Hi everyone... I need your input. I've always pictured my new kitchen with two matching islands. Here are some of the limitations...

1) We have combined 3 rooms to make one big kitchen, but have left the 56" medallion on the ceiling of the former dining room. I would like to keep it for the historical/original quality a plaster medallion brings, but it SEEMS to have implications for my islands. I've planned to have a 48 x 48 island centered under it. This leaves at least 38" all around the island as walkways, etc. I would *think* of making the size of island #1 smaller, but i'm afraid of losing too much seating. This island will have an ice machine and a drink fridge with a 30x 36 x 12 upper hidden under the island for long term storage. I'm hoping to sqeeze 6 seats around the rest of the island (o.k... at least 4)

#2 Initially i thought I'd have a 2nd island that was also 48 x 48. However, since there's a support beam in the way, i can't do a duplicate of the other medallion. Any ideas? Also , i'd like more ROOM in these islands. What do you think of doing a 60x 36 island in this space instead. (there's more than enough room to go longer, just not wider). It would free up other walkway in the busier part of the kitchen, BUT would it look odd to have 2 different sized islands? I feel like it will cause the 2 rooms to look like they have a different purpose when all of our work has been to COMBINE the two rooms into one.

btw, i have an idea of doing lots of moulding on the ceiling to perhaps mask the difference between the two. I have a picture saved as my screen saver, but i'll have to figure out how to get it off there & onto garden web:)