breathe, breathe...

I haven't gone through this myself and I imagine it would be totally scary! but it will all work out.

you couldn't have the island any bigger, now, could you? It will be narrow but that will be OK.

FWIW, our island is 3' x 6' long, and I have 3 pendants. It's great and I always say the more light the better. If it's too much you can go down to 75w bulbs.

Good luck and get some sleep--Holly

My island is even smaller than yours I think. It's 30" by 69". Mine will also be just a work island and had to be narrow, because my kitchen is narrow. I could have had a few extra inches to make it wider, but I would rather have the island be a little bit narrower and have more room to move around it.

Your GC is right about the open space, but once everything goes in your island won't look small. Here is a picture of mine that just went in on Monday. I was really worried about the blue tape looking small on the floor too, but once the entire kitchen is put in, it will look great.

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=ftd66c&s=3

Here is a link that might be useful: Island

If the perimeter cabinets were taped out it wouldn't look so tiny. And how big is your cutting table? Your print table? Remember, food is smaller :)

Is it really too late to move the icemaker? This is at least the second time you've mentioned you should have left it at the end.

I vote for three pendants at varying heights. Japanese symmetry. :)

Mine will be 30" by 60" (including overhang) and it sounds tiny based on what I am hearing here but then my kitchen is considerd small by GW standards anyway...:-)...I love it though and intend to use it as a prep/work surface.

With only 11" of width to work with, squeezing in an island doesn't sound like such a good idea to me. Have you considered some kind of work table on wheels? If you did something like a long narrow butcher block table with shelves below and wheels, you'd at least be able to push the table one way or the other if you needed a little extra elbow room. A fixed island really limits your options.

Alternatively, have you considered skipping the island all together and doing extra deep counters down both sides. 30" 0r 36" counters are a real luxury, allowing ample space for appliances to set out on countertops and still have plenty of room to work. With extra deep counters, you can also do 15" or 18" deep upper cabinets, allowing you plenty of space for large plates and platters, glasses arranged 4 or 5 deep, and provide a lot more useful storage. Extra deep counters also mean that a standard refrigerator wouldn't be sticking out into the room -- it would be counter-depth.

Extra deep lower cabinets don't have to be much more expensive than standard depth. Standard cabinet bases can simply be pulled out from the wall (with blocking behind them), so the only extra cost is for larger end panels and a deeper countertop.

Any way, just a thought. Some kitchens can work better without an island.

Hi there, sorry you're stressing, I think this is such a hard process to go through. I can't help you on the island thing, but I definitely think three pendants is best. There is a design rule about things coming in threes and with the size you're mentioning, I think three would provide the best coverage.

Breathe, take a hot bath with some tea, and get some rest. You'll feel better about things after a good nights' sleep.

Raynag - I'm not an Kitchen remodel expert. I'm in the middle of my first kitchen remodel and have spent hours and hours on just this sort of thing. I think your island will be big enough. 36" of counter is a pretty typical workspace so that would give you two workspaces. I'm really concerned about your clearances on both sides - It's going to be so-ooh tight! (42" is recommended) I'm with jamesk - They actually make moveable islands on wheels. I did a quick search and couldn't find a bigger one (although I'd swear I've seen them), but here is a link of a 38" one just to give you an idea of a possibility (it has a drop-leaf):

http://www.kitchenislandco.com/misuis.html

Also, would a drop-leaf be a possibility, even on a stationary island? Just an idea - Perhaps others in this forum can advise you on how well drop-leafs work. Don't know enough about lights to advise you there. Best of luck!

pdxgal - Love your cabinets and counters - Are those cabinets maple - If so what kind?

Pdxgal - your kitchen layout looks much like mine - how wide is it? My kitchen is 22 long so the other end of the kitchen will just have a table.

Everybody else - the cabinets are in, there is no changing the island and I think it will be fine. The fridge is counter deep and will be at the other end of the run. I think it is just nerves.

Plllog - thanks for the food-is-smaller equation, LOL. My good print table is 30x60; my annoyingly small one is 24"x30. The width of the island is somewhere in between. And I am going to leave the ice maker where it is because it is, I think, too complicated to change it. I have a cabinet with an end panel that would have to go in the middle and then I would have to order another end panel...argh. It probably won't make any difference.

James, deep counters wouldn't help me with storage, which is really what the island was about -- replacing the peninsula I had which annoyed me to death. But thanks for the thought.

Yes,caligirl, I know about the rule of three - I use it all the time in my work. I think you are right. LOL - the contractor says I'll have so much light that I won't need the overhead cans that are all over the kitchen.

