I would much rather have the space to walk through the gap easily than a larger peninsula. It doesn't look too undersized to me and once everything is finished & dressed I think it will be fine.

Agreed with a larger clearance especially if this is part of a main circulation from one room of the house to another. Also are there any upper storage units on the left wall in the photo? At the moment it seems a bit off-centered since the fridge is so dominate.

We were not planning to have upper cabinets on the other side. Perhaps an open shelf or two above the peninsula on the wall opposite the fridge. And maybe one (not too deep) above the window. Any suggestions are most welcome.

Hi,
We always put a quick note to verify our experience: Brigitte and I have consistently designed between 70-90 kitchens/year for over 34 years..... We've literally designed thousands of kitchens..... We also design/build full structural including below-grade foundation plans.....
Anyway, agree with Dytecture above, especially about adding the wall cabinets on the left wall..... Run them all the way to the edge of the counter top overhang..... Have a functional door on the left side of the wall cabinet closest to the D/R.... Hope this helps a bit.....John & Brigitte

Thanks everyone, we will definitely consider cabinets. Just a couple of final thoughts. So just to confirm, pendant lighting, stools, art & shelves would not be enough to balance the left side if we didn't get cabinets. Also do you think there is enough room to hang a small shelf (depth wise) over the window (along right wall) to fill the gap below the valance? Thank you so much for any comments.

No shelves needed around window, but suggest backsplash tile around entire area. Consider stainless steel open shelves on left wall above peninsula.

No, definitely not too small. Need at least 3 feet for walk through. But I think adding some open shelving to that one wall does sound like a great idea.

I think a movable unit ( like this one, finished and mounted on casters) would be much better. You need free space in this cramped kitchen, so that it will flow and be useable.

Mente...Is that so there would be more room in front of the fridge? I am really struggling with this peninsula so would it be great to hear your explanation. Thank you!

If you don't like it then skip it! Follow your instincts. If it doesn't feel right to you now, I don't think you will be happier later. Once you do your granite you won't be changing anything. I don't think the size is the issue. It is the location. Do you need the counter seating? What is on the other side? Can you move it down?

Kingdo, if it was past the refrigerator you wouldn't have to walk around the island to get to it.
No, it's not too small. Plan about 24" for each stool for seating.

Here is a photo of the dining room behind the peninsula. We used to have a partial wall and a ding table where the peninsula is now.

Thanks,
Donna

What do you anticipate using the peninsula for? Counter seating? I would push the peninsula toward the dining area so that its not right in front of your refrigerator. Can you upload a floorplan sketch? Nothing fancy, just something that shows where the cabs are in relation to. The appliances, and the opening to the dining room.

We would love to help you re decorate your kitchen, and make sure to make the right measurements for each piece throughout your kitchen! if you need any help, check us out! Give us a call today!

If you're looking to use it as a two person breakfast bar the size is fine. With most Galley Kitchens, counter space for food preparation is often lacking. I would push it closer to the dining room to avoid it opposing the fridge as well as providing you with more adequate space for the counter along the wall. As it looks now, the wall side counter doesn't provide you with much space if the counter was occupied?

Is there ample clearance behind to pass through if a person is reaching for things in the refrigerator with the doors open? I am more concerned with easy access to the kitchen than a small peninsular. It may be a little late to say so but I thought it is better not to have the fridge right next to a major walkway.

It's not too small, but I would either move it beyond the fridge closer to the dining room, or move the fridge back into the sink and cooktop area. Since it looks like you already have new cabinets installed, I'd move the peninsula beyond the fridge. You will hate it where it currently is, especially when someone is at the fridge and someone else needs to get by!

What I would have done is move the fridge to where the wall oven is, get a slide-in range, and move the pantry (I'm assuming that's what the door between the cooktop and peninsula is for) to where the fridge is, and extend the peninsula past the pantry. Then, I'd put the microwave in the upper cabinets along the wall with the peninsula.

Have you considered just upper and lower cabinets with no peninsula? Just a thought.

I would opt to move the Pennisula beyond the frig if there is room. I like the idea of open shelves in a kitchen. I would not have the panel above the kitchen window, and lastly I would not have pendant lighting over this small Pennisula. I would do two small pot lights as not to abstract the sight line. Good luck kingdo!

I really think you should skip the peninsula. It is awkward there.
Just extend the cabinets and counters as far as you can towards the dining room without having mixed flooring under them. You can still make it into a breakfast bar or desk area if you need the seating by leaving out the base cabinets but I am pretty certain you will need extra support for the granite then.

I think open shelving above the counter in that area would look and function just fine. It really depends on what you plan to put on the shelves. You will have to keep them very neat or you will regret it.