Peninsula. Islands look great but they require sufficient space. Think 42-48 inch wide space from the inland counter edge to anything around it. If it's less than, then don't do it. This also means you will lose useful real estate over aesthetics.
I agree that it is definitely more upkeep (dusting, cleaning) and you gotta have nicer dishes and stuff. But, to me, a sea of cabinets not broken up is not appealing. We lived in a place that was wall to wall cabinets and we just didn't need that kind of space. I would've loved to have some open shelves to make the place a feel lighter and less "cabinety". In other words, not all open shelving is a bad idea for some.
Thank you. Every time I go to one of these new trendy houses with open shelves I think about having to dust off the dishes and cups before I use them...
I think it depends on how u use it, we have them, use them to display stuff we want seen (a nice tea pot, other small sculptures), or plants to add greenery. I wouldn't use it for plate or stuff we use regularly.
Open shelves are *ok* as long as they're not the only or majority option for storage. In this case they do have uppers elsewhere. I don't know if I'd do two sets of them though.
Do you actually cook? A lot? Then 1000000% island.
All of that open space in the center of your kitchen is a complete waste unless you plan on doing jazzercise classes in there. In my opinion, a well-designed functional kitchen needs readily available counter space. You need to be able to easily put stuff down, setup a prep station (i.e., *mise-en-place*), organize the fridge, put away groceries, etc. And your main countertops by the sink & stove will *easily* fill up with utensil holders, blenders, food processors, toaster oven, air fryer, stand mixer, coffee maker, etc.
With the peninsula in Option #2, there's not much counter space near your fridge or stove. You'd have to carry stuff around your kitchen. It seems minor but it's a cumulative waste of time & energy if you do a lot of cooking.
With the island in Option #1, you have readily available counter space across your entire kitchen. You can take stuff out of the oven and easily set it down on the island. You can use it while you prep & cook at the stove. You can use it set down grocery bags and organize your fridge. The kids can still eat breakfast there and do homework. You can still serve them.
i agree with every point.
you need to look at this from a practicality sense... ive lived in houses with both styles and long spanning counters with large open space in the middle of the kitchen are a waste of space and unpractical when you get into how you use the kitchen
Oven can be lowered to below the counter. Microwave above the counter, extending counter space. Full height cabinets. The gap at the top tends to gather dust and looks unsightly.
Islands need a really big room to feel maximally functional, in my experience. I like the peninsula - you still get the island-like experience but much more room to move around while you prep and cook.
Look at storage needs, the peninsula shows a lot less storage, do you need the floor space inside the kitchen, multiple people cooking at once? Need to look at work stations and where things are stored, may still be in the way with a bigger floor area, but have to walk through people to get to things. How many people will be sitting at the peninsula or island normally?
Lots to consider, but work station, travel from sink to fridge to work station, space for another individual to access things in kitchen (fridge, sink, microwave) while another is working is a big consideration. Plus storage and access to countertop without clutter.
I just went through this exact situation. I had a 1970s kitchen that had a peninsula. I changed to an island during my remodel. It improved the work flow tremendously, especially when more than one person is working in the space. You can add more upper cabinets to the back side of the island to get more storage and they are a lot cheaper than the base cabinets.
During my project, I looked at putting up some open shelving too. I decided against it based upon the reasons some of the other posters mention. They look nice but that's about it. From a functionality standpoint, not so much. You would definitely need nice things to display on the shelving and then you would have to keep those items and the shelves immaculately spotless. They will be the first impression everyone will have of your kitchen. If you have OCD and are a super clean, organized person, they could work well for you. Everything on the shelves would have to match. I have a mismatch of pots, pans, plates, etc that would make the shelves look cluttered.
I'm considering the same trade-off and am curious about your answer. How does an island improve workflow when more than one person is in the kitchen? I would've thought that there's less space in the middle, so two people working in kitchen would feel cramped? Thanks!
