Island size 4x8, 5x8, 4x9, 5x9, or 4x5 (small for corner seating)
cali59
6 years ago
I'm exploring the best size island for our kitchen.
As you can see in the pictures there is a lot of space around the island. with the 8x4 island I will have almost 6' between the counter the the island. And at the end of the end 6' to the counter across at that end.
Should I take advantage of the space for storage? What do you think will be the best use of space.
I Iike corner seating so I'm willing to go small (4x5).
Thanks for your feedback! It has really been helping!!
4x8
5x8 island
4x9 island
5x9 island
4x5 island
Picture below to give you an idea of the awkward posts. We are not removing these posts.
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Comments (13)
cali59
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Is 5 feet to wide for an island?
Comments (28)My island is 5'6" wide, a little more than 8 feet long. I love the width, as I had plenty of room for a bank of drawers on one end, and plenty of room behind the prep sink. If you're going to have a sink in the island and seating across from it, then you really do need to make sure you have enough room for someone to sit there without getting splashed. I also second the idea of seating people on two edges rather than in a straight line. I did this and we often find ourselves at the island for meals. It really makes conversation easy and comfortable. I also like that there is a spot near my prep area for someone to sit and talk to me. I am going to be the dissenting voice in aisle space. I have 42 inches between the cooktop/fridge/oven wall and the island, and I like that the island is just a pivot and one step away when taking things out of the fridge or oven and putting them on the island, or taking things from the prep area to the cooktop. Another thing that worked well for me was to put two trash pullouts in, one by the prep area and the other, larger one by the cleanup area for general trash and scraping plates. Cj...See MorePutting main sink in a island
Comments (20)If there's no other place to put it, then at least it's better than a range or cooktop. But, it does eliminate the advantage of a wonderful expanse of work space an island or peninsula offers. When we were baking & later decorating Christmas cookies & other goodies, it was great to be able to have the the kids working with me on all 3 sides of our peninsula. We could roll out the dough, "cut" cookies, and have room for the cookie sheets all at one time instead of having to do it piecemeal. The peninsula offered a big work area w/nothing in the way. If you have people seated at the island...you do need to worry about splashing...but an 18" overhang should take care of that issue. You might have to warn children (if you have any) to be careful about doing homework and other crafts/projects on the island b/c of the splashing issue since those activities typically require use of a greater expanse of work area than eating a quick meal or sitting down for a chat (especially if your printer uses the type of ink that runs when it gets wet.) As to spending time doing dishes & visiting...first, if I have visitors, I'd rather not be washing dishes...that's the last thing I want to do! I'd rather wait until everyone has left and then do the dishes (a deep sink really helps!) Regardless, keep in mind the following statistics (I know, many of you have seen me post these...but they bear repeating in this thread b/c of the subject): Time spent in a kitchen while working: 70% - Prepping 20% - Cleaning up 10% - Cooking If you're interested in visiting with people at the island while working in the kitchen, then the best thing your island can be used for is prep (and baking if you bake a lot). That being said, if you plan to prep in the island since your sink is there, then remember that you will now be competing for space not only on the counter, but also in the sink w/anyone else at the sink AND with the dirty dishes! (A double bowl sink may help a little.) A prep sink, b/c they're usually small and on an end, is usually OK unless you have a small island, but I know I wouldn't want a full size sink in an island (or peninsula) unless I had no other options. But, as you've seen by previous posters, it works for some. Caveat to the above: If you have a huge island or peninsula (say 10 feet or more), then I think a sink will work fine b/c there's so much room...as long as it's over to one side & not centered....See MoreLarge one level island??
