to the right of the kitchen? Some shelves and drawers, like Chrisa's island, would look really nice :)

Work flow in that kitchen will be from the refrigerator to the counter on top of the DW. Veggie washing, meat draining, hand washing and other water centric tasks happen to the stored items there and then you will move them to the right between the sink and the range. That is where the main prep area will be and you will be left with your back to anyone seated at the island. There also will be a great deal of conflict between the combined prep and cleanup areas. You'll have to cross your prep area with any dirty dishes to place in the sink, and the dirty dishes will interfere with the cleaning/prep of any additional items that may have been forgotten. Without "something useful" on that island to render it useful, it might not as well be there. Or it might as well be a kitchen table. It's not acting as counter space with this layout.

This design would be much more functional with even a small source of water on the island. Then the flow would be from fridge to island to prep sink to range. Cleanup could occur at the same time any prep or snacking was happening. The large island would become the only prep zone, and the prepper (is that a word?) could enjoy conversing with any island guests while facing them during that 70% of time you are prepping food. Without a prep sink, 100% of the time spent creating food ore cleaning up in that kitchen will be spent facing the wall instead of facing the island and outwards.

Actually, I think the workflow will be food from refrigerator and pantry to island b/c that's the landing zone for both. From there it will be to the sink & space b/w it and the range.

The counter over the DW is too far away to be a landing zone and across a busy aisle and in front of a busy doorway (from the garage).

I think your layout works well, but I'd move the island closer than 60" to the sink. We had a large island with "nothing" on it in our last house and it was great. It had counter height seating on the other side.

I don't have exact measurements about how far away the sink was from the island, but I'd guess approx 48". If the pull for your frdge is on the right side, you'd want your landing zone a little further right anyway. If it is s x s or a French Door fridge, then it won't matter.

I always prepped on the island and it was great for parties. I'd put chafing dishes the whole way across the other side and the cold stuff on our table with the plates, forks, knives, etc... for elaborate parties, and platters of apps on the island for simpler ones. It gave me a view of everything from there. Someone could be at one end, another at the other, and even someone on the far side if I needed help with the last minute prep that needed to be fresh (crudite, salad, fruit, cheeses, garnishes, etc...).

I don't think you need to put anything on an island. Mine was amazing for wrapping presents and Xmas cookie sheets.

In our new kitchen, we will have a stove in our 9ft island, but this is a different layout, so what worked in one house is not the same as here. Have you tried a 3D plan of your kitchen? Seeing mine, really helped me to visualize as I "walked" through the space virtually and could spin it from many angles. It definitely showed us what to change and what worked. I used IKEA's although it is glitchy. You could try it as well and just use their stuff and see how it lays out. You don't have to buy a thing to plan a kitchen there.

Though we like Buehl's design a lot, it does leave the island only for a buffet and eating. We like it especially for the ease of use and keeping the mess away from the island. Since only Charisa has responded that she indeed has a large island with no stove or sink, we're beginning to think it's unusual because it's not the best overall for most kitchens and lifestyles.

We know that the way we cook, it's all about the stovetop. We prep as we cook and need the stove nearby. On our last house, we rarely did ANY prep by the sink even though through logically we "should" have. We would take whatever perishable there was to clean/peel and would return to our favorite prep zone on the island. If we didn't have the stove on the island, we would likely be prepping on the 39" between the sink & stovetop with our backs to our guests or crossing the aisle multiple times per meal, island to stovetop. Though it would function well, we'd either be using 1/2 the kitchen or we would be crossing over and over the aisle, neither sound pleasant or productive.

I haven't watched much TV in a year so I can't say I remember all the details but but none of the cooking shows that I know have a sink on the island. They chop, dice, toss in, saute, add another ingredient etc. They will intermittenly run back to wash their hands etc. I realize that TV and reaililty aren't the same, but that pretty well sums up the way we cook too. We want Buehl's design, but I'm not getting a warm fuzzy about the bare island especially since only one person has responded with this type of island.

Forget our exact measurements for our island,somehting like 10X4. I actually think larger, aisles are like 51 inches. We don't have anything, on the island, no prep sink, cooktop, etc. Just lots of pretty granite. We love the space for homework, breakfast, lunch, crafts. prepping, buffet serving area,entertaining and etc. At times I feel like a prep sink would be nice for chopping/cleaning up fruits and veggies, but the few extra steps for water is not a big deal. We love our continent, I mean island.

I do not have a big island but I can tell you my sister
does. It is wonderful the main island everyone sits around
seats at least 8. This island only a few outlets for fondue
or crock pot. It is for guest to linger about, eat, laugh,
enjoy... Fun stuff. I rarely stare at her back. I find I
talk to her from one side sipping my wine as she chops
or cooks nearby.

You won't regret your big island.
~boxer

I don't know about you, but I always use a cutting board for prep work, so just transfer over to the stove when needed. You would probably end up prepping on the island and moving over to the stove as you need each ingredient. That is why I felt the 60" distance was a bit much for practicality.

I loved facing out of the kitchen in our last house and prepping where I had a lot of elbow room. It made me feel less segregated and better able to keep an eye on my kids and when entertaining, guests. It made for a great command post when the house got crowded. I'd feel funny always turning my back on people or them watching my back the whole time. I usually would have most stove work done by the time guests would come, so primping on the island was not removing me from anything. Our island also had a large skylight over it, so was a well lit cheerful place to be.
HTH

I don't know why, but I really want to switch your stove and sink/DW. When you do that the sink/DW is closer to the dinette for clean up and the stove is closer to the fridge for taking things out and prepping. The trash pull out would also be across from the stove for prepping. Now, I did miss the initial discussions about your plans so I might have missed some points about traffic/wishes etc.

Mine is 8x4 and "plain Jane". I wanted it that way and love it. I like that it's one big surface.

I don't feel like I have my back to my guests. So far, it has not been a problem. I definitely did not want the stove on the island. Takes up too much space and can be a safety concern. Never mind venting from the middle of the room and the cost with that. I also felt that the hood can be a barrier in the room for conversation with guests and such.

My kitchen is a good size so it does not feel too big. I agree with others it probably depends on the size of the room and the material that you choose.

The distance between the island and the stove is 47.5" and the island and sink is 40". Plenty of room to open the d/w and for someone to get by.

Chrisa, your kitchen is beautiful. The lighting in that photo is perfect. I love QS oak, it's so rich. And those cute little cubby drawers! Enjoy!

I don't have a photo handy, but we have an island in our lakehouse kitchen, and it is "plain island". It is, however, two levels. the "L perimeter" on the far sid eof the kitchen is bar height. It hides the prep part of the island which is normal counter height. I like it a lot. It is roomy for cooking and nice for buffets.

Our kitchen in our new primary house will have a work table with no functions, and also an island fashioned after a general store counter with no functions. IN that case, I am doing it for a vintage look.

I just put in a large island with nothing on it and love it. It is very elegant in its simplicity and quite useful for serving, prepping, mixing or whatever, not to mention all the storage below. It is not a 'sit up' island with an overhang, rather a traditional kind of work surface with storage. I have two electrical outlets on either end so can plug in mixer or whatever. One thing that matters to me other than the useful work space is that it has a beautiful marble top and I just love to see that marble when I walk into the room. Don't have a photo handy, will try to find one.