twilcox Sadly, no I don't have room for a single island, much less a double......but now I have double the envy.

embracegrace We put two islands in our new house. I love it! The first middle one is a prep island and the other is a clean up island. You can read more about the kitchen here: http://dejongdreamhouse.blogspot.com/2012/04/introducingour-dream-kitchen.html

bubblyjock rotflmao - two islands, when all the current surveys say that less and less people can - and will - cook meals!

They look nice.....in a bar.

Kuche+Cucina These two kitchens - one modern and one traditional, both have two islands - one for cooking (opposite the range top) and one for entertainment (wine captain and sink included) -

Kuche+Cucina Why have two islands, when you can have... three?

Jane S We have two islands in our recently expanded kitchen. One is a basic rectangle, and one is an L-shape with a raised bar on one side. My husband is an avid cook and so we designed the kitchen around his love of cooking and my own love of baking. We love the double-island design as it allows us to both move around the kitchen without getting in each other's way!

astraea That one photo with the 2 islands that had different bases & different counter materials, looked more like a kitchen showroom, than a home! I lived in Upper Saddle River for 23 years, so when I see photos by Kuche+Cuchina (kitchen design studio) of 3-island kitchens in Saddle River, I wonder how many readers have massive $3 million+ homes, with kitchens large enough .. or need them?!

stevepr We love our two islands! Sorry I don't have a better picture - this one was obviously taken while the home was still under construction. The larger island essentially replaces where the table would have been placed in the breakfast area but it provides a better gathering place, some storage, and a place to conceal our mini beverage fridge.

Valerie Buller We are getting ready to build a new home and will be putting 2 six foot square islands in our kitchen. I cannot wait!! My existing kitchen has very little counter space including an island that has our primary sink in it (big design mistake!). I also have a pet peeve about space around islands so we're fortunate to be able to accommodate extra space around them. If you have the space I say go for it!

Fine Art & Portraits by Laurel Essentially these are two heavy tables which you can't move. I like flexibility. My only dining table is counter height, and I move it and expand it as need dictates.

kellystevens Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing.

Valerie Buller I'll let you know after it's finished...

alohakathy In our last house, I told my husband I wanted to put in two islands, he thought I was nuts. Seeing these photos, I know I was right! It would have made an "eat-in kitchen" much more functional!

Toronto Designers Such luxury to have space for two islands!!

cer2012 I am building a home. My kitchen will small, 12x18. We will cook with a wood stove, have a built-in oven and range top, so space is tight.
I have come up with this idea to increase counter space.
I plan an eat-at counter. I will take 2 base cabinets and remove the ''kick plate'' all the way around. Then using 3/4'' plywood, i will put a solid base under it. Next I will attach locking casters. Then I will put on the counter top.
The height will be slightly lower than a regular cabinet.
I will build the eat-at counter tall enough for the roller cabinets to go underneath. The living room side of the counter will be plywood as will be the side.
When not needed, the roller islands will be stored under the counter.
The bonuses are: still can store items, they can be rolled to where needed, and if necessary they can be used as additional seating outside the kitchen.
Using cabinets with drawers is also possible.

Jan Marek I find that no matter the occasion, everyone seems to gravitate to the kitchen. In our country home we placed two large islands in the kitchen...even with a large group of people, it works out fine...some of them are even willing to be put to work!

frenchdecor Two islands for me make sense if there not enough space along the walls, as on the second from bottom picture, best example. I think many kitchens are way too big for family use. I believe, more storage you have more junk you can accumulate. I am curious what people keep in those huge kitchens; how many people in everyday basis they feed; why eating at the island seating on bar stools is preferable than at the table on regular chairs? I have to get up for something all the time, kids can't seat themselves or comfortable on high chairs as well. It's very specific design suitable more for tall adults, but presented as universal.

astraea Now that I think about it, it's kind of funny that first everyone wanted an "open kitchen" .. and now they've got to put multiple islands in, both to replace the cabinet space lost when the walls came out, and to also provide something of a barrier between the working kitchen space, and the family room area attached!

Jane S frenchdecor - our decision to go bigger and have two islands was based on the fact that our former kitchen was SO SMALL that we had to keep our small appliances and gear in the garage (blender, food processor, larger tupperware containers, etc.). We also had a pantry for food that was ridiculously small. With the new kitchen, we built a large pantry specifically so that NO FOOD would be stored in the main kitchen cabinets, and went for as much storage as we could to enable us to clear out the garage of all our kitchen stuff (thus the two islands).

