A floor plan would make the layout clearer to us.

I agree with your contractor. You want to have at least 3' around it in case you ever need to move your fridge or get a wheelchair or gurney around in there.

This is diagnally across from the first pic. We would add upper cabinets over the desk area (which would become cabinets) and re-do the cabinets with glass doors.

I would not remove the uppers, but you definitely need 36" aisles. How big would the island be?

With a 3 ft aisle, I think the island would need to be no wider than 30 inches. The contractor feels that it would make the kitchen crowded.

Have your contractor build a simple island. Some 2x material and some plywood or osb for a top. Live with it for a day or 3. I've even used cardboard boxes -- the ones stock cabinets come in work well for this.

Even a narrow island -- 16 or 18 inches can add needed counter space and storage.

Do you have a kitchen designer? Time to get one. You could have a really awesome kitchen. No room for an island but you can wrap cabinets & counters around that corner with added seating space.

I did what PPF suggests, using old cabinets set up an island actually lived with it for a couple of weeks to make sure it worked. Also agree with Carol. A contractor is not a designer and even though he is right about the 36" a designer can get you the best design

How about a movable one?

PPF is absolutely right. At the very minimum grab your tape measure and use blue painters tape on the floor to mark off where the island would be and delineate your walkways. Live with it for awhile. It's not as true to life as using cardboard to replicate the size of the island but it's better than nothing.

A 30" island is not skimpy. It doesn't look like anything is across from the sink, so try the mock up.

i think the important thing with a narrow island is to make it not a small version of a 'normal' island, as per groveraxle's suggestion. something that looks/is freestanding would be great, you could move it if you had to take out the fridge, whatever.

I think you need more than 3 feet of free space unless you will not have fridge doors or oven door or dishwasher door or counter doors between the counters and the island. You're not able to pass between if any doors are open. I like nnigrt's picture of a bar height & length table with a granite/hard surface top.

There are so many island ideas that are on rollers, that would help you. If you made one that had seating and ability to prepare things on but movable, maybe that would add another dimension to your kitchen?

This pretty and easy to add island is from IKEA.

You can add wheels to most any island you find. Hide them behind an added faux leg. then you can move is based on the traffic in your kitchen.

Forty two inch aisle is actually recommended. I'd get a movable island, like a Boos Block.

I just used the Ikea island suggested by TrineVig in a home staging. It is actually very nice looking, sturdy, has lots of storage and seats two - the measurements are 49 x 31". I also had a customer who used this Ikea occasional table as an island. It is only 16-1/2" wide but 74" long. If you are looking for some extra counter space and storage, this could do the trick.