My personal island is 3'6x8'6 and it is perfect. We did not put a sink in it because that defeats the purpose of having an open expanse of prep space.

But I have designed many island for clients that are 9'-15' long w/ sinks and they love it. For slabs, typically you won't want more than 116" of cabinetry in order to have no seam. Occasionally you will find a large slab around 135" if you do, you can have cabinets as long as 131".

If your island is narrow avoid a sink, or put it on the end of the island.

We just selected granite for our 9’ island. Our granite slab was labeled 108” and we needed “110 inches. Turned out actual measurement was 111.75” so it should work. This was silver grey.

It seemed like silver grey slabs were slightly smaller than most others. Many were labeled 114” or so.

We have a 9 x 4 island and we used walnut for the top. I also have a 36" farmhouse sink centered. The layout of my kitchen/house definitely called for it to be centered but I think if you could put it in another area it would be nice to have more prep space. But ours works for us. Good luck!

My island is 9ft x 46 in. We have a nice size prep sink that is not centered leaving plenty of room for prep space. Granite is brushed steel gray. No seam.

Sativa, thank you so much for the tips! I am leaning towards doing 42" width for the island, but can go 48". Do you think 42" is too narrow for a sink? I like 42" because I can still clean from one side of the island.

Cfillyaw, thanks! so lucky you got the perfect sized slab! I would love to see it when you are done!

Mom2sulu, walnut sounds really lovely! What do seal it with around the sink area?

Kylie, wow, your kitchen is beautiful! the backsplash is divine! is your island caesarstone?

Vinmarks, thanks! I love your kitchen too, so warm. what type of wood is your cabinetry?

We used a wood product called Osmo to finish the tops. It has to be reapplied every couple years, but we love the way it looks and feels.

I think it would be best as a border wall item, not in the center of a U shaped kitchen. Your kitchen and all it's debris, LOL.... are on display for the world however with such an open design. I would not like circling it to go from the frig to the stove however. It is fine as a gate/wall... leading foot traffic to exit left or right...

Our island is 141" x 39" with a prep sink which is my favorite part of the kitchen. Rangetop is directly behind the sink. The cabinets on that side are almost 10' long without the overhang. Old island was 102" x 42". We love having a large island for prepping and serving. I used quartzite slabs that were 135" so the island was a bit too long for one slab. Seam is through the sink but barely visible. Refrigerator is to the left of the island so I wanted plenty of space to the left of the sink for landing. It is 39" x 39". The four drawer base under that is 18" deep - spices, prep bowls, and cutting mats fit perfectly in a drawer that size. A full height cabinet with doors is behind for oversized bowls and vertical platter storage. Right of sink is double trash pullout with drawer above for measuring cups, peelers, etc. The two-drawer base on the end is 21" deep so there is plenty of space behind it for a stool. Chef's drawer is on top for oils, vinegars, etc.

This is my prep sink. I was concerned about splashing but it is no problem at all. Faucet is a Kohler Artifacts faucet in the short version.

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This island is 54” x 112”. The range top is going in the middle. It is an entire slab of quartzite.

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I think it can work very well, depending on how you intend to use the island.

To explain: My MIL has an oversized island (and I do love her dearly; her kitchen layout, not so much). On the "closed" side of the island, the side toward the fridge, is the kitchen's only sink and also the DW. Off one end of the island are the cooktop and ovens. She uses the island for the following purposes: prep (because she designed it to be the prep center of the kitchen, and nowhere else is suitable), seating for guests (opposite the sink), and buffet during large dinners (also opposite the sink).

This configuration and combination of uses is not effective at all, IMO. In the run-up to large dinners, people don't know where to sit or stand or prep or put dishes ready-to-serve - and whoever is cooking is swarmed with people on the end of the island - because it's all happening at the same place.

If you have other prep space, or don't intend to use your island as the "do-everything all-the-time" space, I can see how it would be convenient.

ETA: What I described above is how I came to refer to my kitchen table as my "stay-out-of-my-kitchen-table". It's basically a very small island intended to let people know that they belong on one side of the table; I prep and cook on the other.

For a space to be truly useful as a prep space, you need direct water access, so a prep sink will increase the functionality of the island immensely.

Regarding this large an island...be sure the island is not a "barrier island" for any key items. A barrier island is an island that blocks direct access to/from things like:

• refrigerator and prep sink
• refrigerator and cooktop/range
• prep zone and cooking zone

You don't want to frequently be running around this large an island just to prepare and cook a meal.

Also, be sure the depth of the island is no more than 60", less if you are short or have short arms. Any deeper and you will have issues wiping down the island. It should be no deeper than twice your comfortable reach (i.e., no straining). So, if you can comfortably reach 30", double that and you have 60". 60" is for average folks as most people cannot comfortably reach more than about 30". It does mean you will have to walk all around the island to reach the entire slab when wiping it down, but you probably won't be doing that more than a couple of times a day, so it shouldn't be an issue.

Ideally...

• the Prep Zone on the island (with a prep sink)
• the Cooking Zone on the perimeter behind the island
• the Cleanup Zone on the perimeter off to the side and, preferably, attached to the Cooktop wall (i.e., an "L" with an island) [If "connected", this also gives you an additional prep zone]

Do not cram all three primary work zones on the island! As Salex described, it can be a major issue!

Our island is 10 X 5 with a soapstone counter. We had to use two pieces which I thought would bother me, but it's fine. There is a Kohler 33" stages sink towards the one end near the fridge which makes prep work a snap. An island that large becomes a much more useful addition with a prep sink. There is still tons of prep space on a 10' island with the sink moved to one end of it.

