I Love my 4 x 6 island. No regrets !!
Sorry about the worker debris in the one pic. At least it appears they were working hard.

I really like mine, though I do have to reach and walk all the way around it to clean. Ours is hard to see in the pictures as we raised the seating area. Ours is 13 feet long and I was worried about having to "big" of an area & I didn't want a seam in the granite. Also, a bonus is my prep area mess doesn't show from the {{!gwi}}great room/family area. We do have a little over 4 feet between the island and the perimeter cabinets & I like that so much. Now with 5 boys it feels like we have room to work in there. The kitchen backsplash, lights & hood should be finished this week (excuse the work in progress). Good luck with your choices.

{{!gwi}}

mommyto4boys-

I love your kitchen and can't wait to see more pictures! We are planning something similar (including a 4 foot island) and I'd love to hear details about your choices. The finish on the island is great.

Love mine! I have seating on two adjacent sides and work space on the opposing sides...super functional!
{{!gwi}}

Ours is pretty close to the size that you have planned. Absolutely no regrets. :o)

the bigger the better, I say; my other house had a 6 foot diameter round island, I would set up buffets around it, etc... I always had a nice spot to display something, and room to work also.

Our island is 2" shy of 4ft. It is 7.5' x 46", plus we have a smaller 18"x24" cabinet attached to it. We have not moved in yet, but I love the way our almost 4' island looks. I dropped down the smaller piece of island so that we could fit a 4' deep island without disturbing traffic patterns in the house. If you have the room, go 4'.

I hate mine! But it's in my "before" kitchen, so it's not of my design. I think what you're talking about with an overhang for seating would be fine. Mine is a solid 4' wide - 2 runs of cabinets back to back. It is a behemoth that takes over the entire kitchen and I find myself running circles around it. I think a lot of whether a 4' island will work for you depends on your layout.

I love mine and wouldn't consider it any smaller either. I also have 24" deep cabinets back to back, plus a 12" overhang, so the dimensions are 50" x 72". I love all that room and use all of it while prepping. Walking around it to clean is no big deal.

We are just about to lay the stone on our 125"X50" island, it seems perfectly sized. Even if it dominates, make sure you have good space on the perimeter to allow for traffic flow.
It seems that islands become the true epicenter of the home, so why not make it as big as possible?
Good choice.

I love my 8' X 5' island. I have two rows of 24" cabinets with a 12" overhang making 5 feet. I love the storage space- especially the big, deep cabinet under the overhang for storage of large, seasonal serving pieces.
Yes, I have to walk around to clean all of the island, but it's worth it!
It works great for a holiday buffet- PLENTY of room!
{{!gwi}}

Getting ready for Thanksgiving last year~
{{!gwi}}

Our island is 4x6, made of butcher block. We love it for making pizzas, hanging out, and having the room to do anything. Ours is unusually tall at 40", but I converted a two-piece hutch into an island to save money.I don't regret it, but it does make a statement!

Our island is 105" x 52". I am 5'1 1/2" tall and I do have to clean from both sides, but I love the working space, the eating space and the space for buffets. Here is a picture:

Judy

Ours is 54" deep and a little over 9 ft long. I'm 5'2" and can just reach the center of the island to clean it. I LOVE the big space. Great for lots of cooks in the kitchen, room to put out appetizers while we cook, make snacks for the boys, etc.

A variation of this question: For those of you whose islands are one level (which appears to be all of you but mommyto4boys) - and esp. if your island has a sink - do you find that there's a constant "mess" i.e. stuff out on the island that detracts from its beauty?

In our case, it will be a peninsula, but the peninsula we have now (much more narrow, much less usable, way ugly - but two levels) gives us the opportunity to hide the dishes, etc. from both ourselves while we are eating and our guests when we have people over (our kitchen/dining room are essentially one space with the peninsula dividing them...). I LOVE the beauty of the one big plane that you all have - but I am worried I--or more likely my DH, who is the neatnik in the house--will constantly feel like we have to clean and put things away...

Then again, I notice that yolande (and please don't take offense) has STUFF on her island - and it doesn't bother me to see it there. I notice yummy crackers and cheese, and a nice bottle of red, and it looks FABULOUS!

So let me know if any of you feel like having this big open plane becomes a "where to put the stuff" issue.

Meanwhile, don't want to hijack the thread, but jaymielo: I'm lusting after your soapstone and your pendants! Are you happy with the soapstone and where did you get the pendants?

Thanks all - this gives me hope that someday I will actually make the decisions I need to make and have a beautiful kitchen.

I guess the answer to that question is really about what your own family's habits are. We don't have stuff on the island unless it is stuff being used at that moment. When we are done with whatever we're doing, we put things away. We use the island all day for all sorts of things, so at any given time there will be something different on it. When it isn't in use, though, it's got only the centerpiece. I don't find it to be an issue in my family, but all families are different! If yours is not a putting-away type of family, then yes, it will become a magnet for stuff.