Comments (31)I have had both and liked both. In our last house, we had a large one level island and it was great for spreading out. The downside was everything that ended up on the island was visible from far away. It worked in the layout we had and our kitchen table was on the other side, so viewing the kitchen was not a big deal. The layout was completely open for our living space, so viewing any mail, or other stuff that landed on it, was the only issue. It took walking around to the other side to wipe it all down, but that would have happened with a 2 level at that depth too. In our new kitchen, we have a 2 level, because we needed to hide the back of our tall vintage stove. It is another very open layout, so the second level helps block the view from the dining room and den on the other side of the island. I like how I can keep small kitchen electrics on it (no outlets in previous island) and I can also keep oils in pretty bottles, salt, pepper, measuring cups, etc... off the counter and out of view (the tall part is over 2 cubbies that face into the kitchen and flank the stove). It is very high up (approx 4.5 feet off the floor) so it would never be used for seating. It creates a galley kitchen for us without walls to close it in. I still have normal depth counters and am able to keep those spaces free to work on and not cluttered by accessories. I was messing with the program and it turned one top cab towards our kitchen, and that was how I came up with using the 2 cabs as cubbies. The middle one and the ones below open the other way (not shown). The height works for us because we have tall ceilings and the very open layout. YMMV. I can only post a rendering because the real counters have not been installed yet and nothing is set up like it will be when the stove will be hooked up (have to use a single burner now). The brown part shown is hidden behind our stove's back and actually has a white panel on it....See MoreConfiguration for kitchen island
Comments (18)avesmor - I'm so sorry to hear about your DH. I sure hope he is recovering well. My thoughts and prayers are with you. I came across your pocket office pic on an Island preference post and responded to that but not sure if you would see it or not. Is your layout on the above post your current house layout or did you change it? I assume from your post you are in the new build process but the pics you are posting are of a model home. What size is the pocket office in the plan? We are in the process of building, at a standstill now because of all the snow which is nice because it is buying me some time. We had our plans custom designed and our house plan calls for a 10x10 office. After doing some searching on mudrooms I came across this forum and have been addicted ever since. One fellow forum member redesigned my laundry room and powder room area coming in from the garage and gave me a mudroom, laundry room, and closet now with a 1/2 bath but took space out of my office and now gave me a pocket office 7'x5'4". I haven't made the change yet on my plan. What's your opinion on your pocket office? Size? Function? We do not work from home and on occasions I might, but we have laptops and the only thing I want to use the office for is hook ups for the wireless router, all-in-one-printer, possibly some thinking when doing bills, storing bills etc. My concern if I left it as a 10x10 office as is on the original plan then it would be like a formal dining room for us and end up being wasted space, when I would prefer to have a larger laundry room, a mudroom for family to kick off their shoes and hang up their coats and a closet to store all off season coats. It may in the long run turn into a small play room/TV. room for kids and we may move our office down stairs or something. What's your opinion? Do you have other pics of the pocket office? Are there links to this model home to review? Our current houseplan calls for a U shaped kitchen like that too. How do you like that? I had a suggestion from another forum member to post my kitchen on the kitchen forum to get feedback. They made some good suggestions, but I'm not sure I am crazy about the sink being so far away from the cooktop. Our problem was we have a half wall where yours is open to the great room so the island was getting in the way. Ugh.. all these decisions, but this is good place to come for advice. Sometimes I get too overwhelmed by all of the good advice. Regarding your change I almost think I would turn that into a butler's pantry other than putting a pass thru through the office. I think the office then would be too small and unusable, but it doesn't make sense to have to walk all the around the office. On the other hand it is more of a formal dining room and unless you have a lot of formal dinners you probably wonÂt utilize that room much....See Morecali59
6 years ago- PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoI agree the posts are actually creating havoc not an open feeling at all we had to leave a small portion of wall in our kitchen to avoid having to spend a fortune on a steel beam so we treated the wall as an anchor for a large “island” we just have a couple of stools at the window end.
cali59 thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting cali59
6 years agocali59
6 years agoMy cabinet guy likes the 4x6 island. I'm going to ask him today to if he likes the idea of making this same island at table height with corner seating. Thoughts? Also he wants to rap all the posts and beams with the same rustic knotty hickory being used on the cabinets. Thought? I'm pretty excited about it. (He made the island and cabinets in the picture. So, I'm sure it is going to all turn out similar.)
Sumod
2 years agoci_lantro
2 years agoSumod, that sink is a top mount drainboard sink. Looks a lot like the Ikea Vattudalen.
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/vattudalen-single-bowl-top-mount-sink-stainless-steel-s89158172/
Elkay makes drainboard sinks. Also worktop sinks (sink integrated into stainless steel countertop--set lengths).
Elkay Lustertone and Elkay Crosstown (undermount) are couple of their offerings.
Blanco also in their quartz line. Create Good Sinks is another. Other options are shopping vintage sinks as well as full custom (Rachiele Sinks).
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