Ooh. I love it!

Feels like it might be facing the wrong way?

But other then that, what a great idea, love it! Great job

Mmmmm, no. Love the stove.

Honestly -- no, not in that kitchen. The island deserves a much simpler kitchen so it can be the star. And the range deserves a much simpler island so it can be the star. And agreeing with woodteam, I also don't know if the island is the best use of space in that kitchen.

Also, there are too many elaborate and frilly items in the room -- the range, the island, the trim (including around the range), and the pendant fixtures. The room would look better with a maximum of two elaborate/frilly elements; there's too much in the room saying "Look at me! NO -- look at ME!". The pendants should have a bit more weight and mass to them, and be simpler.

No, the style doesn't blend well with the cabinetry. It would look magnificent in a master bath as a sink base, though.

If it's supposed to be some sort of a statement piece I would have continued with that idea and put in a glorious sparkly chandelier. The lighting above it is just too ineffectual in terms of scale and presence.

No. What a mishmash.

no. a bit contrived..i love furnishings being used in utalitarian spaces-but I see no point in it standing there. what's the function? can one stand and work/sit next to it? I'm with Becky here-a bit too much of "look at me"

No, I don't care for it in this application, though the woodtone is lovely. I agree with the word "contrived". I also think it looks like it's been turned around backwards for the photograph. It doesn't look kitchen-appropriate to me -- I'm thinking they could have another whole row of drawers where the feet are, and it looks "too fancy" for a kitchen. Looks like it'd be hard to keep clean.

Best things in that room: Twin light fixtures over the "island" and the window /curtains over the sink.

Since it looks as if there is another working prep kitchen behind, I think it's a lovely place to be able to serve buffet style or place drinks and appetizers for your guests (or family). Hard to know what the seating near by might be, but I love to see an island without seating. I don't see it as any different than a buffet in a dining room that isn't used for much, but just looks beautiful.

No, don't like it. Too many style inconsistencies in this kitchen, in my opinion. And I think could be a real problem protecting the finish on that piece in a kitchen.

That repurposed sideboard/buffet is a bit pretentious perhaps.

Gawd-awful!

No, I think it looks out of place in there.

I think I'd like it better if it had bracket feet and wasn't so leggy. I like the idea perhaps better than the execution.

No, not a fan. Love the stove though!

And I think could be a real problem protecting the finish on that piece in a kitchen.

I said it'd be hard to keep clean, but I think your statement is more on point.

I have to wonder what the back side looks like.

Nope. Looks like the movers got tired and set it down for a minute before they carried it on to the bedroom wing.

No. I actually like the rest of the kitchen a good deal. The island ruins it for me.

I like the look but wonder if it's sturdy enough for granite.

Not there, but it's an interesting idea (and yes, my first thought was VEB's piano-island).

A bigger question, did they alter the drawers to slide out more easily than they did in those old pieces?

I think it's very pretty

I'm all about function. Waste of a good piano, IMHO for that island. The one in the photo makes sense if it is facing a dining table equally cool looking. Kitchen is weird, looks like a butler's pantry or canning kitchen outside of it. I know I would have a hard time keeping that space clear after cooking prep. I try to clean up as I go, but I am usually lucky to get dinner on the table all on my own. SO is OK for peeling and prepping, but he disappears right before the meal comes together. I can barely get him to set the table. Probably due to the way he cooks, lots simpler than me.

I love the piano island. If you followed or read her blog, you'd know the piano was not repairable - she made sure she wasn't ruining a piece that could be restored. Her husband is an artful, skilled craftsman who made a gorgeous piece from it, imo.

I like it, and I very much like re-purposing quality furniture (if that's what they did.) It did seem turned the wrong way to me too, in terms of function, but in terms of look it might make sense. But once I saw the stove, that's all I could look at. Love it.

ETA - I like the pendant over the sink, too. Cool shape.

As writers block said, it's too much of a mishmash.

I wonder if it's turned the wrong way for the photo.

Yes. Love it.

The lights above are not nearly weird enough for me, though...

The lights and the sideboard are actually from the same era.

Yeah, I know about not being able to restore pianos. It's a lost art.

I think part of the problem is the angle of the photograph. It makes the island look much larger/taller than it is. The Aga (I think it is an Aga) stove is not a small appliance, but the photo makes it look petite.

Looks like a LaCanche to me, a bit more delicate looking than an Aga but still not a shrinking violet in the kitchen : ) .

Either the range or the island can be the star in that room, but not both.

beckysharp, I am trying to understand a comment you made above, "Too many elaborate items in the room, there should be a maximum of 2, not look at me, no, look at me"

I'm not throwing shade at you, I am really just trying to understand your feeling on this. Why can't you have a fancy stove and fancy island? I never thought about it and as you probably guessed, I put more then a few "look at me" things in my home.

woodteam, it's not so much my feeling but the design principles of balance and emphasis regarding focal points, which draw the eye and one's attention. You can have more than one focal point, though generally then there's a primary one and one or two secondary ones. Very much the same idea as Coco Chanel's dictum, "Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take at least one thing off". In other words, if you're going to wear statement earrings, skip the necklace, or vice versa.

Of course, it's always possible to break design rules -- say, with two primary focal points -- and have things turn out wonderfully well (especially if you're Iris Apfel or Miles Redd), but I don't see that in the kitchen above. To me, having two focal points there does a disservice to each. YMMV.

If I must have an open kitchen in my traditional house, then that island facing what I assume is the dining room makes perfect sense to me. Essentially, it becomes a servery and storage for the dining room with the added benefit of adding counter space to the kitchen. I would much rather look at a beautiful piece like that while I'm seated at the dining room table than the plain back of a purpose-built cabinet.

beckysharp, OK, I see what you are saying. I guess I don't see those things as focal points, I see them as more like the pretty pattern of a dress. Thank you for answering.

Bonjour chips ! beckysharp is correct :) While not our largest Lacanche Range, the 'Cluny' model here is 39 3/8", or just about a meter wide. We're smitten either way :)

I gave it some thought. It might be that the angle of the photo is such that the island looks closer to the stove than it is. Less distance=to me, means "harder to function". "Harder to function"-you question why's there, since it's not art, not any other thing of plain beauty that can just be there on its own right without having to perform some duty..you do expect islands and tables to perform some duty..as do these homeowners too, seeing that their buffet is covered with granite.

So, it might be that the photo is taken in such a way that you see two important pieces fighting for attention being too close to each other. That buffet is very nice and ornate-so it becomes a bit pretentious, not because it's nice and ornate, but because it seems plopped there to show off a bit. A lot of work and money went into it to transform it into an island. Which is great-on condition it can indeed be an island.

It might be that IRL-or in a different kitchen-the distance is different. I think that might influence one's perception of a kitchen. You have different proportions-the balance is distributed more evenly or makes more sense to you.