The general rule is that you will need at least 42 to 48 inches (106.68 cm to 121.92 cm) of open space around your island. Another life-saving guideline: if your kitchen is less than 13 feet wide, we don't recommend adding an island at all.
If your kitchen is narrow or small, there may not be space for an island. Your available space should be about 10 feet wide by 12 feet long at a minimum to fit an island, or else it will overwhelm your room. Likewise, if your kitchen is odd shaped, you may find an island does not easily fit into your kitchen design.
The minimum recommended size of an island is 2-by-4 feet. However, the island's total area should be at most 10% of the kitchen area. For example, if the kitchen is 150 square feet, the island should be at most 15 square feet.
Just because you have a small kitchen doesn't mean you have to skimp on prep or dining space. A kitchen island suited to a small kitchen layout is the perfect space-saving solution.
'In most cases, you should have a kitchen of at least 150 square foot (14 square meters) to comfortably have an island,' says Volodymyr Barabakh. Don't despair if your room is on the small side, though. For more compact rooms small kitchen island ideas can help you get the counter space you're hankering after.
All islands vary in size and shape, but the minimum size that we recommend for a kitchen island is 1000mm x 1000mm. This will still create a practical working island. The minimal amount of space required around this island would be roughly 800mm.
| Hunker. The recommended distance between a kitchen counter and a kitchen island is 42 inches. If sharing cooking duties, try 48 inches. Wheelchairs require 60 inches.
Add a Kitchen Island
"Kitchen islands are highly sought out by potential buyers, tend to add more counter and storage space, and can really make a kitchen feel bigger than it is," explains Olhausen. "It's also an incredibly safe investment because it's a trend that's not likely to go out of style."
Pierce recommends 3.5 feet of circulation (foot room) between counter areas. "Kitchens can often be 10x12 or 8x16, and these just won't work for an island," she says.
If you plan to use your kitchen island for dining, you'll want to be sure it's wide enough for seating. A kitchen island with seating should be at least 30″ wide to allow for enough overhang for people to sit comfortably.
The average kitchen island size (according to a variety of experts) is approximately 80 x 40 inches.
Experts again recommend leaving at least 40 inches of space around your kitchen island or kitchen peninsula. 'For an island to be practical, it should have a minimum of 40 inches of clearance around it (48 inches if you commonly have multiple cooks in the kitchen together).
If you have a 10ft Kitchen island you can fit 10 average sized bar stools.
Distance Between Kitchen Island and Counter
The recommendation is to have a distance of 42 inches to 48 inches between the perimeter countertops and the kitchen island.
A typical overhang for a comfortable seating area should be around 25-30cm (10-12”), this should leave enough knee room and adequate space between the countertop edge and the person seated. Therefore, as the depth of the overhang increases, so does the comfort and usability of the bar.
May Disrupt Work Flow. If the island doesn't serve a purpose in your kitchen, it will simply disrupt your work flow and stand in your way. With the kitchen possibly getting the most traffic in your home, you will want be sure the flow, design, and all elements of the space work for you.
On average, a prefabricated kitchen island costs between $100 and $2,000 and will require some assembly. A custom-built kitchen island could cost between $3,000 and $10,000.
In many cases, kitchen islands are custom-made in order to fit into uniquely shaped kitchens or spaces. This custom design can often involve additional labor costs, especially when including those more costly materials like granite or marble.
Will the kitchen island look bad if it is not centered? No, the kitchen won't look bad if the island is not completely centered. The answer to the question is entirely dependent on the size and layout of the kitchen. Each kitchen will have a unique-sized kitchen island to complement it.
With a table, you get additional cooking surface, plus it becomes an eating area that everyone can use. With an island, you only have seating on one side so there's less togetherness about the meal. Also a table can get moved out of the way and pushed up against the wall, if necessary.
Attaching a kitchen island to the floor should be avoided in cases where you plan on moving it around or need flexibility. However, if you're looking for stability and convenience, then this may be an ideal solution.
As a standard guideline, the stove should be 42 inches away from the island, making it possible to open the door while still having enough space to move around the kitchen. Consider an oven with a sliding door to enhance space and safety.
If there is no walkway behind the island or peninsula, the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) recommends a minimum of 32″ of clearance space between the edge of the countertop or table to any wall or other obstruction behind the seating area.
In most kitchens, the kitchen island is the same height as other countertops. The standard height for kitchen counters is 36”. But you don't have to design your kitchen in this way. If it's more comfortable for you to use a shorter or taller countertop, you should do it.