My kitchen also has an off-center island - or will have. It calls for a stove centered between 2 windows with a focal point hood. My main sink will be in my not centered island and the sink itself will not itself be centered in the island nor centered to the stove. Every OCD (sorry Russ, CDO!) bell in my symmetry needing brain is going off!!! And then cpartist told me to relax as have other people. So I'll tell you the same - relax, it'll all be fine. There is only one viewing angle where this will all be obvious and the likelihood of anyone standing at that point and thinking, 'hmmmm, this isn't all centered to each other' is slim to none. Where you'll have some decisions to make is with lighting your island if you are doing pendants. In your case (as in mine) I would not opt for 3 pendants because that center pendant will be the outlier. Do 2 or 4 depending on size.

Mine will also be off centered. No one will notice. As DLM said it's only if you're standing dead center far enough away from the island looking straight on, you'll notice it's not lining up. Lining up so it's exactly even if for photography shoots, not real life.

However you need to measure counter space to counter space, not cabinet space to cabinet space. So:

You have 180" to work with.

180" - 25.5" for your perimeter counter space = 154.50"

154.50" - 42" aisle = 112.50"

112.50" - 42" for the aisle on the wall side = 70.50"

So your finished island would be 70 1/2" wide.

Frankly if it was myself, if you're not having seating on the wall side of the island, then you can get away with a walkway as narrow as 36" wide from island countertop to wall, so redoing the numbers assuming a 36" walkway which would give you more room in front of you sink, I'd do the following:

180" - 36" aisle = 144"

144" - 25.5" for sink cabinets and counter = 118.50"

118.50" - 72" island = 46.5" aisle on sink side which is better for your work area.

Additionally where are you planning on having the fridge?

If you put the fridge to the right of the cooktop, then you need a prep sink in the island. Ideally when working in the kitchen you want to go from Fridge to sink to prep space to cook space without crossing any of those zones.

I would highly recommend posting your kitchen in the kitchen forum.

Here is what mine will be just so you can see not only will my island be off center, but so will my dining table.

Mine will be a bit off-center, as well---similar to DLM200's description. I will admit I was a bit alarmed when I first realized that fact, but got over it quickly.

Iguess I could have made the island smaller so that it could be exactly centered on the cooktop/hood across the aisle. However, I prefer it the way it is and realized that, while I will notice it initially, I won't think of it after a while and I feel like we've achieved the best layout for (1) functionality and (2) aesthetics, given the space we have. Another thing that might help is noticing how other kitchens are laid out---many, if not most, are not symmetrical and look just fine. If the kitchen layout functions well for you, then I'd say you have a winner!

It's really good to know I am not the only one with such issues

does anyone know if any pictures of similar situations exist anywhere I tried to do a search multiple times and I came up with nothing which added to my anxiety :)

There are lots of pics here on houzz.

Traditional Kitchen · More Info

Indian Grove Kitchen · More Info

Long Island Kitchens · More Info

Jasmine 2 - Corona del Mar · More Info

SOUTH COOGEE - House · More Info

My Houzz: Custom Transitional Home With Ocean View · More Info

Thank you you guys are awesome.

This will be my kitchen and cooktop is also off center. Seems to be offset more than other examples. Bothered me quite a bit at first too but in the end I think it'll look fine.

Beautiful Asylum_Point.

Brbmhouse, as long as it looks "balanced" it doesn't need to be centered.

What a beautiful kitchen do you know the measurements of your kitchen Asylum_point ?

and is this an open floor plan ? Thank you

I wouldn't worry about "off center" but I note something else in your plan. The island is closer to the sink. I don't know which side you're going to put the dishwasher on (it's typically next to the sink so it can share the plumbing), but the one place that's a royal pain is to have the dishwasher door opening towards an opposing cabinet/wall/island without enough space to walk around it while it is open.

I don't know if you've thought about this but your only sink is on the opposite side of where you currently have the refrigerator. Will be a pain to take food out to prep and have to walk across entire kitchen each time. Have you thought of at least putting a prep sink on the island? Can't find the link at this time but search for the phrase: ice, water, stone,fire

Yes I have thought of that possibility and of a pot filler

those things will be easy to implement my dream of a wide island rather then a long one........ Remains to be seen

I will also make sure to have a 42" clearance

I believe the architect drew it that way because he wanted to draw a wide island

I posted layout on your other thread. In it I moved the fridge to the left of the sink and also the DW. You do want the DW out of your prep area.

