Key Takeaways
- Allow around 1 metre of clearance on each side of an island.
- An island needs roughly 3 metres of width in the room to work comfortably.
- Islands can house a sink, hob, storage, seating or a mix.
- Running services to an island adds plumbing and electrical work.
- Where space is tight, a peninsula gives many of the benefits.
A kitchen island is the centrepiece of many London kitchens, adding worktop, storage, seating and a natural social hub. But islands need space to work. Here is how to know if yours has room, and how to get the most from it.
Do you have room?
The non-negotiable rule is clearance: allow around 1 metre on every side so people can move freely and open doors and appliances. In practice, that means a room roughly 3 to 3.5 metres wide, plus the surrounding runs. If your kitchen is narrower, a peninsula attached to one run gives many of the benefits while needing clearance on fewer sides.
What to put in it
- Storage and worktop: the simplest and most flexible use.
- Sink: sociable, but needs plumbing and drainage run to the island.
- Hob: striking, but needs electrics or gas and downdraft or overhead extraction.
- Seating: a breakfast bar with stools, allowing about 60 cm per stool and a 30 cm overhang for legroom.
Mind the services
Putting a sink or hob in the island means running plumbing, drainage, electrics or ventilation through the floor to it, which adds cost and is far easier during a full kitchen renovation when floors are up. A storage-and-seating island avoids this.
Islands and open-plan
In an open-plan kitchen-diner, an island doubles as a zone divider between cooking and living areas, which is part of why they are so popular. To design a kitchen island that fits your space, contact us or call 07472 424 226.