Reader request – kitchen islands with no sink/stove

Posted on Fri, 24 Jun 2011 by KiM

Here is a reader request from Monika: I’m about a year away from a major kitchen/family room remodel and our architect is recommending we have a large island that would stand alone without a sink or stove. The sink and stove will be on the wall opposite the island. I love the idea of a large open space with no sink/stove paraphernalia to clutter it up, but I haven’t seen an example of this in real life and would like to see a few examples before I give the go ahead… my mother in particular is skeptical siting the importance of the “work triangle” while I feel a large clutter free expanse creating a sense of calm & cleanliness trumps the triangle. If you find examples of large islands with no sink/stove, I would love to see them. I am absolutely with you Monika. Plus, with the main sink in the island, you’ll always have a pile of dishes there. Who wants to see that so clearly?


Style At Home

Freunde von Freunden

Antoine Bootz

Gunkelmans Interior Design

Nathan Egan

Hus & Hem

Lonny

Sköna hem

Robert Bailey

Sunset

Sunset

Bolig Magasinet

Hus & Hem

Susan Gilmore

Lone Pine Pictures

Summer Thornton

Parsonson Architects

Marjorie Skouras

Nadine says:

I have a sink in my bench but it very rarely has dishes in it as I have a dishwasher…. besides, if you are inclined to have dishes left in your sink; you'd see them on the other side……. but a n y w a y….. I love almost all of these kitchens. I believe that you have to go for something that suits you and your family. We have a huge kitchen bench and it is definitely a big plus. I understand what you're saying about seeing a lot of kitchens with the hotplates or sink in them as I've noticed that also. Every display home that we looked at 5 years ago had it, I see it in most friends houses and in a lot of kitchen showrooms. Thank goodness for the internet! Have fun. 🙂

Lisa says:

Our home has a large island without a stove or sink and we love it. And this is coming from a household of crazy cooks that often feeds 50+ people from this kitchen 🙂

Julia says:

We have a large island without any cooktop or sink – yes it does break up the work triangle a little in such a large kitchen but I love it. I use it as a large serving space esp with casual entertainig where it doubles as a buffet. Usually there's fruit etc on the top but I love that when I'm in a completely clutter free mood I can clear everything and enjoy the space and serenity it brings to the room. Besides I wanted my sink along the wall where I can look out at the garden and enjoy the bi-fold windows that run along that wall flung wide open.

Sarah says:

A large island w/o electrical or water is much cheaper to install and can be changed whenever you want if the island is not a permenent built-in. I agree with the rest of the comments here about efficiency and luxury of work area!

shlomit ferber says:

Nice Kitchens but hey can no one find a substitute for the eternal white?

Alison says:

Can anyone source the backsplah in the first photo (Style at Home)?

Jordan says:

In my kitchen, we have a large island that doesn't include a sink or stove top, but it does have the microwave built into it. It conceals it perfectly! The work triangle is slightly off, but it forms a U shape, so it's still functional.

Lisa says:

For pete's sake, bar height stools pulled up to a counter leaving only a few inches of clearance between the seat and the bottom of the counter surface? This drives me crazy! (Otherwise I'm totally on board with the island free of clutter)

Hal says:

The concept of an "island free of clutter" will only work if everyone sharing the space is 100% on board such that anything deposited there is cleaned off daily. Otherwise it will either become a focal point for arguments, or the "designer" will seethe in capitulation. The natural tendency of many people would be to make such an island what my kitchen remodeler calls, "The Drop Zone," the place where groceries, mail, school bookbags, purses, etc. are deposited by people entering the house and tend to accumulate. I agree that not putting a sink or cooktop on an island helps keep it clutter-free. But those two steps alone would not solve this issue for all families. Know yourself/selves! (With some families, it might help to design in an official but convenient Drop Zone elsewhere.)

oregonbird says:

I love the bolig – it's got icecream written all over it! Also, having the space underneath open makes it less a monolith in the kitchen, an eye-stopper, and more a part of the kitchen.

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