I've had a night's sleep and it didn't help - but you all did!

raynag -

Believe it or not I had the EXACT same issue yesterday! I was frantic and calling the GC and anyone else I could get my hands on in a huge pantic. My island will be 36"x60". Everyone involved were great! They outlined where my cabinets and appliances would be and hooked up all the lighting (except for the fixtures). When I got home, they had all of the recessed lights on with all the drawings around the room. I could almost "touch" everything. It made me feel ALOT better as I was about to tell them to scratch the island, but my GC was kind enough to explain that doing so would not give me enough counter workspace. My kitchen is only 11'X 20' and I also needed an eat in space for us to have dinner as a family.

However, because of the design of the kitchen and size of the island we did scrapt the pendant lights as it would look too cluttered and not have an open feel (I will have a fixture over the table where my bench seating will be). Therefore I opted for them to add cans over the island and will put a pendant or some sort of fixture over the sink to balance things out.

I say all of this so you will know you are not alone!! Also, if your GC can outline the rest of the kitchen for you (even if it's just a marker outline on the floor) it may help you to visualize your kitchen a little better.

Good luck and we are with you!

Hi Luvnola - thanks for making me feel not alone! The island ends before the doorway on the left. Our kitchen is 11x22 and the table will be in the section between the doorway and the sliders to the deck. Along the wall to the right of the door will be the 18" deep x 32 wide file drawers and to its right, coming toward where I am standing,the CD FD fridge. The GC has actually put hatch marks down, but not tape where the counters will end. I'm sure it will be fine: somehow a room always looks better with furniture!

deep breath!

when I taped out my island it looked teeny tiny (6x3) It was silly looking. now that it's built, its ginormous.

For pendants I went with only 2.

Ok. The icemaker can't be moved. End of story - and it will be fine.

Next, I think I will do two pendants because despite the rule of 3, rules are made to be broken - and in this ousehold, there are no rules - just guidelines. The island is skinny (don't I wish I were?) and I think in a contemporary kitchen it will look a bit cluttered to have 3 on this skinny island.
The fixtures I'm deciding between are 7 or 7.25 diameter and take 100W incandescent bulbs. They are replacing two high hats @120w, but hanging lower - so that should be fine. The first one is clean and contemporary, but the second one is a little funkier. My lighting store will let me bring them home and audition them - but of course, that won't be for quite a while, till everything is in.

The floor will be delivered, I think, on Monday, and will sit here for a couple of days getting used to the climate before it is installed, maybe on Wed./Thurs next week.
{{!gwi}}
{{!gwi}}
My contractor said I have so many lights in the ceiling that it looks like a "friggin runway." This gave me a much-needed laugh this morning. On the other hand, despite the sliding glass doors to the deck, we get almost no natural light because the deck faces north.

I am thinking I am ready for a martini with lunch - LOL. (harks back to my publishing days when everybody drank at lunch and we all came back and actually got work done!).
But I guess not...

I like them both! I think I like #2 better. But, I don't have the benefit of context. That's great that the lighting store will let you do an in-house audition of them.:)

BTW, you're sounding much more relaxed today. Yeah!

Marthavila - yes, more relaxed even without the martini. I guess I can wait till dinner. Our romantic dinner will be Trader Joe's frozen stuff in the basement - LOL.

The electricians are going about their business and as long as Michael is here, I feel happy. The electrical is more complicated than he bargained for, but he is not going to nickel and dime me. Vice-versa; I am not going to ask him for further discounts. He is going to put up my old cabinets downstairs for no charge - and who knows what else? I am going to ask him for a recommendation for a painter; I sense that he knows good people because he is one, himself.

I am tending toward the second fixture, too - but we'll have to see. That's one thing about dealing with local places that you can't get on the Internet - auditions (as long as they are not special order).

Will post pix of progress later; right now I am cleaning out my cluttered downstairs print alcove. Pretending I am moving!

Raynag - I knew you were going to ask me how wide my kitchen is....I don't know off the top of my head. I'm going to swing by the house tonight and will measure it. My guess is maybe 12'. Oh, and I haven't decide on the pendants over my island yet. I don't think I can fit three given my space and skylights. I might just do a light with a single fixture to the ceiling, but then branches off with two or three shades.

Raynag - I measured the kitchen this evening and it's 13' wide. I couldn't get the length, because my DD was being extra clingy and of course wanted me to hold her while trying to use the tape measure. Not easy to do.

Can't wait to see the progress pictures.