If you are in the process of designing your kitchen, you might like to find out the best amount of space to leave between your island and the counters. The answer depends a bit on your habits, along with how many people you have in the kitchen on a regular basis.
Enough Floor Space for Two
If you regularly have two or more people working in the kitchen at a time, you’ll want to leave enough room for working together without bumping into each other. To comfortably be able to maneuver without constantly dodging each other, a 48 inch space is recommended.
For a kitchen with only one main cook and bottle washer, less space may be required. You still want to have enough room to comfortably work. It’s useless to put in an island which gets in everyone’s way and is an annoyance. To maintain comfort, don’t go less than 36 inches between them. If you find you don’t have enough room to work with these distances, you might want to change your floorplan.
Peninsula islands, which are sometimes known as island bars, are one way to go in smaller areas. Instead of a free standing island, consider a continuation of the counter jutting out into the center area of the kitchen. Because the counter is attached on one side, you will be able to use the island peninsula without sacrificing as much space. If you’d like seating, leave an overhang of counter on the outer side, or a space under the peninsula with enough room to accommodate stools or high chairs.
It really is essential to leave enough room around islands and peninsulas. Once your kitchen is finished and operational, you’ll be very glad you did.