In some senses, this is easy. Just go ahead and place something there. Cardboard boxes, a small table, an ikea cabinet with a wood top piece, spouse's black and decker work table - anything will do. Commit to leaving it there for at least a week and see how you feel about it.

It will either be in your way - or - just fine.

My island is 30" and 52" - it is small but soo functional and useful! I couldn't imagine getting by day to day without it! I use it to prep every meal on! I don't keep anything but a basket of fruit on it though when not being used for prepping.

Mine is just 24" wide (26 if you count the counter overhang) x 48", again counting the overhang. I wouldn't NOT have this island. This is my prep space - rake leavings right into the trash pullout. And where I roll out dough. There is 30 inches between the DW and island and 32 between range handle and island and it all works. There is a wider aisle at the end opposite the dishwasher and between the frig and dishwasher.

bmorepanic's idea is a great one.

I have a friend with an island on heavy caster wheels that lock. Generally it stays put but when they need more space in the kitchen they do move it. They remodeled 10 years ago and put their existing island on wheels so it looks just like the rest of the kitchen cabinets. I'd guess it's 30" by 50" with cabinets below, a granite top, and a small overhang on two sides so it seats three. I've always thought it a clever solution.

I was just talking to my dh about this the other day, I wish we had an island that we could sit at, but I really like the open area that we have too. We have a 24(+)x48(+) island. Funny thing, the old island had book cases on each end of it and it was probably 5 feet long, but people think this one is bigger! Go figure. We had thought about not doing one at all, but it seemed like too much space in the middle without one, so we did it, and I'm very happy, even if we can't sit at it. Here's a picture, kind of far away (I took it to show the floor after installation)

{{gwi:1561896}}

my small island is 16x32 and works just fine. The top is butcher block and it is used that way. It's like one big cutting board. It sits right in the middle of the 'Work triangle" but with the small size and location of the other appliances it is not in the way.

It is also movable, but heavy enought not to move on it's own. It's a "temporary" solution. I took a cabinet and screwed two butcher block cutting boards on top and stuck it in the middle of the kitchen to see if it would work. Now that I know I like it and it's very functional it is part of the final design of the kitchen.

I think my space on both sides is about three feet, and it does not feel cramped at all. Now I just have to find a different place for the microwave because after rigging a temprary shelf I have discovered I hate having it in that location. Glad I'm doing this myself, no charges for change orders - just grumping from husband.

Cathy

Can someone advise me on how to post a photo in the body of the conversation? I just cant figure it out. It is so much better to show the photo right here.
Anyway, my island is 24" wide but keep in mind that it will be 26 when you put the countertop on it. I have exaactly 36 3/4 inches to my sink counter/cabinets but more on the pathway side. You need to try to have the most room on where the majority of people walk through. I find I have no trouble at ALL on the working side with the 36 3/4th.Seems to me that the HD person said it should always be more than 32 inches for walking through. My island is 60" with the overhand radius. I am able to put 2 stools under it comfortably. My daughter helps me all the time.
I do think that when you have one that is this shallow, it may look a bit odd to go tootoo IMHO long.
Because we dont have a good eating table in here right now, we use this for everything., even crowding 4 around for dinner. I love to use this as a buffet and put all my serving pieces and foods on it to have family and friends serve themselves from this.
Bottom line. 24-26 is just fine for anything.

Here is a link that might be useful: view of island

oopsie913--here you go:

Posting a picture from your photo hosting account (e.g., PhotoBucket)

First, where are your pictures? If on your computer only, you'll need to upload them somewhere on the web for the rest of us to see them. I upload pictures to PhotoBucket.

Open an account w/PhotoBucket or other photo hosting site.

Take a picture using a digital camera (or film camera but get them on disk when they're developed)

Resize your pics so they're approx 400x300 (resize keeping the same proportions so they don't get distorted...i.e., don't specify a specific size, use %-ages or similar)

Upload your pictures to your photo account

Find the label that contains the link to the picture

(In PhotoBucket, it's the box labeled "HTML Code")
Copy that link and paste it into the "Message" box of a post.

When you "Preview" your message, you'll see the picture.

Posting a picture from somewhere other than your Photo hosting account

Copy the following into the "Message" box where you want the picture to be:

{{gwi:1467847}}

Next, replace the http://www.XXX/image.jpg with the address of the image.

When you "preview" the message, you should see the picture

From the "Read Me" thread:

Posting a picture from your photo hosting account (e.g., PhotoBucket)

First, where are your pictures? If on your computer only, you'll need to upload them somewhere on the web for the rest of us to see them. I upload pictures to PhotoBucket.

