When is island needed?

15 years ago

We will be building a house and a key point is the kitchen. On the typical plans we are seeing the kitchen is L shaped with separate cooktop and ovens which are all placed on the L with the refrigerator. Typically the cooktop is centered at the middle of the long part of the L.

We will be having a very open kitchen family room. Typically "above" the L will be the breakfast room with the family room to the "right" of the L.

However, in between the L and the family room is a large island bar that will have the sink and dishwasher and some cabinet space with a bar that will seat from 4 to 6 people. Most of the bars are angled or curved (some are long and straight).

In most plans, there is also an island between the long side of the L and island bar. If we end up having the middle island we will put a sink in it.

But at what width do we not want an island, versus what width do we absolutely have to have an island and where it is optional.

We are looking at modifying a couple of different plans.

For example, one is 13 x 15 and has a small island between the L and the island bar. Does that size need an island or is optional?

What about 12 x 16? No island?

What about 14 x 15?

15 x 16?

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Comments (3)

senator13
15 years ago
Ours is open to the great room, but it is U-shaped and roughly 10x13. We are not having an island.
Buehl
15 years ago
Whether you need or can even put in an island depends on your layout (and workflow) and the size of your kitchen.

You need to have room for adequate aisles and adequate seating overhang, if you plan seating at the island.
Seating overhang...18" overhang for table-height seating, 15" overhang for counter-height seating, 12" overhang for bar-height seating
Aisles...at least 42" is best b/w each counter (island & wall, island & tall cabinets) and b/w a counter and an appliance...including appliance handles. In some special cases, 36" might be OK b/w counters, but that's usually when there will be no traffic on the aisle and no zone-crossing taking place. If the aisle will have heavy traffic, then 48" or more is better...and no cooktop/range in the aisle, especially if you have to cross an aisle to get to the sink from the cooktop/range!
When calculating aisle widths, remember that counters overhang cabinets approx 1.5". So a 24" deep cabinet against a wall will have a 25.5" deep counter on top of it. Aisles are measured counter edge-to-counter edge, not cabinet-to-cabinet.
If the island seating backs to a table w/seating, you need sufficient space b/w the table and island counter to accommodate people sitting at both...no less than 54" b/w them and 60" is much better
If the island seating backs to a wall with no traffic behind it at all, 32" is just enough room to get into/out of a seat
If there will be traffic behind the seats but no work counters/cabinets behind them, then 44" is recommended. If there are cabinets but no work counters, 48". If work counters, then at least 54" is best (that leaves room for someone sitting at the island as well as someone working at the counter behind him/her)

You also need to be sure the island will not become a "barrier island". An island is a barrier when it's between any two or more of the following: sink (prep sink if you have one), refrigerator, range/cooktop.
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kats_meow
Original Author
15 years ago
I actually would prefer to not have an island (other than the large bar that has seating). That is I would prefer to have the L shaped counters with cooktop, ovens, and refrigerator then have a large island with sink, dishwasher and bar height seating. I would prefer to not have an island in the center. However, what width "requires" the island in the center to avoid too much walking from the cooktop to the sink at the large island? I want to make sure I don't build the kitchen so big that I really "need" the center island.