Kitchen Island size

8 years ago

Am looking to buy an industrial stainless kitchen work table to use as an island and having trouble with the size for a 7ftwide x 9 ft length size space. Am toying with a 24x 48 size which would give more than the required 3 ft from all appliances but since the kitchen is L shaped am thinking perhaps a more boxy island. Was planning to put a piece of marble on top to match my backsplash..

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated

Featured Answer

User

8 years ago

Hard to get a 36” fridge through a 30” opening without magical levitation.

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Comments (8)

PRO
Norwood Architects
8 years ago
We generally try to allow 4'-0" clearance between island and cabinetry/countertops. When space is tight we will go down to 3'-6" but really never go below that.
User
8 years ago
No top heavy tip over and fall on your foot work tables.
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PRO
Flo Mangan
8 years ago
To clarify, is the Open space 7' x 9'? If so, you don't have room for an island. You need 42" space from appliances to edge of island/work table. You could do a 24" x 48" table if it is on wheels and can be moved out of the space. That could work.
Something like this might work for you.
Rawketgrl
8 years ago
Sounds like we are going to need more information: pictures, a room sketch with measurements, something...
Chessie
8 years ago
I measured the distance from the edge of my moms island to her 3-door fridge. 30 inches. Don’t have one single problem opening doors or drawers threre. Or getting through there either. Now the other end does have 42”, but clearly that 42” “ rule” is really just a guideline. It’s nice, if you have the room. Many people don’t and they function just fine with less.
PRO
Flo Mangan
8 years ago
As Sophie points out, the concern is not just for daily function it is also for replacement and repair of appliances. If your refrigerator is 33” deep, that would be a problem. If your refrigerator is counter depth (typically 24-26”) that works. Ranges can be deeper, so just keep those factors in mind.
Chessie
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
The island overlaps only about 10” or so of the fridge. So there’s around 10 inches, from the left side of the refrigerator, where there is a 30” clearance. On the left of the fridge are drawers, and the distance between those and the island is greater, probably 36". Agreed moving the appliance in and out of the space always needs to be taken into account, and here it obviously slid easily through the 36” between the island and the cabinets/drawers. Then it was just a matter of pushing it back once it was in the right spot. The fact that it “sticks out” from the cabinets (obviously not counter depth) and leaves them with only 30” from the fridge to the island really isn’t an issue, at all. The house is 15 years old, the refrigerator only about 5, if that. No magical levitation needed LOL. If the range or dishwasher needed to be replaced there is plenty of room st the other end. Point is, 42" is a guide, a nice-to-have best-practice, but certainly not necessary, and it really depends more on your particular space/configuration.