I have noticed that having a place where everything belongs eliminates the great majority of stuff that would end up on the island if it didn't have a designated spot elsewhere...purses, mail, newspapers, magazines, etc. Most of the stuff that I see in other people's homes on their counters or islands or bars are there because they don't have anywhere else to put them!

Trixie, you make a good point, and my DH and I (it's just the two of us empty-nesters at this point) were discussing that yesterday - when we walk in the house, or sort mail, there isn't really a good spot to put things, so a lot of it ends up on the peninsula. So I think we need to think about creating a space for that while we're at it. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.

Mine is 5 feet wide and it works - Mine has 30" base cabinets on the 'working' side and narrow 12" cabinets on the 'sitting' side for items I don't use very often.
You did say you have 'just enough' room - just make sure you are leaving yourself ample walking space or you make regret it.
Working side:

Thanks a lot for all those beautiful pictures! We modelled our island yesterday by setting up a piece of sheetrock on chairs and just left it there for the day. Initially I felt it was huge but by the end of the day I got used to it. So I think we are keeping the size. As far as putting junk on it, i know i have some training to do, paper junk tends to grow and multiply in my house :)

momorichel, We love our single level island because it gives us such a great workspace and lots of room to set up appetizer buffets, etc. I have little ones and I strongly prefer the single level. I was a little concerned about being able to hide the mess, but we have a deep single bowl sink which is a miracle worker at tucking things out of site until I'm ready to tackle the dishes. Off to the side, we have a spot to tuck mail and other "stuff" that makes it's way into the kitchen, so you usually wont' find mail or newspapers on the island, just lots fo dishes and food. Thank you also for the compliments on the soapstone and pendants. The soapstone is green mountain original. It is fairly soft, but we love it. It cleans up well and rarely needs oiling. The pendants are by Medya Tiffany and were purchased from 1stoplighting.com. Here is a link to them. They have a lot of color to them... When we first got them, they looked very different than the online picture, but when we got them hung and saw them with the paint and other "colors" in the space, they were perfect for us. There is a matching 4 fixture light over in the nook (which isn't lighted) over where our table will eventually be. That's been on order for over a month. One day, the kitchen WILL be done! ;-)

Hi Momorichel,

The red was delicious; my husband was in the middle of a meeting that I had put the stuff out for, when I read your post - I was just listening - hence the island in action. :-)
Judy

Yolande/Judy: I guess I'm hijacking this thread a little bit but I would love to know more details about your fantastic kitchen! I looked in the FKB but didn't find you. In particular, appliances, slanted window, cabinets, countertop, white backsplash, and that lovely flower design backsplash over the range area. The whole kitchen is just really jazzy looking, IMHO. Thanks!

I agree, Yolande, tell us about your kitchen.

I have two of them. The entertaining/dining island is 4feet 1/2 feet long with overhang seating on one whole side. The second island with prep sink is 4 1/2 feet wide and 10 1/2 feet long (with overhang seating on both ends. I absolutely love them! Granite is real easy to care for. I am 5'5 1/2
inches tall and I have no problem wiping them down (the secret is to use a small dust pan and small handle broom for crumbs. Here are some pics! Best of luck!

Hi Guys,

The kitchen is almost, but not completely finished. We are waiting for hardware and a few panels. The kitchen company is working its way out of a financial difficulty which I am glad about since they are excellent. The hardware is in town but can't be released yet. The mural behind the stove is almost finished, being painted by a local artist, so I was going to wait a bit before posting. I am hopeful (LOL) that all will be done this week or next. We are fortunate that not much remains to be done, otherwise I'd be frantic. As it is, I'm just irritated and my husband is very impatient.

If you have specific questions right now, I'd be happy to answer them.

Judy

OK Yolande - and while we're at it: What IS that lovely countertop material?? Also I'd like to know the faucet you're using - and while you're at it, might as well go ahead and name the appliances for us. Inquiring minds want to know :-). thanks.

Also, Yolande, what is your backsplash? Really like it.

Mine is 45x35, which is tiny in the world of islands :oP But still works well for us. I do have to walk around it to clean entirely, but any narrower and the sink might have felt crowded. Ours has different sides, (4) verses a front and back)

This side is a trash compactor (yes I need to remove the sticker) and a cabinet that is only 12" deep...but great for our "bottle prep" area for the baby.

This side has just two 15" deep drawers, which are great for plastic bags (bottom drawer) and cutting boards (top drawer). The glass openings will be filled with wine corks:

The sink side will have a little bookshelf as well as the sink cabinet. The shelf is only 9" deep (behind the trash compactor):

And the final side, which is a tiny space of about 2" in which I put two inset doors and a chalk board. Currently it's the hit of the house in my 2 year old eyes....but he hasn't noticed that all of the closets in the family room are also chalk boards, with magnetic paint as well :)

The size of the island isn't as imporant as it's function (to me) and it's walkways. We had a bit larger one in the preremodel kitchen and hated it because it left us only 30" walkways. Let that stuff be your bigger worry to cleaning from 4 sides :)

Pluckymoma: It's a long story: I used to have these gorgeous white and fruit painted tiles from Country Floors that I loved. I was really sorry to see them go and looked for them for a long time. Then I thought that I would have someone paint similar ones. When I was debating, or shall I say agonizing, about granite, I had it narrowed down to 2, Angola Siver, or Valley white. I went to our fabricator and someone had sent her a big vase of pink parrot tulips and she showed me how either granite would go with these colours, and in fact with many colours. A light went off and I decided I needed a vase of Tulips as a focal point, behind the stove red though, not pink. We debated between mosaics and painted tile.

