Well I think you win for weirdest island shape I’ve seen in awhile. If I couldn’t reconfigure the cabinets I wouldn’t spend thousands on new counters…

The current shape, while unusual, seems functional presuming that you actually sit at the island to eat. If you don't, then it's time to rethink its shape.

So you want to keep the roundish eating area but change up the stove side or the other way 'round? Do you have to keep the counter eating? It all looks like some sort of cooking show. Who wants to eat cozied up to a cook top?

You leave the counter tops alone.......until you are ready to address what appears unweildly, unattractive?

If the cook must remain on the island, and under the venting? To change shape would require a drawing with 100% accurate dimension of your ENTIRE kitchen as it is, now.

No one, no visionary can tell you any ideal shape from pictures. You need to provide the entire picture with dimensions.

If you need to cover a flooring footprint? Add that as a complicating factor.

Do nothing until you are ready to do it all over. That albatross is not worthy of new tops.

I agree no new counters until this space is actually redesigned for better function. To ge thelp here for that we need a to scale floor plan done on graph paper to ake it easier. Show every window, doorway where those lead every measurement clearly marked and if plumbing cannot be moved easily mark thta. How many seats do you need on a daily basis at the island . If the appliances are staying we need their sizes . Post ormat in a comment DO NOT start another post. New counters are expensive and not going to add anything to the function of this space not to mention all those base cabinets should be drawers .

Embrace the weird. It works! The seating is decent and encourages conversation, there is a workspace on either side of the cooktop, the raised area hides cooking mess and protects the eating area from splatters.

So yeah - it's weird - but it's cool in a complicated, contemporary kinda way!

I think we can all agree that yes, it’s a very odd shaped island—who knows what the previous owners of the home were thinking. The reason we need to change the countertops now is because theres a huge crack that developed in front of the sink (about a foot long and maybe 1/8” wide) . It can’t just get filled in, it needs to actually get replaced. So this is where we are now. Unfortunately it’s not in our budget now or in the near future to gut and redo the entire kitchen….

Would you suggest keeping the raised part of the island or at least flattening it out?

If possible consider changing to all one level and have rectangle shape for eating counter.

Thank you @jackowskib, that’s what we originally thought but those “ears” on both sides of the cooktop are over functional cabinets and drawers. Would you suggest reshaping it to right angle corners?

I suggest making countertop flush and round it to incorporate the ‘ears’. ( so it might overhang the cabinetry more in ‘ears’ areas but that wont look odd imo). The seating area is far enough removed from stovetop to not be a safety problem

Two thoughts. first, you need to replace the counters on the perimeter. You don’t necessarily need to replace the counter on the island. I know several,people who have different countertops on perimeter vs island. I have one friend who has three different countertops in her kitchen. They are coordinated and it suits her.

Take a sample from the broken area and shop for something that either matches or coordinates. It will save a lot of money to leave the island intact.

the other thought is, if you follow the angle of the ears, it looks like you could square off the sitting area. As to the raised area, If you redo the island, take the opportunity to go one level. So much more useful and tidy looking.

How many do you really need/ want seating for at the island?

Never mind the island, I keep staring at all the angles in the kitchen! Curious what the rest of the house looks like? Does it also have lots of angles?

What is under the "table", cabinets or legs?

What if you did the cooking/wing area as counter height and then lowered the "table" to normal table height? Make the island less important by lowering the profile just a bit.

Just ideas, because the photos don't really tell the whole picture and how the kitchen fits into the rest of the house.

This doesn't show what I wanted to show you, but just some ideas to think out of the box ... lower the table area, but do it in wood?

Contemporary Gray North Albany Kitchen · More Info

Table area done in wood.

Easton, Maryland - Traditional - Kitchen with Lake View · More Info

There are better examples, but this is the idea of lowering the table area.

Loft Condo Renovation · More Info

Agree with auntthelma to just change the perimeter to something that either matches what you have or coordinates with it for now. Then save up your money to eventually redo the whole kitchen in the future.

Bomb that island out of existence and start over. It's awkward, and dysfunctional. Leave it be until you can redo it all.

Here's another vote for keeping the island as-is for now and replacing only the perimeter countertop. The kitchen is full of unique shapes and angles but looks very functional and appears to have recent updates with tile, floor, paint and hardware. Also, the separation between the cooktop and seating is screening out a lot of things that would look terrible if kept there on a level surface.

Examples of well mixed countertops:

We’d like to seat 5

You have a substantial seating area. I'd remove the high portion of the counter. I'd lower the 'table ' to table height for comfort. A facetted top of wood for the table would look good. The counter can be stone with a complimentary side going over the table some.

If the stovetop section remains, and you’d like one level there then see if a new counter can be done that is squared off on the backside. And look at having a wood table (rectangle or round) attached at table height.