I do, and it works out just fine for me. I am in the process of remodeling, and I will have my island that same distance. My kitchen isn't wide enough to accomodate more than that. I should mention that I am the sole cook in the household. When I have company and there are helpers in the kitchen things get a little tight, but that's more an exception. HTH.

We have 42" on the side facing the sink cab wall/prep "zone," and 36" on the side facing the pantry cabs and msg ctr. We biased it that way so we could open the DW door and still have enough room to walk around it to put dishes away, etc., but I think 36" would work fine (if you don't need walk space around any open appliance doors).

We have 36" and it's more than enough for our family. Now if your family has people that are large if may be a a problem. If you have any doubts, mock it up with boxes. We did this and used our dining room table pad to simulate the countertop. A large flattened out box would work too.

Yes, 42" is the recommended aisle width if you have no seating in the aisle. But, as you see above, it works for some people. However, when we were still working on a layout and mocked up an island w/only a 36" aisle, it seemed crowded. We're not a big family width-wise, but we are height-wise (DH is 6'5" and 13 yo DS is 6' & 12 yo DD is 5'9"--and neither have had their final "growth spurt" yet!). We also increased the aisle to 42" and we thought it was still tight...but it was also the main thoroughfare b/w the DR/Den and FR/Foyer (kitchen is in the middle of the house) so that may have had something to do with it. We ended up w/no island and instead have 2 peninsulas to create a small "U" w/a counter run opposite the open end as well.

[We only have 8' ceilings and with my tall family, the ceiling seems low sometimes! If only we could have done something about that with the remodel!]

So, my recommendation to you is to mock it up and live with it for awhile (to get used to it...)

I have a little less than that and it works just fine for me. I have no oven, diswhasher or cabinet doors between - only drawers/pullouts. I think that helps reduce possible congestion.

We have 36" on all 4 sides and it is plenty fine. No real issues at all

oops - I meant 3 sides

I guess I'll be the lone dissenter and say that I don't believe it's enough room. The recommendations are...uh...recommended...for a reason and the 36 inch walkway in my former kitchen was the bane of my kitchen existence. It's fine as long as there's no one else in there with you, but for most people that's the exception, not the rule. Open drawers, doors, legs or butts...it doesn't matter. There was always someone trying to go around me! (Of course Kitchen As Pathway is not the most desirable option in any instance.)

So is it too little space? For ME, a resounding YES, YES, YES! Too Little Space! Not Enough Room! Don't make yourself CRAAAAZZZZY...it's not worth it! I firmly believe that for those who believe it works for them, there are two people (to their one) whom it wouldn't work for. I actually didn't enjoy running people out of my kitchen because there wasn't enough room for all of us, and I didn't like having to be in there alone. JMO...a highly subjective and completely prejudiced opinion from 8 years experience of a 36 inch walkway.

I agree with the recommendation to mock it up and try it for yourself. We have a large family (in number, not personal size) and have only 36" between the stove area and island and I never have wished for more. I particularly like it in that area because it makes for efficient use of both counters for me when I cook. For us, it wouldn't work as well to have 36" on the dishwasher side, because we have 2 of them, and often, 2 or 3 people working at them...But we're not typical that way. We have 4 ft on the dishwasher side, and I'm pretty sure 42" would work just fine, even for us. So one dishwasher and 1 or 2 people could probably do with less.

I take the 'official recommendations' as a loose guideline. They aren't all best or possible for everyone, and not following all of them doesn't necessarily mean your kitchen will be horrible. This has been asked before, and usually there are more people saying it will be OK, than people saying it is too tight.

How deep is your island? Sometimes knocking a few inches off of it will maintain its usefulness while giving you a little more space if you need/want it.

It has been fine for us, never bothered me. If my kitchen were larger, I would probably want a little bit more, but it isn't, so it is fine.

If all you can fit is 36 inches, then I think the question is is it good enough for it to make sense to have an island, or is it so small that it is better to dispense with the island altogether. I would bet most people would vote in favor of the island, because islands are so convenient.

remember in your mockups that you need to keep the countertop in ind which is a one or one and a half inch addition.

i had 32" in the old kitchen and that just didn't work. we now have 36 to 40" around the island and because it's a well planned kitchen, that will work jus fine.

you also want to take your appliance specs into consideration as well. w have a sub zero french door and a french range with small ovens, so part of our considerations were to measure how much room we'd have with appliance doors open.

If you do all the kitchen work alone, 36" is enough. If there's ever anyone helping you, or wanting access to anything there while you're in there, 36" is too tight! When the kids were living here, and helping out, even our 42" could get too tight. Now, with just 6'-5" DH and me in the kitchen together working in the space, there are still times where we are in each other's way.

If you have enough room to put the island 42" away from the counters, do so! I only have 36" at the end of the counter where the wall oven opens toward the island, and it's always been a real hazard.

We had ours designed this way to accommodate more space for a large round table in the kitchen dining area, plus stools at the other side of the counter, and it ended up being a mistake. Now there's too much open space on that side, and not enough in the kitchen where I really need it. Never again!

My island has 34" on the side closest to the refigerator, and 40" on the other side adjacent to cabinets. These are the walkways on either side. But we have 62'' to the cabinets, and 52" to the table on the long sides. It's plenty of room. The refrig side does occasionally get congested, but I've never had more than a fleeting thought of annoyance. We aren't changing the island, mainly b/c we are not doing the floor at this time and the island is fixed due to plumbing and electrical. It is also dead center in the room and I think it would look funny if it were off center.

