Opinions on kitchen island countertop needed!

11 years ago

Hi everyone. I have a very specific question I'd like to get opinions about...

We are renovating a smallish kitchen in a second home. Attached (hopefully) is a top-down view of the kitchen. The kitchen island will be long (9.5 ft) and narrow (32"). The space isn't wide enough to accomodate island seating on the long end of the island, so I'm planning to have a 12" overhang on the end closest to the door so we have have a bar stool at that end.

Here's the question--the style of the kitchen is contemporary--so I'm trying to keep the lines clean. When the fabricator came out last Thursday to measure the counters, DH pipes in and says the end of the island with the overhang needs to be elliptical so that people don't hit the corners when walking around the kitchen. (We have an elliptical edge on the island in our current kitchen (10 x 5ft island--elliptical edge on long side of island, and he likes it)

So--what do you think? I'm worried the elliptical edge doesn't fit with the contemporary style (I've scoured HOUZZ looking at island pictures!).

The countertops will have eased edges.,
Thanks for your advice!.

Comments (4)

buildinva
10 years ago
I'm not a fan of elliptical, and I agree it doesn't fit the modern esthetic you are going for.

I can sympathize with you because that's exactly something my DH would want! He also needs paths through rooms to be about 6 feet wide or he complains that things are in his way (and he's as skinny as a rail, and I'm not, so I always tell him if I can walk through a space without bumping things, then he CERTAINLY can!!) I've never understood why people can't look where they are going to keep themselves from bumping into things! lol!

But I am not a design expert at all. Hopefully others who are will chime in with their thoughts and expertise.

Good luck!
GreenDesigns
10 years ago
An eased corner only, not elliptical. And use some steel for invisible supports for the overhang. Something like the Counter Balance system.
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jellytoast
10 years ago
What is an elliptical edge?
Anne Harris
Original Author
10 years ago
An elliptical edge is basically an ellipse (oval shape) that is bisected--much easier to see than explain! So the rounded end of the island, if doubled, would create an oval not a circle.

Buildinva and GreenDesigns--thanks for your comments! I know what the next comment from DH will be--well don't blame me when our future grandkids run into the corners (we have older teenagers right now --LOL). Of course, this house a 1960s modern (at the time)curved staircase with exposed metal supports. Just begging for kid to run under and bang his/her head!