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ers616

Help designing kitchen island

4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago

We are working on a minor kitchen remodel-- painting cabinets, removing bread drawer, adding white subway tile, new quartz countertops that look like marble, new hardware/sink, updated lighting. Our house is a 1989 colonial with a "2005 updated" vibe-- we're trying to make it more of a timeless neocolonial vibe.

One thing we are also doing is more than doubling the length of the island (from 4 feet to 9 feet). It is 38" wide. We do not want to add cabinetry (just a dining space) and are struggling with how to design it.

My only idea that I can come up with is a adding three posts with a skirt between them. (a post nearest the refrigerator, and 2 corners of the extended portion). What does everyone think? Will it work okay or be awkward? Also, how large should the posts be? 3 3/4" or 5"?

Here is our current kitchen (second photo is most accurate because we installed new hardwoods, but lighting is poor).





Here are some photos I've used as inspiration for island design:







I'm currently most drawn to this post style which is 3 3/4" but am open to thoughts!



3.75" post
5" post
Other

Comments (6)

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Thats is very far from anything classic or useful. Put in a kitchen table. Not an island.

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Hi ers616-

    I don't know what "timeless neocolonial" looks like, or looks like to you.

    There are a lot of these decorating phrases being bandied about and they have different meanings to different people.

    I do like the British colonial style- British Raj, British colonial (Asian, West Indies and Caribbean and Spanish Colonial.)

    To the best of my recollection there isn't seating at the kitchen counter.

    Even the servants got to sit down at a proper table to eat.

    OK, I'm done being a smart derrière.

    Why do you want such a long counter? Why not eat at a proper table and have family conversation?

    Another thing- you are changing quite a lot in that kitchen.

    Instead of doing it piecemeal and thinking about the counter in isolation, please make a total coordinated plan.

    Otherwise you run the considerable risk of having your kitchen be a cacophony of inharmonious notes.

    Another thing, please use a NKBA certified kitchen designer who is experienced and well recommended and whose prior work you have had a chance to look at and whose references you have had a chance to check.

    .

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    I need to see a to scale plan of this space IMO an island is best when it stays withing the footprint of the kitchen space and allows 48" walkways all around it . So please post a plan and also pics of the whole space

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I shouldn't have mentioned the neocolonial thing, as it seemed to distract from the question regarding the best way to design the island.

    The reason for extending the island is we have changed the flow of the house to accommodate the needs of our young and growing family. We have a very large dining room immediately next to the kitchen that gets a ton of use. Having a space at the island for our little ones to pull up a stool and play and participate is important to us. Because we changed the flow, we eliminated the "eat in" kitchen portion (a half wall and low hanging light fixture), which gives us a lot of open space that we would like to utilize with the island.

    The below image are the dimensions of the kitchen. We aren't wanting to make it any wider, as the current flow of the kitchen works okay now. Just really unsure of the post width and setup. With the counters 38" wide, and the cabinets 30" it feels like the 5" posts may just be too big.


  • 4 years ago

    Bad plan. Keep the table.

  • 4 years ago

    So helpful thanks?