I thought of the possibility of bringing the fridge at the start of the sink wall but one of the pros shut it down

I do appreciate the drawing and it would allow me to widen my island ( long time dream of mine )

what do you think of moving the double ovens where you have the fridge in your drawing secondly keeping the integrity of the rangetop wall which will be the focus wall thirdly moving the fridge on the laundry room wall and leaving the remaining part of that wall without cabinetry therefore allowing me to widen the island

of course I realize that I will have to move the island further down in the kitchen towards the dinette which is fine because there's ample room to do that

that way I will have atleast 55' space between the range and the kitchen island

however in doing that the predicament of the misaligned island in the same parallel as the focus wall remains

Think about how you really work in your kitchen. I nearly drove myself crazy with the ice water stone fire until I actually tracked my movements in my kitchen for breakfast lunch and dinner, not just dinner. They are very different in my world. Ice water stone fire is a great mnemonic device but make sure it's accurate for you before you build your kitchen around it. Same for dishwasher placement. In my kitchen the dishwasher main loading or unloading never takes place when a meal is being prepped. A dirty dish or two may be added but that's about it so it really doesn't get in the way of prep. YMMV

Can you sketch out exactly what you're suggesting? I'm lost. LOL which is not unusual for me. But if the fridge sticks out in the U shape, and you're not recessing it into the laundry room wall, then you really won't have enough room for the wide island you want. And you'll definitely need a prep sink on the island.

Remember again the order in terms of cooking and preparing food is Ice (fridge), Water (sink), Stone (counter prep space), Fire (cooking).

Same for dishwasher placement. In my kitchen the dishwasher main loading or unloading never takes place when a meal is being prepped. A dirty dish or two may be added but that's about it so it really doesn't get in the way of prep. YMMV

That is true. So in my world, DH will usually help me out as I prep and cook by cleaning up as I go. I need the DW out of my prep area. And even if DH isn't helping me, I'm cleaning as I go so want it out of my way.

That will create a pinch point where the edge of the fridge is and the island is. You'd have to move the island far enough back which would then make it a "hike" from island to range.

Can you draw it all out on graph paper?

I am afraid you might be right

what if I switch the ovens with the fridge do you think it'll work then being the ovens are 30" instead of the 42 " fridge?

sorry no graph paper :(

Are you definitely doing a 42" fridge or have you considered the columns?

What is the space to the left of the sink available?

We are definitely doing the 42" built in with the French doors and the distance from the start of the cabinet line to the sink is 5'

Thank you Lilys mom ...boy do I understand I am driving my self crazy thinking about it all day and no it's not the only "problem" I have to think about :) I was wondering what room does your kitchen face. Mine will be facing and completely open to the dinette and the great room (dead center)

and like you I will have two mini chandeliers hanging over it

If the issue is the greater depth of the refrigerator cabinet, you can buy a 24" deep model or pull the sink counter out from the wall to match the refrig. depth and put a shelf above the backsplash that is an extension of the window stool. I rarely design a kitchen without this feature.

But if those options are not attractive or feasible align the cooktop with the island and don't worry about the cabinets or back wall. The island is the dominate organizing element in this kitchen, not the cabinets.

What is the distance between the island and cooktop counter?

There will be a 42" French door built in somewhere This is just the basic drawing the architect did and I am now trying to come up with a cohesive plan to allow for a wide island facing the focus wall which is the rangetop wall which by the way will be 48" with the same size range hood

Ideally you want your range hood to be 3" larger on each side for capture, especially with gas.

Yes you are right sorry my misprint

There is no reason to not make an exhaust hood wider than the appliance it serves but I know of no national consensus code requirement that it be wider. A wider hood would shift combustible cabinets farther away from the appliance and provide more easy to clean surface but it would not provide additional capture or exhaust capacity; that would require a larger fan. After all, the hood canopy normally only covers about 2/3 of the depth of the appliance unless an exhaust insert system is placed inside of a larger canopy.

I still don't understand the issue with the location of the cooktop. It seems fine the way it is drawn.

The way it's drawn shows a 4x4 kitchen island

I would like a 6 foot island facing the "cooktop" wall

that then becomes not centered with the range hood which will be a main focus

It will be fine.

Thank you for saying that

pam3896, I just found your thread (I’m going to have an offcentered island as well). I would love to see a photo of how your kitchen turned out!

Hello I ended up having my island dead in the center. I was afraid I would end up regretting having it off center so I had the architect plan for a smaller mud room so I could have my dream kitchen I am really very happy with my decision and when it comes down to it I am too OCD not to have everything perfectly symmetrical lol best of luck to you in making your decisions it’s a difficult process but very worth while st the end

Ha! I would’ve redrawn the plans, too.....unfortunately, for me, this is a home addition project and we will not be changing the kitchen layout, just adding an island, so I’m stuck. But I think it will all work out in the end.

Thanks!

This is a two-year old thread...

So happy I found this post as I have been having the same issue, range And island centers are off and I like things symmetrical. Thanks for posting the pictures of symmetrical, I never would have noticed before doing our remodel!

No one will notice if it's symmetrical as long as it's balanced. My kitchen is not symmetrical at all. No one has ever noticed it.