I see no problem with you having a gray island.

I can't really understand what you're saying the size of your island is, but with what little I'm seeing here I probably would not paint the island a different color. I agree that it looks better in a larger space. In a small space I would not chop things up, I would keep them the same color to make them appear larger.

Do you have cabinets making up the island or is it open like a table? If no cabinets, then painting it a different color would make it stand out as a piece of furniture, maybe. Hard for me to say without seeing an elevation or perspective drawing.

If the kitchen is only 12’ wide, there isn’t room for an island with seating.

Yeah but those things on one side of it look like stools. There certainly isn't room for seating if cabinet/drawer bases are under the top, even without the kitchen's size limitations.

SLS18, did a kitchen designer draw up this plan? Just wondering if the options to make work flow better were rejected for specific reasons.

I think the OP means that the proposed opening is on the top left side of the diagram. The island outline is shown within the yellow highlighted area. OP says it is 12' from the cabinet wall to the proposed opening, top left. If they are measuring from the front of the cabinets and the island is 29" deep, then (144-29 = 115") So that's 57 " clearance on either side of the island to the wall.

Or if the OP is measuring from the wall not taking cabinets into account, then approximately 45" either side of the island.

I think the highlighting which indicates the recessed ceiling is throwing everyone off.

If I read the plans and the OP's description correctly then I think there may be enough room for the proposed island and it will be unimpeded view from the proposed opening to the sunroom.

If that is the case, I don't see why you wouldn't choose to have the island a different colour from the perimeter. As long as it isn't a huge contrast with a really dark grey, I think it will look good.

I can't say I'm a fan of the proposed layout. It all looks jammed together on that bottom wall. I can see an architect name on the plans....so I'm betting it has been planned by the architecture firm and not a kitchen designer. Spend the money to plan your kitchen properly and then worry about colours and finishes. Those choices are a lot easier to change than a poor layout.

it's an island with cabinets, the cabinets for the island is what I would be painting gray and the cabinets along the wall would be white. The gray color is a medium color, its called san antonio gray by BM. I don't have much wall to paint in the kitchen, pretty much just around the door frames and that will be a shade lighter gray than the cabinets of the island.

mvcanada, As far as the lay out goes, it seems as if we didn't have much of a choice being there are so many openings in the kitchen for. There wasn't much wall space available. So I was told I was limited.

No project is too small. Go for it, you need to do what will make you happy and love you kitchen.

While I listen to what a contractor has to say, I do not give them the final say when it comes to design decisions. My contractor often disagreed with my ideas for one reason or another so I took what was said with a big grain on salt. Design and aesthetics are not necessarily a contractor's areas of expertise.

First, I'd put the sink in the middle and second, I'd do all one color cabinets. If the perimeter was bigger, I'd say maybe. As it is, no.

Carolina Kitchen & Bath - if I put the sink in the middle where would the rangetop/hood go?

The range top would go in the general vicinity of the proposed sink. You can play with your drawer base widths to make sure that you have adequate space on either side of the range for prep and a landing area.

When cooking, we want to go to the fridge for produce/proteins, the sink to wash anything that needs it, then prep between the sink and range. It's nicer for the cook to have an efficient path when preparing meals. Whether you move in straight line down the countertop or have a triangle, ICE-WATER-STONE-FIRE is a GW goal in kitchen design. If you can achieve it, the kitchen is working FOR you instead of you working around the kitchen's flow limitations ;) TKOs don't like barriers to work flow traffic or backtracking. Your compromise is that the range top isn't in the center as a focal point, which I believe is the purpose of it's placement.

My new kitchen has the work area along one wall, similar to yours. It's not as step saving as a triangle can be but, like you, I have limited wall space. Fridge is on a short wall perpendicular to the pantry/work path. I have pantry, counter, sink, counter, cooktop, counter, wall ovens. The wall opposite is where dishwashers, cleanup sink, and silverware/dish storage will be.

If running plumbing to the island for a prep sink isn't possible, I'd like fridge, counter with dishwasher underneath, sink, counter, cooktop, counter. You're going in one direction and the d/w isn't in the prep area. If you have a sink in the island, keeping the range top in the center makes sense for work flow.

IMHO, different painted islands had different styles of cabinets and represented furniture pieces used as islands. This has morphed into the same kitchen cabinets just painted a different color. I agree with your contractor. The area is rather small and will probably not give you the look you were going for.

I have seen some pretty tiny kitchens with different colour painted islands from the rest of the cabinets, and they looked great. I think you can keep the continuity with cabinet style and countertops, to tie them in so it looks less like you got a random island and dumped it in middle of kitchen.

Even though progression of cooking is from fridge--->sink--->prep--->range, I like that the DW is on the end, which means that a helper can unload it, or gather dishes to set the table, without interfering in your cooking tasks.

What is the configuration of the island cabinets? (If any). Seats are drawn on the illustration, but will you have seating? Comfortable counter-height seating needs 15" of knee space. (NKBA guidelines)

At 12', or 144", you should have space for seating at an island with 15" deep cabinets, 15" seating overhang, 1" back panel, and 1" cabinet overhang on the working side (31" total), except for the space in front of the stub wall (red circle). So, I'd move that seat to the short side near the fridge, and make the island a little longer--87" minimum. 144" - 25" - 31" = 88" for two aisles, or 44" each. That is sufficient for a work aisle, and for walk-behind space, as mvcanada mentioned. ETA, you might need legs at each end of the seating overhang, to support the top.

IMO, a different color on the island would be fine. I have three different colors on the cabinets in my 13.5 x 13.5 kitchen--off white on one side of the kitchen, off white and green on the other, and a black island with a carrara top. It might be a bit quirky, but it looks OK.

The real disadvantage to the plan is that there is no landing space beside the wall oven/MW.

Variation on your island:

If I took my contractor's design advice I'd have the same beige walls and carpet with brown overstuffed furniture as everyone else in this city. No thanks, I'll leave the aesthetic decisions to those who have a style I love.

In other words, your island will be great.

Paint your island a different color....if you love it, do it!! Paint it purple if that’s what is going to make you happy! It’s your kitchen. If we all listened to every designer or whatever we would all have the exact same white subway tile backsplash ;)

Just say to your contractor, "thanks. I am gonna go for it anyway!".

Good catch, artistsharonva. sis18, you have space for a standard-depth fridge there, which would probably clear the stub wall, provide more storage, and be less expensive than a CD fridge. You can extend the panel on the right side to cover the fridge box.

Thank you artistsharonva! I will open the fridge and make sure the drawers can pull out. I purchased a standard counter depth fridge for that space.