An island adds counter space, storage and seating, but only if there is room to move around it. Too big an island creates a cramped kitchen where doors and drawers collide. This calculator finds the largest island that keeps comfortable walkways.
Clearances
The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) guidelines recommend:
- at least 42 in of walkway in the work aisles of a kitchen for one cook;
- at least 48 in for two cooks;
- at least 36 in for walkways that are not work aisles.
Measure from the face of the counters, not the walls. Wider aisles also leave room for an open dishwasher or oven door.
The calculation
Measure the open floor between the counters (or walls, where there are no counters) in both directions, then subtract a walkway on each side:
island length = open length − 2 × walkway
island depth = open width − 2 × walkway
With 13 × 10 ft of open floor and 42 in walkways: 156 − 84 = 72 in long and 120 − 84 = 36 in deep.
An island smaller than about 4 ft by 2 ft adds little useful counter space; in that case, a peninsula or a movable cart often works better.
Seating
Plan 24 in of counter length per stool, 30 in for wider bar chairs or more elbow room. A 72 in island seats 3 along one side. Seating also needs a knee overhang:
- about 12 in at counter height (36 in);
- about 10 in at bar height (42 in);
- about 15 in at table height (30 in).
Leave 36 in, or more where people walk, behind seated guests. Overhangs beyond about 10 to 12 in need brackets or corbels under the top.
Other things to plan
- Sinks and cooktops in an island need plumbing, venting and outlets routed through the floor; local codes require receptacles on islands in many areas.
- Keep the work triangle between sink, range and refrigerator clear of the island’s seating.
- Pendants over the island are usually spaced about 24 to 30 in apart and hung 30 to 36 in above the counter.
Tape the outline of the island on the floor and live with it for a few days before committing.