How old are those kiddos, Peter? Once they get old enough to get assigned the empty-the-DW chore, I suspect you'll find that the DW will often be getting emptied at the same time that you or your wife are cooking dinner. At least that's the way that it worked when I was a kid because mom would discover that I hadn't done it yet when she went in to start dinner. For that reason, I would recommend shifting the DW or stove for the safety reasons mentioned above. We have a large island and we made it deeper so that we could utilize the ends of the island as well as the front and back. For example, we placed our trash pullout on the end so that it was conveniently located to the prep and dish area, but other also easily accessible without entering the main cook/prep areas. The cabinety of our island is 7' x 3.5' plus a curved overhang that adds another 12-18" to make the island roughly 7' x 5'. I'd be happy to post pictures of all sides of our island, just let me know if you're interested, but here's an overview: A deeper island could have the following benefits in your kitchen: -Better protection of island seating from sink splashes -More storage. Although your kitchen is large, because of its central location limits wall cabinets, a bit more storage could really come in handy. -The increased depth would balance the long length of the island -A more substantial island would do a good job of balancing your kitchen witb your room size. -The opportunity to have cabinets open on the ends could help reduce crowding in what's really a galley kitchen. For example a bank of drawers that opens towards the dining room could hold silverware and dishes that would be conveniently located to both the island seating side and the dining room. That way the table could be set without disturbing the cook. The only drawbacks I can think of are: -Your wife not being able to reach across to put plates in front of the kids. However I think this si minor and certainly short lived as the kids will grow quickly and be able to slide a plate towards themselves -slight increase in cabinet cost (again very minor in the grand scheme of things. Regardless of what you decide to do for the island size, please consider curving the seating overhang out rather than having it be straight across. That greatly increases the ability of peopl seated there to enjoy eachother's company. An added bonus: if you curve the island overhang so that it's 18" in the center, you'll have some extra room for your long legs.

Similar thread recently. Joe posted pics of installing corbels into a cabinet. http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3549316/quartzite-peninsula-overhang?n=11 For overhangs you need to have corbels built into the cabinet or support brackets. That far of an overhang I would recommend corbels built into the cabinet. Might even need support legs honestly. You need to be confident there is no movement, if they do corbels and it still wiggles a little due to the distance, then do support legs also. Remember your considering this a table... tables usually have legs. Keep that in mind.

I worry when my 200 lb teenage son puts weight on my 12" overhang ... yours just seems like an accident waiting to happen. I would never think of putting weight on a cantilevered surface like this, but most people don't even give it a thought and some would even hop up and attempt to sit there!

Dear Christie, Congratulations on getting the opportunity of building a new home! You can’t get much help and certainly not the help you really want and need when you ask either or questions. Mostly what you’ll get is opinion. I’d give you my opinion but without knowing what your problem really is, it wouldn’t be helpful to you. Tell us how you feel and what it is you really want. What’s bothering you about where you are stuck right now? What you are experiencing happens to almost everyone taking on a kitchen project. That wants more than a trendy new kitchen to replace their old one. You should be a little freaked out. How can you possibly be really good at something you haven't done many times before? I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s not just a new kitchen you want but a new life. You’re designing and building a new home so you can begin your new, easier, better life. The one you really want that you don’t get to live in your existing home right now. It’s obvious that you have doubt and uncertainty, because your layout with one island has cabinetry nomenclature on it. Which means it’s supposed to be your final plan, and your cabinetry is ready for ordering. You might even feel pressured to finalize and order. Since you haven’t ordered your cabinetry you have doubts if this is the kitchen you really want and expect to get. Your doubt and uncertainty are well founded and your intuition is right! You want Proof that your intuition is right, right? No problem you can prove this to yourself by answering a very simple very obvious question. Almost no one asks this until AFTER their new kitchen is done and it too late. Most designers don't ask their clients it either. Imagine this first. Everyone working on your new kitchen project is done and gone. You’re alone in your beautiful new kitchen thrilled and moving in. You’re standing in your new kitchen, surrounded by all of your boxes packed from your old one. What I want you to do now is answer this very simple question. “Where are all of your kitchen items from your old kitchen going to go in your new one?” Seems like a pretty obvious question. It’s also an extremely powerful one. Because if you ask it BEFORE your new kitchen design drawings are done it changes Everything! Until now you haven’t been asked it. So answer it now. Get out your kitchen design drawings, using your kitchen layout (plan) and interior elevations and locate all of your kitchen items. If you don’t know where to begin, your kitchen design drawings are not the directions for creating the kitchen you really want, need, and expect to begin living your new life in. They are plans to simply replace your old kitchen with a new one in your new home. And you'll figure out how your new kitchen works, where all your stuff goes, and if it fits. On your own as you're moving in by Adapting to your new kitchen and making do with what you got. Click this link for a DIY Solution https://www.kitchendesignco.com/new-kitchen-doesnt-work/ Before right now you believed these drawings were going to deliver the kitchen you really wanted. You have your doubts. Now you are certain beyond any doubt that they won’t. So, what happens if you don’t locate all of your items and revise your kitchen design drawings? You’ll get a beautiful new kitchen everyone else loves,but no new life. Certainly not the new, easier, better life you could have had and were expecting. If you continue without properly answering the question, you’ll be forced to adapt to yet another kitchen you inherited. Only this time it won’t be the one you inherited when you bought the home you're in now. The one you had to adapt to, by putting your things where ever they fit. And as long as you know where everything is you'll make do. This time it’s your new kitchen that you'll have to adapt to and make do with. That you inherited from your designer. Then you'll realize you missed your big opportunity for real lasting life and home improvement. New Kitchen = New Life Inside the World’s Perfect Kitchen Joe Brandao Kitchen Design Company P.S.: Here are perspectives of a client’s kitchen drawn with Two Island and with One. They are very different kitchens. She decided to go with two Islands. I like one, but I don’t get to decide because I don't live in her home.