My island is 9’ x 3.4’ (42”). No prep sink. One short side faces the fridge, long side faces sink and stove and the other 2 sides are seating. We love it!. We had no issue finding a granite slab to fit 9’.

We worked on this kitchen in 2015 and we think the 10 ft island looked stunning. Luckily our clients found a 10ft slab of quartzite almost immediately. With regards to the sink it all depends on the layout of your kitchen. We placed it strategically to create the best flow between the sink, fridge and range. Its always best to form an imaginary triangle between these three.

https://www.houzz.com/projects/2078180/ikea-kitchen-with-all-style-custom-doors

mom2sulu, thanks! i will look into osmo. I love wood counters, but was afraid they wouldn't hold up near water. i might do only do wood in the pantry though, just to be safe. we are not very good at wiping up spills quickly.

redsilver, yes, it makes sense. i am messy too, but thought if i had two sinks, one for water in the island and the other on the wall where i could keep my mess, it would look tidier. more likely i would have mess at both though, lol. :-)

wilson853, your quartzite is gorgeous! which quartzite is that? I also am thinking quartzite for my counters.

cook's kitchen, thanks for the pic! that is a nice quartzite as well. could you tell me the name of it?

salex, thanks for the tips on the layout. I agree, it could potentially be a traffic area. i contemplated doing two small islands, but I am drawn to the large expanse of counters on one big island. it is a great idea to try to designate another prep area too.

buehl, thank you so so much for all of the layout advice! i will make sure to double check against your checklist while I play around with my layout.

muskokascp, thanks for sharing your experience. it is good to know even with a seam it will look fine.

kazmom, thanks! it is sounding like 9 feet will not be too hard to find slabs for.

IKD, that is a gorgeous slab of quartzite! do you happen to have the name for it? can't believe that is all ikea too! i will be sure to make a triangle work space too. thanks!

Our quartzite is Tahitian Cream (Nuage Macchio Oro) from Daltile Stone. It wipes up beautifully and so far seems bulletproof. We had Ubatuba granite for over 20 years. Now that I am older, I much prefer lighter countertops as it is easier on my eyes.

Remember you will need *supports* for a long expanse of weight. Do you plan seating at the island? Many are too shallow to allow roomy seats to 'tuck in' all the way, or they are too shallow for place mats. A long straight island is not conducive to conversation among a group.

I love the Wilsonart Line. I enjoy the sample White Leather that I have used alot, too.

We are not 100% sure but we believe this one looks quite similar.

Quartzite Macaubus Fantasy RED66

10' islands seem to be the largest you can go without a seam. The seam is not a huge issue if there is no sink in the island. If you have a sink centered in the island it means you may want to have two seams so the seam is not in the middle of the sink. We love the sink in the middle of a nice long island, still plenty of room for prep and clean up!

BIG is BETTER. Big islands can host cocktail parties, be a homework zone for the kids, act as a serving buffet, many uses.

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Cook's Kitchen - how are you dealing with ventilation for a range top in that island? Has the ceiling just not yet been opened up for the ducting?

@wilson853

Thanks for sharing your island and kitchen details! I thought all the details included were really helpful for me. I'm trying to plan my kitchen layout right now, so thank you.

On my post it was recommended to do a prep sink and then my "normal" sink in the nook area of my kitchen. How do you like your prep sink? Looks like you went rather big and when I was thinking of a prep sink I thought small, but I like the look of your larger sink.

I want to also do a farmhouse style sink for my "normal sink" and see you have one as well! love the pics!

Thanks aus10sntx. Glad it was helpful. The prep sink is the center of my cooking cockpit. I have purchased another colander and poly and wood boards of various sizes that fit on either ledge. We also use the sink for serving BBQ and carving meat. I always hated cutting watermelon on a board on the counter as I always made a mess so now I have a large Tramontina board that fits on the lower ledge for that purpose. If you have the room you won't be sorry. Hardly anything happens on my counters anymore. Tonight's entire dinner and dessert was made over the sink. I have found this sink branded under various names (Houzer Novus, Nantucket Pro, Highpoint) There is a newer version that is 32". Mine is 30" in a 33" cabinet.

Those kitchen photos that were shared above, are over the top! Oh my my my! Wow!

My island is 4 x 9 and it's a centerpiece of the kitchen. I have a large sink (the only one in the kitchen) in it, and the range is pretty much across on the counter run. I have 4 ft of counter to the left of the sink (prep zone), and 2 ft of counter to the right (cleanup zone). Pretty much all prep happens to the left of the sink, counter space around the range is just landing space or quick staging. Here's my kitchen:

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5405111/four-years-and-two-babies-laterthe-kitchen-is-finally-almost-ready#22641193

I think you will find the utility of your kitchen reduced if there is no water source on your main prep space. I've heard people advocate passionately for a "large, open prep space" but I haven't yet found a way to prep without water, and it seems like a hassle to have to constantly cross the aisle to wash, to prep, and to move to the range. Try to re-enact your typical meal prep sequence and see what you think.

We had no problem finding a 9+ ft long slab. I will say that islands wider than 4 ft seem like a hassle to clean. I am nearly six feet tall, and I don't really clean but on occasions that I do, I can't reach to the other end of the island, and it's a pain to have to walk around it to clean it.

just want to say thank you to everyone! your islands and kitchens are so amazing!

there is so much info and eye candy. it will take a lot of time to absorb. thanks again!!