Without seeing photos or a drawing of the kitchen any sort of answer would be a guess.

As Rob said, no way to really tell without a layout of the other cabinets and the traffic pattern. But maybe you can figure it out based on measurements and what you know of the layout...2 ft for base cabinets, 3 1/2 ft for a working aisle, 15" for seating overhang at counter height, and a 4-5 ft aisle behind the seating counter for walking. If you're trying to fit the overhang and seating in the 13 feet, it seems you could only do it if you had base cabinets on one side with the island, not base cabinets, then island, then more base cabinets. HTH

The other possibility when space is tight is a settee at the island. With the settee's back to a wall or window, like a raised booth.

our kitchen is 11 feet wide wall to wall. We have a 3 foot wide island that I built specifically to seat the 4 of us. We don't have cabs on one wall - just an antique cupboard that isn't very wide.

Like others have said, it depends on the layout. We have our dishwasher facing our island and it's not ideal (hard to pass by when door is open), but we knew it would be like this and still wouldn't trade the island for more room in front of the dishwasher. You just have to decide what you want more or what is going to be too much of a pain for you.

We also made ours moveable so if we need it out of the way, we can move it.

Good luck on the deal - hope you get it.

We have 13 ft wide kitchen with island - I have bath vanity in middle, angled cabinets on end facing non-seating side so we have a bit more space but still could have moved it closer to stove/sink. Overhang is 18". Our barstools are huge - if I didn't already have them I would have gone with something smaller. But we can still walk past, still have room to open pantry and basement doors.

Sorry for the mess!

I think it really just depends on if you have 24" deep cabinets running on both sides of the island. If you only have them on one side, then probably. Or if the one side is really shallow it may also work.

Can you put in an island...let's see:

13' = 156"

Wall of cabinets & appliances: 24" deep + 1" counter overhang
Aisle: 42"
Island: 24" cabinets on one side + 1" overhang
Seating overhang: 15" if counter-height & if the main sink or range/cooktop are NOT in the island (if the main sink or cooktop/range are in the island, then the overhang should be 18" for sink, 24" for range/cooktop)
Aisle: 48" (assuming not a major thoroughfare, other wise 54" to 60" would be better)

Best case scenario:
24 + 1 + 42 + 24 + 1 + 15 + 48 = 155" So, yes, you do have room...but you will not be able to have any cabinets on the seating side of the island.

But....
24 + 1 + 42 + 24 + 1 + 15 + 54 = 161"

24 + 1 + 42 + 24 + 1 + 18 + 48 = 158" (you might be able to "fudge" on the 42" aisle to gain 2" as long as the DW or oven doesn't open where the aisle is narrow)

24 + 1 + 42 + 24 + 1 + 24 + 48 = 164"

24 + 1 + 42 + 24 + 1 + 18 + 54 = 164"

Worst case scenario:
24 + 1 + 42 + 24 + 1 + 24 + 54 = 170"

There are a lot of "ifs" in there...

This is all assuming the kitchen is long enough so you can fit your refrigerator, main sink, range/cooktop, oven(s), and DW on the wall run. (MW can go in the island...get a MW Drawer.)

Be sure you will have enough storage space if you do this and do NOT make it a "barrier island"! (If there's nothing on the opposite wall, it's doubtful it would become a "barrier".)

Sometimes people just see what they "want," not what they really need or what the space can support. Personally, if you don't have a very large pantry elsewhere and a very long kitchen, I don't think sacrificing an entire wall of cabinets is the smart thing to do...I think it's a case of trying to wedge something in a space that really doesn't support it.

I understand what you want and are trying to do....I really do b/c I tried the same thing...but in the end I realized that I had this romantic view of an island (that it would make the kitchen look more high-end, all the magazines were showing them, everyone else seemed to have one, etc.) So, with the help of GWers, I discarded the island idea and actually looked at what, realistically, my space could support. I ended up w/2 short peninsulas (short so they aren't an issue to go around) with seating for two at one of the peninsulas. My kitchen not only has much more storage than an island kitchen would have provided, but it is so much more functional!

We have 24 counter, 36ish aisle, island of 24s backed by 12s (the 12s instead of seating), 48ish aisle (through trafficway, the reason we didn't do seating), wall storage of 12s. That last is how we made it all fit.

Our kitchen is 11.5 feet and we have an island that seats 3 or 4 kids. 12 inch overhang on two sides. The wall behind the island doesn't have anything on. I love it! Best thing we did was to put an island.

Here is our layout, we ended up squaring off the island. I didn't love the rounded idea.

Walkways are supposed to be 36", so unless you sacrifice cabinets or go with a very shallow pantry system on one wall, I'm don't think you will have room. Our kitchen is 13' wide. We will have a 2' island with no seating-- it is already a little cramped. We went with the island b/c we need the storage.

We are putting an island in our kitchen. Our kitchen is 20' 4" x 13' 10". I wanted an island for additional work space and a place to give the kids breakfast, do homework and for my DH to help prep. It will have a raised eating area (18" at its' widest).

We are about 6 weeks from completion, so I can only fantasize that it works well. My architect was very careful to make sure we had adequate space on all sides (though the KD did increase the island by 3" to 87"). However, I do have 9" of sliding glass doors on one side of the island which I hope will give the space a more open feel.