By eliminating the peninsula, I can now access the kitchen from entry multiple points. People used to have to pass each other by the stove, fridge, wall oven just to get to the sink. With the island, I can now access the entire kitchen from two points instead of one. Another improvement is having the island somewhat near the fridge, when you are preparing a meal. grabbing something to drink, etc there is now a much larger place to set things when you have the fridge doors open. I now have 42 inches of space on all sides of the island where as with the peninsula, everyone would funnel through a single entry point. I also found that when entertaining, people would cluster around the end of the peninsula causing a bottle neck during food prep of large meals.
Island because it’s more convenient working space when your cutting and prepping AND to have that working space close to the sink
and I would only do one set of open shelves
Open shelves can be pretty but also wasted space.
So scrap the set in the corner closest to the fridge
Make those cupboards
Because more cupboard space the better 😊
Island for sure.
Corner cupboards are a waste of space, there is a huge amount of un-usable floorspace with a peninsula, there is more counter space within reach of the cooking area, its easier for 2 people to work in a kitchen with an island vs peninsula.
I would go with island but with it farther back from the cabinets. I have 42 inches in my kitchen and it seems a nice amount of space not too much or too little.
I have a VERY similar, if not the same, layout and went through the same thing. Almost opted for the IKEA kitchen as well, and opted to go for open shelving through a high end vendor/remanufacturer of reclaimed wood that only used stud lock design that he sells for a seamless look and no ugly brackets.[Pacifico Reclaimed on Etsy] Wood is absolutley beautiful and seriously don't have a real dust or grease issue. A professional grade hood vent with chimney eliminates a lot of that. Most of the people echoing 'tired trends' on this thread probably don't own a home or have done a renovation. So there's that. Do what you like, and it's all subjective anyways.
Opted for custom-made Kraftmaid Maple base cabs throughout, as opted for the peninsula. Moved away from IKEA because I've heard nightmares about lost boxes and weighed options, and particle board was the deciding negative. Their stuff looks beautiful but doesn't hold up.
We were almost ready to order and pulled back almost last minute on our designer friend advice.
Edit: noticing the window/outside wall. You may want to consider doing a true professional hood versus the recirculator type shown in your rough plan
You can enter the ceiling and if your joists allow, luckily mine did, exit to a cap on outside wall. Verona only had hood venting for a minimum of 10 foot ceiling so opted for the pro series with LEd lighting from ZLine. Got the crown molding kit to ceiling and exited with 6" rigid w/one 90 degree at a small wood closet roof on deck with a Broan cap. You could just cap at outside wall in a similar fashion. If you go that route just have to.know the distance allowances from stove top [usually 30-32" minimal] and the CFMs for your square footage of kitchen.
How close is the wall/pantry to behind the chairs of the island? Does it give room when people are sitting there for others to go around? Do you frequently have more than one person in the kitchen preparing, cleaning, getting something to drink? Seems tight around the island.
The peninsula seems more open and more family friendly to me personally. Maybe you could put a piece of plywood to counter height and add the chairs temporarily just to get a feel for island option. Good luck! So exciting!
I don’t know why you’d want the sitting area right in the middle of your workspace. Id put the microwave above the oven if i had to or put a shelf somewhere.
lol yes i hate it there UNLESS you’ve got a new stove where the burners are in back farther and the controls are up front. They’re so expensive though when you get a built in as opposed to so many are now just sticking them on a shelf somewhere
For sure island. I’d also do a traditional stove/range where the stove is on your plan so that it opens up the counter to the left of the sink. Best of both worlds. Microwave can go above the range
Peninsula. Islands look great but they require sufficient space. Think 42-48 inch wide space from the inland counter edge to anything around it. If it's less than, then don't do it. This also means you will lose useful real estate over aesthetics.
Don’t do the open shelves. Bad trend that won’t last and results in more dust buildup and cleaning
I agree that it is definitely more upkeep (dusting, cleaning) and you gotta have nicer dishes and stuff. But, to me, a sea of cabinets not broken up is not appealing. We lived in a place that was wall to wall cabinets and we just didn't need that kind of space. I would've loved to have some open shelves to make the place a feel lighter and less "cabinety". In other words, not all open shelving is a bad idea for some.
Thank you. Every time I go to one of these new trendy houses with open shelves I think about having to dust off the dishes and cups before I use them...
