Island design help please

13 years ago

Im paralyzed with indecision about this island. I love the look of wood, but it seems like you have to choose between making it waterproof (waterlox) or usable for food prep. Is that true? I am not one that needs ( or even wants) pristine glossy wood tops. Rustic and distressed is more my aesthetic. I am not especially careful or meticulous.

I *think* I want soapstone for prep island/countertops, and wood for island eating/seating. Another problem (?) is that I want the eating area to sit 6 comfortably and not linearly. Would that end up being a huge diameter?

I can't imagine how to configure this. Should the eating part be at a slightly lower level than the rest of the Island?

Sorry for the rambling, I'm just very afraid of doing it wrong and ending up with something unsightly and awkward.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

taggie
13 years ago
I don't know about the wood top questions but re. size, I would imagine probably 10x5 would be the size you'd want to sit four on one side and two on the other, or maybe 7x7 for three on each side.

I think that counter height vs lowered height is very much a personal preference. For a lot of reasons (usability for spreading out, aesthetics in an island that large, and aging in place) I would prefer a single height. But by no means is that a definitive answer ... multilevel islands are preferred by some.

One of the best large islands I have ever seen is oldbat2be's. Link below; you should check it out. You may want to post in her thread as well to ask how big it is.

Good luck with your new kitchen!

Here is a link that might be useful: Oldbat2be's kitchen with beautiful large island
caitlinmagner
Original Author
13 years ago
thanks for the response and link. Oldbat2be's kitchen is gorgeous.
Related Professionals
McComb Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Saint Cloud Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Middlesboro Kitchen Remodelers · Dayton Kitchen Remodelers · York Kitchen Remodelers · Olean Kitchen Remodelers · Lancaster Kitchen Remodelers · Orange County Kitchen Remodelers · Pine Bluff Custom Countertops · Atlantic City Custom Countertops · Lawton Custom Countertops · Torrington Custom Countertops · Coldwater Custom Countertops · Yuma Custom Countertops · Anchorage Custom Countertops
stacylh
13 years ago
First, I would browse houzz.com for kitchen islands for thousands of ideas.

We also want a large island with seating for 5-6 non-linearly. The best solution for our space is an island that is approximately 8.5 ft. long by 54 inches wide, with my work area on one end of island (cabinets will be 48"x54" with counter overhand for seating of 4.5 ft. x 54". I plan to have 1-2 at the end and 2 on each side. The surface will all be the same height and out of the same slab of granite.

I drew my inspiration from this island's seating layout:
https://www.houzz.com/photos/indian-grove-kitchen-traditional-kitchen-toronto-phvw-vp~369850-Grove-Kitchen-traditional-kitchen-toronto