Here's a layout showing the shape and location of the island (I've tweaked some of the cabinet placement in the island since this version):
Distance from sink wall to island: 5' 1"
Distance from refrig wall to island: 4'
Distance from fireplace wall to island: 4' 4"
Distance from deck wall to island: 4' 3"

I felt a little weird about posting the pictures before our offer was accepted...but now that it has, here goes (I hope they don't mind)

It's 13 ft from fridge to counter? The only problem I see it that we all ran an app. 4ft wide (or less) island the long way, assuming that you had more than 13 ft (or at least 13ft) in length. What is the distance between the cooktop and the end of the angled wall going into the LR/DR? Are you going to put a table in front of the door like PO has?

Buehl: What's a barrier island (in the context of a kitchen of course)?

A "barrier island" is an island that's between two major appliances forcing you to walk around the island to go between those appliances.

KitchenRedo2...Am I reading your measurements correctly?

Cooktop wall cabinet run: 2' + 1"
Aisle b/w cooktop wall & island: 5'1"
Island: 2' + 1" + 4-1/2" knee wall + 1'6" overhang
Aisle b/w island overhang & deck wall: 4'1"

I come up with a kitchen that's 15'2-1/2" deep, not 13'10"

...OR...

Does the 5'1" include the cabinets + 1" overhang? So you have a 36" aisle b/w the cooktop run & the island?

One note about aisle space behind seats...in KitchenRedo2's kitchen, it doesn't look like the aisle behind her seats is a major thoroughfare to/from the rest of the house so 4' (48") is probably plenty (except maybe in the summer...but then everyone should be outside!) But in the case where an aisle is a major path through the kitchen to the rest of the house, I would highly recommend 54" to 60" (60" is better). That figures 24" of space taken from the aisle for someone actually seated at the island + 30" to 36" of room for someone to edge or walk past.

We have 54" (give or take 1/2") from edge of countertop to basement door. It is a major thoroughfare and with my huge oak barstools it can get a little tight. We should have closed up the 36" aisle on the other side a little b/c the inspector didn't even measure it. Smaller barstools would help too. But we work with it (just move the barstools if moving furniture or construction materials - baseboards, doors, etc - or tools through). DH is 5'9" and 190 lbs, even my 5'8" 250 lb Dad doesn't have to "edge by" if the kids are sitting there. Though he might if an adult was sitting there.

It may work (if you decide to turn the island the other way) to keep the "kitchen end" of the island for prep and to widen out at the open end - wall angles out, not sure how long it is but looks like you have lots of space at the "living space end". Maybe even consider angling the island so you have a wider walkway on one side? Dare I say peninsula? It would help to define the boundaries of the kitchen.

My kitchen is 11'8" x 12'8" (not including butler's pantry) it works very well with a large island with seating in the center. I have included 2 links to photos which I hope will work! Hope this helps.

Here is a link that might be useful: finished kitchen with center island

Topiary--

I just about fell out of my chair, your kitchen, well your entire home actually,is GORGEOUS! That is more my style! Yowers!... just beautiful. It's been a while since I frequented this forum, I should get to the FKB and see what's new!

Thanks for the help everyone. The 13' is wall to wall. (Fridge wall across) I would think you'd need to flip the island around the other direction. So that it ran the same direction as the long bank of cabinets.

I'm going to be there Friday for the inspection so I will take measurements again

My new kitchen is 13' 2" from sink wall to oven wall. My island is 42" across at its widest point. We have a nice 52" for traffic between the island and the oven wall. (this layout would be more ideal without the oven on that wall, but it was our only option and works just fine as I cook more on cooktop than oven).

{{!gwi}}

Anita

I think I understand the OP's dilemma - our kitchens are 13' from wall to wall. Cabinets and refrigerators intrude into that space and, in addition, need room for opening into that space. Both nomorebluekitchen and topiary have one wall behind the island with recessed appliances which aren't included in their floor space measurements, which enable them to have an island with substantial space around them. I think it's probably too tight an area in both the OP's kitchen and mine to have a useful island.

Helene

janjan212,
Thanks so much for the raves! Does my heart good! I was a GW junkie for nearly 2 years when we were planning and building our new home. We completed it at the end of 2007 and I am just now beginning to lurk here again. I have yet to post in FKB, mostly because I am just finally figuring out HOW to post photos.

Our house is small and on a very narrow lot so it is compact but very efficient. The kitchen works really well but some of that is due to the butler's pantry which is actually our beverage center and prep area.

Hope you don't mind one more photo!

Buehl:
From the wall to the edge of the counter, the cook top counter will be 25', the aisle will be 48", the island will be 42" and from island to the deck wall 4'3" which gives me 13' 8" across (the space is actually 13' 10' so I am guessing that the island curve will take up the "left over" 2 inches).

The deck door is a slider so I won't impede traffic. At this point, I just hope it all works out....

I'm going back over today for the inspection and plan to take measurements of all the rooms. I so wanted an island with overhang & seating. DH warned me it will be awhile before I can do anything to the kitchen anyway. :(

We bought a house with a 13 feet wide kitchen. We're analyzing what to do. What did you end up doing?