1. Open an account w/PhotoBucket or other photo hosting site.

2. Take a picture using a digital camera (or film camera but get them on disk when they're developed)

3. Resize your pics so they're approx 400x300 (resize keeping the same proportions so they don't get distorted...i.e., don't specify a specific size, use %-ages or similar)

4. Upload your pictures to your photo account

5. Find the label that contains the link to the picture
   (In PhotoBucket, it's the box labeled "HTML Code")

6. Copy that link and paste it into the "Message" box of a post.

7. When you "Preview" your message, you'll see the picture.

PhotoBucket Link Views:

Posting a picture from somewhere other than your Photo hosting account

1. Copy the following into the "Message" box where you want the picture to be:
   {{gwi:1467847}}

Next, replace the http://www.XXX/image.jpg with the address of the image.
When you "preview" the message, you should see the picture

bmorepanic makes an excellent suggestion about putting in an island for a trial run.

Have you thought about a freestanding Ikea island? There are several versions, all a little over 24" wide.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ikea varde island

Sometimes hosting sites may block others from seeing a photo when you use the address rather than the HTML code. Not always, but sometimes. I think Flickr advises you to always use the HTML code to prevent problems.

I've been meaning to show everyone my spice cabinet at the end of our narrow island. It's a 24" wide by 7" deep cabinet at the end of the island across from our stove. We're still waiting on one more shelf to arrive so that we can better arrange our spices. But I really am enjoying having it at this location.

We just finished our kitchen remodel and put in a 24' wide island. The island works perfectly fine.

However!!!! We have 40' of space between the cabinets and the island and it is tight, tight tight. When you have people over and everyone is in the kitchen, 40' is cutting it close. We were debating spending tons of $$ and intruding into our dining room to open it up to more like 44'. I would not, would not recommend a 3 ft gap.

I think I better option (and usually cheaper) is to buy a butcher block from C&B or elsewhere. They are on wheels, you can move it, they are small and I think will make you much happier in the long run.

Here is a link that might be useful: Crate and Barrel Island

cals, mine will be narrower than I want (34 to 35"), but it will be 8 ft long. However, consider that even at 24", you could put cabinets all along that space, thus increasing storage no matter the depth.

That is my plan, the increased storage. I have NNOOOOOOOOO workspace at all in my current kitchen, and not enough cabinet space. When I increase my cabinet space, I'm automatically going to be increasing my counter space. I can't wait! Go with what you think is narrow, but know you ARE getting more space to work on. I am only having 3 ft between island and wall cabs also.

cals, how long are the two sides (arms) of the U? How far out of the kitchen would you have to put the island to have clearance on the corners if you turned it to run parallel with the stove side? It seems that if you have a long island running parallel to the fridge and sink, people will gather on one side or another or both and be in the way, as artmoderne is describing. OTOH, if there is a way to run it parallel to the top (bottom?) of the U, people will not be coming into the kitchen to stand between island and stove. They will congregate on the other side. But if the arms of the U are too long, that would put the island way out of the kitchen and not worth turning it. In that case, I would personally prefer to have the extra storage and counter space even if the island had to run the way you're describing. I don't think 24" is too little. Our current one is 4' wide, way too big. We're replacing it with a 30" wide but for a while we had a 24" wide drawn in and it never bothered me thinking about it (can't speak from IRL experience yet).

3' is fine unless you have a kitchen like artmoderne describes (sounds like it's closed on all sides where people tend to gather?). I would give it a little more for the oven side though, since you can.

Celeste,

Your kitchen sounds beautiful, you must be thrilled with the changes, I'll look forward to photos.

We have a 24" island that I love. Our kitchen is basically a galley and off the top of my head, we have about 3' on one side of the island and I think 45" on the other. Although I know it would make many of the layout gurus here on GW cringe, it really works for us. The more narrow side discourages my kids running through, which is nice, but they can easily pull a stool up to the other side of the island and help, which they do often. I'm not sure how this scenario would work in a U-shaped kitchen, our kitchen ends in an eating area, so the tight spaces don't seem so important.

I think the ideas above of putting something temporary in there is fantastic, and if you like that, doing a movable island is another really great idea.

Here are some older photos of our kitchen. I've been meaning to post, we are at about 85% and stalled. But you'll get the idea from these, good luck!

what are thoughts of a 26 wide island by 12'