Without seeing a full layout of your kitchen as well as having an understanding of your style and storage needs, this is kind of tough to say. 13 feet is pretty big, but if you entertain often it could really be great to have that much available seating. Think about bringing in a warmer-looking surface for the countertop like a butcher block or reclaimed wood that will give it some coziness. Having contrasting countertops on the island vs. the perimeter cabinets is a nice way to break things up visually and can be really pretty. Here are some examples:

You might, too, consider putting in some bookshelves or dry wine storage on the exposed end to add more function.

Not a pro, but it does seem huge to me....like you're a cooking school or something.

No...I couldn't do wood, either. It looks like a bowling alley to me.

Sorry!

Does it affect the "work triangle", (fridge, sink, stove), making kitchen activities more difficult?

Can two people work on the same side of the island without impeding each other?

Think how it will function for the cooks, first of all.

The 13' will be a problem in finding a slab that size, most of them are 10'. you will also need to reinforce the floor below. Seems a bit massive.

Why would you need to reinforce the floor? Plenty of kitchens have a 13’ run, they just aren’t in an island. Are you assuming there will also be two other runs of at least 13’ (not an unreasonable assumption, but it’s not stated).

It does depend on the layout, I suspect having to walk 13 + feet to get to the opposite side of the island would get old. Have you considered two 4.5’ long islands with 4’ in between?

A 13' long island seems more like a continent than an island. = ) Personally I'd get tired of walking around a 13' long island to get to the other side but that's me.

As Filipe Woodwork pointed out, that long an island rules out covering it with a single slab of stone. You'll need 2 slabs.

Here's a kitchen done by fellow GWer beaglesdoitbetter. It has a 13' long island, covered with bookmatched slabs. They did a great job matching the 2 stones up.

I found her reveal thread, [(Mostly) Finished Kitchen Pics[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/mostly-finished-kitchen-pics-dsvw-vd~2498667) Scroll down to see - or try to see - the seam where the two slabs meet. It's behind the sink.

The thing about beagle's island is that her kitchen is designed like a galley kitchen without a wall behind the back of the right counter run. Off to the far right is dishes and such on display. The entire kitchen layout of the kitchen is to the Left . She doesn't need to walk around the island for the kitchen to function.

The other thing is that by her own admission she does not cook and was much less interested in the ergonomics than she was its appearance. That said, it functions because the kitchen is all on one side.

And width is the bigger problem with most large islands, designed as above, being able to reach the middle. A small island in the wrong place can still be a barrier island. I don't know if yours is without seeing the rest of the layout. And I know people who've put in barrier islands with full knowledge of it who've not been bothered by it much (although I'd dislike it).

That said a thirteen foot run of counterspace with no kitchen function on the top seems rather pointless to me.

Why would anyone gather around a 13’ run of counter if nothing is happening on it? They'll Invade your aisles and stand where there is work happening. All in your way.

I have a 12x3 foot island. Love it!

I have a 13 x 5 island. It is wonderful. We used two slabs of Pac Shore Milos book matched.

Sushi, your island and spaknittrs have a function on them. If ingrid is doing anything at all while guests are around, her back will be turned a lot if there is no "function" on the island. I still think that people would stay on the far side of it, but it's essentially going to be a glorified buffet table for company. Personally I think I would want it to be more than that. For me it's not the length it's the blankness.

Palimpest- you are correct, I never would have put in such a large island with without workspace.

I’ve designed kitchens with 16’ islands. But they all had work stations, or multiple work stations, on them so that people were facing their guests. Without something happening on the island, the cook’s back will be turned and people will walk around so they can talk to them, face to face. That’s just how humans behave.

If the cook works facing the visitors, then the visitors will stay on the other side.

The 16’ island that I designed had a 48” range in the middle and 2 prep sinks to either side. It worked amazingly well for two people to prep and cook at one time, and for both for standard entertaining and the active participant cooking club hosting.

My former house:

Bar height counter on counter top island (sink and dishwasher) was 12’ feet long and seated 6. This worked perfectly as I had two 6’ openings on either side to get to the front hall.

My daughter designed a 58” square granite island (base was two working cabinets) and it seats 8.

If you need big, and the proportions don’t let it look like the elephant in the living room, do it. Nothing like an island for entertaining, cooking and using as a server.

THANK YOU all for the great comments. The difference with our island than those that I have seen here is that we plan to have bar stools/chairs around 3 sides of the island towards one end to make it more like a table. That way we can eat there and actually look at each other or play games. That is our plan at least.

I think that's a great idea. My brother is using his island as such and it works for the family, for casual dinners with friends, a buffet station when entertaining, homework area and prep area that can be used at the same time for great multifunctional use. Just be sure that your working/functional needs are placed at one end, so you don't have to walk around the entire island to get to the fridge for example.

Ingrid, Hope your large island worked out! Please post a pic!

Here is my large island...11 feet x 5 feet with seating for 11 and I love it! We wanted to use one single slab and so the maximum length was 11 feet. Don't be afraid of it being too big!

Hmmm I think by the time ur done wiping one end, the other end will need to be cleaned again. Lol. :)

I am a fabricator. 13' will require a seam or a very special order slab. weight will be approx. 900 lbs. No need to worry about floor loading; floor loading is calculated on a pounds per sq. ft. basis and a granite or engineered stone slab at approx. 17.5 lbs/sq. ft. imposes far less loading that an appliance like a reefer or even a heavy person.

I've seen huge islands that look and function well. We are doing a 14 long one right now. As someone mentioned, it could be inconvenient to walk around. I agree. In the ones I've like, and the one I'm doing, all the function is on one side and the island is a barrier to the rest of the great room. We will have a seam in our stone.

Depends what's on the other side. You don't want it to be a barrier island!

I’m in the middle of finishing my kitchen and the island slab was installed yesterday. It is 114” long by 64” (9.5’ x 5.3’) and so far LOVE it. Have no problem reaching the middle my work space is concentrated to one side. I do a lot of chopping and prepping so wanted my island to accommodate me while being able to socialize/ engage with the family.

8x7 - love it

8x7 - love it

It looks like it's still under construction. Let us know how much you love it when you have to clean the center of the island,

We just use a swifter to clean the center

Well, my large island is a pain in the neck to keep clean, and a swifter won’t be very useful with a liquid or sticky spill in the middle…..

If you need a swiffer to clean the center of the island then the island is too big, What is the point of an island that big if a portion of it is not even useable?

We have a 13x5’ island and love it. But our kitchen is essentially a galley kitchen that is open to the living room. The other side of the island is just seating with some extra storage underneath for rarely used items. Any wider than 5’ and I don’t think my 5’4” self could clean it (and it’s a slight struggle at the very center of the 5’). We would probably feel differently if it was in the middle of our kitchen and we had to walk around it to access things.