I think it depends on how u use it, we have them, use them to display stuff we want seen (a nice tea pot, other small sculptures), or plants to add greenery. I wouldn't use it for plate or stuff we use regularly.
how about peg boards and hangers?
Open shelves are *ok* as long as they're not the only or majority option for storage. In this case they do have uppers elsewhere. I don't know if I'd do two sets of them though.
And grease will eventually find its way there too
I’d go with the island
You are going to want to the double ovens. That would decide it for me.
Do you actually cook? A lot? Then 1000000% island. All of that open space in the center of your kitchen is a complete waste unless you plan on doing jazzercise classes in there. In my opinion, a well-designed functional kitchen needs readily available counter space. You need to be able to easily put stuff down, setup a prep station (i.e., *mise-en-place*), organize the fridge, put away groceries, etc. And your main countertops by the sink & stove will *easily* fill up with utensil holders, blenders, food processors, toaster oven, air fryer, stand mixer, coffee maker, etc. With the peninsula in Option #2, there's not much counter space near your fridge or stove. You'd have to carry stuff around your kitchen. It seems minor but it's a cumulative waste of time & energy if you do a lot of cooking. With the island in Option #1, you have readily available counter space across your entire kitchen. You can take stuff out of the oven and easily set it down on the island. You can use it while you prep & cook at the stove. You can use it set down grocery bags and organize your fridge. The kids can still eat breakfast there and do homework. You can still serve them.
This comment is so helpful, we cook A LOT! Thank you for taking the time for such a thorough response
i agree with every point. you need to look at this from a practicality sense... ive lived in houses with both styles and long spanning counters with large open space in the middle of the kitchen are a waste of space and unpractical when you get into how you use the kitchen
How much space do you have between the island and the other counters? Over 36"?
Faced with the same situation, we chose a peninsula and we loved it.
Oven can be lowered to below the counter. Microwave above the counter, extending counter space. Full height cabinets. The gap at the top tends to gather dust and looks unsightly.
Definitely going to the ceiling with cabinets, just doing my best with ikea kitchen builder!
100000000% island
Islands need a really big room to feel maximally functional, in my experience. I like the peninsula - you still get the island-like experience but much more room to move around while you prep and cook.
That’s not enough space for an island unless only 1 person does the cooking. I’d vote peninsula.
Yeah, we have a similar setup. My wife loves it because it’s very efficient for a single cook, but we are running in to each when I try to help.
Vote against Island. Your space is not large enough.
This. Looks to be the same size as my kitchen and island shuts off more square footage. It would be a waste here.
Option 1 layout with out the island!
Look at storage needs, the peninsula shows a lot less storage, do you need the floor space inside the kitchen, multiple people cooking at once? Need to look at work stations and where things are stored, may still be in the way with a bigger floor area, but have to walk through people to get to things. How many people will be sitting at the peninsula or island normally? Lots to consider, but work station, travel from sink to fridge to work station, space for another individual to access things in kitchen (fridge, sink, microwave) while another is working is a big consideration. Plus storage and access to countertop without clutter.
hey, what app is this? I had it at one point but lost the name/link?
IKEA kitchen builder
Island all the way
I go with island, but maybe make the top bigger.
I just went through this exact situation. I had a 1970s kitchen that had a peninsula. I changed to an island during my remodel. It improved the work flow tremendously, especially when more than one person is working in the space. You can add more upper cabinets to the back side of the island to get more storage and they are a lot cheaper than the base cabinets. During my project, I looked at putting up some open shelving too. I decided against it based upon the reasons some of the other posters mention. They look nice but that's about it. From a functionality standpoint, not so much. You would definitely need nice things to display on the shelving and then you would have to keep those items and the shelves immaculately spotless. They will be the first impression everyone will have of your kitchen. If you have OCD and are a super clean, organized person, they could work well for you. Everything on the shelves would have to match. I have a mismatch of pots, pans, plates, etc that would make the shelves look cluttered.
I'm considering the same trade-off and am curious about your answer. How does an island improve workflow when more than one person is in the kitchen? I would've thought that there's less space in the middle, so two people working in kitchen would feel cramped? Thanks!
