This kitchen is long and narrow so we had to get creative with the design in order to give the homeowners the wide island they desired with storage for wine and books while also leaving enough transition space from the living room to the dining room. We ended up placing a 24" wide island in the centre of the room with a 36" wide book and wine shelf on each end that overhangs the base cabinets to create a bar top. This island could have crowded the space but because of the beautiful, bright windows opposite the island and because we opted for open space on either side of the hood the room feels spacious and balanced.