Kitchen islands - any views?

AlexMac

So if you are thinking long-term, in terms of re-sale, this thread's entirely unrepresentative, self-selected sample's results are
Against - 11
For - 3
Lukewarm or on the fence - 5

Personally, I don't like 'em . We have two friends who have 'em; in my view, both a disaster.

One, with a sink in it, has completely killed the space it occupies, prevents you from using the kitchen end of the big through lounge for anything sensible and flexible, like a table or other furniture and (as the storage underneath it is just shallow open shelving (the plumbing prevents drawers), both these and the top ens up full of clutter. It also kills the flow as it is in between the main lounging area and bifold doors to the rear patio.

The other, with a hob in it, is also so close to the adjacent wall units and worktop, that you can't get past if anyone is cooking there. Worse, the most important drawers with cutlery and implements are under the hob so you can't open 'em to set the table if anyone's cooking there. And I bang my head on the cooker hood, which I don't on my own wall-mounted version at the same height.

OK it's a matter of taste and maybe my mates are rubbish at designing kitchens, but I'd prefer more flexible space

JuzaMum

My friend has a large L shaped kitchen/diner/family room with an island in the kitchen part. It's a large room and the island has the hob in it. It works well because there is lots of space and it is almost like the missing wall of the kitchen if that makes sense.

gettingtheresometime

I bet I'd be catching my hips so many times I'd be ripping the thing out, regardless of how big the kitchen was …..& I've not got big hips!

missprice

https://www.hallmarkkitchendesigns.com/portfolio/gloss-white-kitchen/

I wanted something like this size , but with ovens and everything in the island. But yeah as said in my last post, walking round the damn thing for whatever I needed at that time was just a huge waste.

MysteryMe

The one in the OPs image looks ridiculous for size of kitchen.

I have never had any desire to have one TBH. I would only contemplate an island if the kitchen was huge and I'd use it just as a food prep area so most probably have a sink installed.

I can't stand perching on bar stools to eat so would need a proper table in addition, so if it was one or the other the table would win.

Getting_greyer

I think they look great. I can offer no practical advice apart from I know if I had one my kids would find ways of leaving everything they can find on any available space which would turn me insane.

AdrianC

Getting_greyer wrote: »

...if I had one my kids would find ways of leaving everything they can find on any available space which would turn me insane.

I blame the parents.

SameOldRoundabout

I have an island in my kitchen, measuring 2.4m by 1.4m. It’s so useful. My hob is on it, I use it for prep, my kids sit on the back of it to chat or do drawing while I cook. I’m about to move house and won’t be able to have an island until we extend and I’ll really miss it. A well designed kitchen changes your life, a badly designed one just makes it awkward!

silvercar

I love my island, useful when you need a large work surface space. I have 2 columns of draw, draw, deep draw on one side and bar stools under the slight overhang on the opposite side.

OldMusicGuy

Best thing ever IMO provided they are done well. Definitely added value to our house and was a real selling point. However, ours was brilliantly designed (courtesy of my wife) and sadly I think the one you have linked to looks like it has been squeezed in for the sake of having an island.

Squeezing one in the middle of a U-shaped kitchen can be challenging. The one you have linked to is pretty rubbish, breaks the golden triangle rule. The one in our new house (just being planned) will have the hob on the island so that the island is part of the golden triangle rather than becoming an obstruction.

The trouble with new builds is they are all done as cheap as possible, just bung a few Howdens units around the edges and cram in an island. IMO It's always best to pay a designer to help with some ideas unless you can do it yourself.