I wanted my kitchen to have a modern, but countryish look, so I needed something representational although I know that it is not in style. Fortunately, the decorator that helps me sometimes knew a talented local artist who paints walls faux finishes etc. SO here we are

The backsplash all over is a 4 x 8 beveled glossy white subway tile. Behind the stovetop we put 4 x 4 tumbled marble in the lightest colour. Our artist primed and painted them the same colour as our cupboards, tiles etc. BM Decorators white CC 20. We actually chose the tile first and then the cabinet colour and the wall colour.
She is almost finished the painting and then will seal it with a clear coat and several coats of sealer. I love it, and am excited. I'll post the finished product.

Momorichel: I have 30 inch Miele double ovens, a 36 inch Miele induction, a Jenn Air 25CF full depth FD fridge which we sunk into the wall, a panasonic micro, our old (about 6 years) Kenmore Elite dishwasher ( with a black front). The counter tops are polished Angola Siver - love it. It has accents of silver, black copper, grey but is basically dark.

The faucet is a KWC all stainless INOX with a pull out spray faucet. I have a NewForm pull down in my coffee bar. I am actually hopeful LOL that this may all get finished this week.

Judy

I love mine. I'm 5'2", so I have to walk around to clean it, but that's fine. My island is 4' x 8' and 4 people can sit comfortably at it (5 can squeeze).

bump
We are planning a 5 foot by 8 foot island and I love seeing all the pictures of the beautiful spaces you have created.

Mommyto4boys- would you mind sharing the name of your granite and the finish on your island? I'm looking forward to seeing your finished backsplash too!

For you guys with 4-5 feet wide islands that are long and have the main sink in them - where are you locating the disposal switch? Yolande and Jaymielo - my island will likley be as large, if not larger, than yours...where did you guys locate that switch when no wall is avail??

We call ours a continent : ) We couldn't be happier.

For the garbage disposal, we have an air switch to the right of the faucet. We are very happy with the air switch.

igloo, your little guy is ADORABLE!! can't imagine all the little guy has been through and so glad to hear that you are all on the upswing.

re: islands, ours is 44" x 74". I am 5'4" and walk around all sides to clean it but mostly only have to clean the side where I'm working. When I oil the butcherblock top I am definitely walking around all sides. I do really like the size of it.

My island is a few inches over in both directions, but basically 4x9. Main sink. No garbage disposal. Dishdrawers. I'm 5'8" and I have to walk around to clean it, but can reach past the middle. Doors and drawers that face great room have seldom used items stored. Drawers on both ends are not deep - about 14"- but have come in handy. I'm a neat freak, so it's never messy. Love having great space for spreading out food for a buffet.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Kitchen Island

my wife and I are planning on a 5x10 foot. It will house a pair of refrigerator drawers, beverage center, DW drawer, 22" silgranit sink, MW drawer, trash receptacle, and 3 30"x15" under the counter cabinets......pics to follow!

The disposal on our island is an Insinkerator Evolution Cover Control. There's no switch...just twist the lid.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cover Control Disposal

I cannot fit a 4' wide island in my kitchen. I would love one. Mine is 30'' x 110''. To compensate, the pullouts will pull out both ways, and the prep sink will be installed to be accessible from both sides. I would encourage you to do it if you can. Good luck!

cookpr, our garbage disposal switch is under the sink. We open the door under the sink and the switch is on the right wall. Once you learn where the switch is you don't even have to look to turn it on.

67x100: customer install: Island: last month! I will get a picture & post!
(I wondered if they were planning on sleeping on it?) LOL!
3cm Giallo Fiorito:

perta granite - please do post pics of that island - would love to see it...

My island is 9' X 5' all counter height I love it. Sorry, I do not know how to post photos. But others' photos give you the picture. I have seating on one 9' side, and the sink on the other. I have plenty of walk space all around and it is open to the family room. The TV is visible from the sink. It is the hub of my home. The disposal switch is inside the sink cabinet. Yes, the kids tend to throw everything on the island and it is the landing spot for groceries, so I have to be diligent about making sure it stays tidy. It is a gorgeous showstopper so I wouldn't change a thing.

Someone can share island 6 feet x 4 feet

My island/peninsula is 6 feet by 3’9”. There is a sink with a faucet that can swivel either direction. That island is absolutely the best thing about the new layout. People can work from either side in comfort. I think the extra 3” would make it a smidge too wide for dropping things into the sink and the extra counter width wouldn’t help that much, but that’s just my take. Pics are of the frontside and backside of the counter.