I have a moveable island so I could set it in the best place for me. Apparently I like it around 30" from the cooktop. If your island is very large you'd probably want a bigger aisle since it is less convenient for a second person to just "go around" the other side if one side is blocked.

In a smaller kitchen, smaller walkways seem appropriate and 'to scale'. In a large multi-cook kitchen a larger aisle looks better.

I have 36" on both sides of my island and it works very well for me. A lot depends on the lay out of your kitchen. My zone is my zone, and I usually don't have other people in my zone unless there loading the dishwasher. They stay on the other side of the island. All the appliances have plenty of room to open. So yes it works well.

All my aisles are 36" and I wouldn't want them any bigger. I like the compact workspace - step and pivot. Even with helpers it hasn't been a problem. We're not wide people and the layout while compact, is not congested.

There are a couple really good points made that I was thinking also. I too like that I can do everything between island and counter with just a step/pivot. That was one of the things we told our KD we actually liked about our old galley kitchen - that everything was within easy reach.

Also the idea of scale - I was looking at the clearance around my island and thinking anything more would not be the right scale for the rest of my kitchen. Not to mention I couldn't even have cabinets on both sides of my galley if I required 42-48 inches of clearance between. Likewise in a really large kitchen narrow aisles would probably not look right either.

Fortunately my KD felt strongly that the guidelines are only guidelines - it is fine to deviate. Had she not assured me it would be fine, I would have decided I didn't have space for an island and that is one of the best things about our new kitchen.

I would suggest that you take a folding outside table and place it where the island will/would be... You then will be able to visualize the distance. Also, take a pc of card-board and use it as the oven door or cabinet door.. visualize the distance again... I'm remodeling my kitchen now and I insisted that I have 42" between the stove/counters and the island - it will shorten the island.... This was not based on any standard, but rather doing the above w/ a folding table and feeling extremely cramped w/ 36-38.. Now, I'm 6'+ but I think you need to be able to have two people within the same space comfortably.. If not for your particular needs, I think it's important for potential re-sale down the road.. Just my 2-Cents.

Hello

I have only 30” between my counter and island and it works great

Agree...this thread is over 12 years old and the OP obviously does not need help anymore. There is no reason to revive a thread like this and bump someone who needs help NOW off the first page or two.

30" is absolutely NOT usable -- it's what people put in who either will never live in the home (e.g., contractor or handyman who is just trying to please the customer no matter what) -OR- have no idea what they are doing.

This is usually the result of trying to cram an island into a space that cannot handle it.

Interesting thread—I think 36” is probably fine especially in one cook kitchens—also consider that stoves often stick out a bit, handles on cabinets, etc.

We are in the beginning stage of a remodel, so this thread has been enlightening. I have heard you “can” do 36” between counters, but I’m still wondering if I “should” do it.

Our current kitchen was set up by previous owners in years gone by. They put 42” around a 5’x2’3” island that separates the sink and range from the fridge. One has to walk AROUND the island to get from the fridge to the sink, prep and stove/oven and it drives me nuts. This setup has never made sense to me (maybe I’m missing something); but who wants to walk from the sink around an island to the fridge over 9 feet away (seven steps to go around an island inside the triangle). There has to be a better way. I’m meeting a KD in a week (can’t wait). I’m hoping to do 36” with a deeper/longer island with a sink and/or cooktop in it —and move the fridge, for Pete’s sake?

I have an island with cooktop 37" from opposite counter with sink. It's tight with two people workng in the area. If I'm alone in the kitchen it's fine. If you have room to do 42" or 48" between you'll be happier.

Slip888, thank you for the response. I feel you are correct. KD put us at 42. We don’t have room for 48 (small 1959 Florida home). It’s small, but it’s fine for the two of us.

I'm also in the middle of a Kitchen Remodel and wondering how much space you need between the island and oven door when it is open? Is 17 inches enough from the open oven door to the island? I don't want to pull out a pan standing on the side of the stove instead of in front of it. This is something that needs to be taken into consideration as well.

@Nicki S, we are all different sizes and shapes with different physical abilities and ways we move. It will also depend on the height of your oven and if you might have to bend at all. For standing, I think 17” might be enough space for me, though turning might be tight. I’m not a large person, but measuring, I’m about 17-18” wide at the hips where there might be a pinch point between a hot, open oven door and the island if I turned sideways in removing a pan. It’d be best if you could mock it up for yourself, using boxes, chairs or whatever could represent the bulk of your cabinets and the space you’ll have to move as you’d like or need to.

It's the difference between a one rear kitchen a no a two rear kitchen. It will work but be crowded with two people

Don't listen to the people who say 30" is not doable, it absolutely is! I had a 10' x 18' kitchen and I had to squeeze an island in there, that island is everything. I had 2' cabinets (with stove/oven) + 30" walkway + 34" island + 30" walkway roughly.

As a designer and someone who cooked A LOT, it absolutely was worth it. I definitely wouldn't recommend it if you enough space to do 36" walkway. I remember in design school our instructors telling us that there is such a thing as too much space, when you have to take too many steps between the stove top and your sink. This is why we do triangle configurations and proper space planning training that addresses practically vs design.

I'm building a custom home now and I'm doing 36" between the island and the stove top area, but 42" between the narrow part of the island and the pantry cabinets (where the fridge/freezer and built in ovens will be). I feel that most household members segragate around the fridge and the pantry when looking for drinks, things to eat, and snacks. On a personal level I'm a little biased because I can't stand two people hovering around a stove, so even if you have two people prepping dinner, one will probably on the side of the island washing and cutting while the other is at the stove. Make your space proportionate and practical.