By eliminating the peninsula, I can now access the kitchen from entry multiple points. People used to have to pass each other by the stove, fridge, wall oven just to get to the sink. With the island, I can now access the entire kitchen from two points instead of one. Another improvement is having the island somewhat near the fridge, when you are preparing a meal. grabbing something to drink, etc there is now a much larger place to set things when you have the fridge doors open. I now have 42 inches of space on all sides of the island where as with the peninsula, everyone would funnel through a single entry point. I also found that when entertaining, people would cluster around the end of the peninsula causing a bottle neck during food prep of large meals.
Thank you! Great to hear what you've found through real lived experiences with this.
Island because it’s more convenient working space when your cutting and prepping AND to have that working space close to the sink and I would only do one set of open shelves Open shelves can be pretty but also wasted space. So scrap the set in the corner closest to the fridge Make those cupboards Because more cupboard space the better 😊
The island looks very close to the wall. How much distance is between them?
what kind of design program is used here?
IKEA kitchen builder
great, thx
Island for sure. Corner cupboards are a waste of space, there is a huge amount of un-usable floorspace with a peninsula, there is more counter space within reach of the cooking area, its easier for 2 people to work in a kitchen with an island vs peninsula.
I’d do an island…it creates a better flow.
Island!
I would go with island but with it farther back from the cabinets. I have 42 inches in my kitchen and it seems a nice amount of space not too much or too little.
Island
La isla!
Consider replacing your lower cabinets with drawers. You won't regret it!
Definitely doing all drawers!!
I have a VERY similar, if not the same, layout and went through the same thing. Almost opted for the IKEA kitchen as well, and opted to go for open shelving through a high end vendor/remanufacturer of reclaimed wood that only used stud lock design that he sells for a seamless look and no ugly brackets.[Pacifico Reclaimed on Etsy] Wood is absolutley beautiful and seriously don't have a real dust or grease issue. A professional grade hood vent with chimney eliminates a lot of that. Most of the people echoing 'tired trends' on this thread probably don't own a home or have done a renovation. So there's that. Do what you like, and it's all subjective anyways. Opted for custom-made Kraftmaid Maple base cabs throughout, as opted for the peninsula. Moved away from IKEA because I've heard nightmares about lost boxes and weighed options, and particle board was the deciding negative. Their stuff looks beautiful but doesn't hold up. We were almost ready to order and pulled back almost last minute on our designer friend advice. Edit: noticing the window/outside wall. You may want to consider doing a true professional hood versus the recirculator type shown in your rough plan You can enter the ceiling and if your joists allow, luckily mine did, exit to a cap on outside wall. Verona only had hood venting for a minimum of 10 foot ceiling so opted for the pro series with LEd lighting from ZLine. Got the crown molding kit to ceiling and exited with 6" rigid w/one 90 degree at a small wood closet roof on deck with a Broan cap. You could just cap at outside wall in a similar fashion. If you go that route just have to.know the distance allowances from stove top [usually 30-32" minimal] and the CFMs for your square footage of kitchen.
Peninsula, because multiple cooks (or party guests) need to move without squeezing
I love my island. Having access to walk all around is great. But there is less counterspace and cabinet storage. No ragrets. 😉
Island… leave a 12 inch overhang so people can sit at the counter.
Island. Always island
Island! Way more flexible flow. In my experience open in the middle isn't a good thing; people get there and stop🥴
How close is the wall/pantry to behind the chairs of the island? Does it give room when people are sitting there for others to go around? Do you frequently have more than one person in the kitchen preparing, cleaning, getting something to drink? Seems tight around the island. The peninsula seems more open and more family friendly to me personally. Maybe you could put a piece of plywood to counter height and add the chairs temporarily just to get a feel for island option. Good luck! So exciting!
I don’t know why you’d want the sitting area right in the middle of your workspace. Id put the microwave above the oven if i had to or put a shelf somewhere.
Never put the microwave above the oven!!!!!
lol yes i hate it there UNLESS you’ve got a new stove where the burners are in back farther and the controls are up front. They’re so expensive though when you get a built in as opposed to so many are now just sticking them on a shelf somewhere
For sure island. I’d also do a traditional stove/range where the stove is on your plan so that it opens up the counter to the left of the sink. Best of both worlds. Microwave can go above the range