We are a family of four, but use our entire kitchen. Yes, we sometimes eat at the new bar area, but we also have sit down meals at our table in our new eat-in space that is also part of the kitchen (see picture). I don't think it's an either/or situation. I'll bet a lot of families use both. My kids (ages 8 and 9) love the bar and have said it makes them feel like they are in a diner when they get to eat there.

Affirming Kitchen Clarity This large kitchenspace required two islands and thanks to Tara Dudley design we made an amazing kitchen

Mydoma I'm not the biggest fan of double islands however I see the benefit for the cooking enthusiast. When it comes space planning a kitchen with two islands I much prefer to see them switch orientation/ size/ colour or function. I don't really like seeing 2 islands that are exactly the same because I find it makes the space lack interest.

frenchdecor JaneS All above was my opinion and of course it’s generalized, but there always exceptions. I am not spoiled by kitchen size, so I am very well organized. Efficient kitchen is not big and includes triangle work space, 3 step rule, between facing cabinets’ minimum 3’better 4’ distance. Good to have eat-in kitchen family size table and chairs. The rest is excessive stuff you can have them, but it doesn’t help much. In my small kitchen 12’x8’ (useful space) I do even less extra movements. Stove (range) then sink and at 90 degree prep area 36” (L-shaped). From prep area I do 1 step/turn to the sink, 2 steps to the stove and 3 steps from any of it to the fridge and other necessities (some food and gadgets) across the room. Saving time on travelling I can easily cook 2 meals at the same time, as I see over my shoulder what’s going on the stove, and don’t get over tired. It works perfect for one person. I cook fresh food almost every day or for the next day and bake once a week for family, and cook for couple of days for our dog. We are athletic family and healthy eaters, no junk, canned, processed food, beverages or bottle water. It’s not ideal kitchen, I would like to have eat-in kitchen table and a broom, mop cabinet. I do grocery shopping every week and could have tiny pantry, but I am perfectly okay with couple of shelves. All my kitchen needs I could fit in 12x12’ space properly designed, not like mine 11x12’ and 2 doors, and 2 openings. If I knew who is the architect I would design for him special car with gas and brake pedals on passenger side, for convenience.
In your kitchen 8 bar chairs and 6 at the eat-in-kitchen table are more than 4 people need every day; sure you use them, kids big enough and find it’s cool, but don’t really need. I can see there also dining room for guests you have. Before you had gadgets in garage, now you have “no food in main kitchen cabinets”, which means you didn't reduce traveling (even if pantry closer). But I am glad you have kitchen you like and works for you, it’s lovely, really. I like yellow and white combination.

donnaciano They all look like kitchen showrooms. Everything looks like a showroom lately.

Jane S frenchdecor: Thanks for your comments!

Yes, we have a dining room, and we never use it. Until this remodel it had no furniture and was being used strictly as a playroom for our kids, but we inherited my parents' dining room set, and so we turned it back into a dining room. When my husband and I were initially planning on building a house, we had no intention of having a dining room at all. But this house, which we've been in for six years, came with one. And since we opted to remodel rather than build a new house, we're stuck with it. =)

As for usage, we frequently have five sitting at our table since my grandmother lives 5 minutes away and comes over for meals at least twice a week. We don't make her sit at the bar though - her 99-year-old hips can't get up onto the bar stools. When designing this kitchen, we planned for the future - my hope is that our house becomes "the" house for the kids and their friends to hang out as they continue to grow older. I'd rather have the kids hang out in my house so I know what they are doing rather than have them go elsewhere and NOT know. *lol* The big kitchen next to the TV room will be a big draw for hungry after-school snackers who want to watch movies or play videogames after sports practice. We keep our kitchen pantry well-stocked for that very reason since we frequently host playdates even now.

Speaking of the pantry - our pantry *is* in the kitchen - in the picture it's the white door near the fridge. Maybe my initial comment made it seem like it wasn't in the kitchen. However, it is. What I meant was that by keeping all food in the pantry as opposed to the kitchen cabinets, we have been able to bring all our things in from the garage so that EVERYTHING is in the kitchen - including the food in the pantry. Sorry if I was unclear on that.

Our old kitchen was cramped - if someone was getting a drink from the fridge just as the timer on the wall oven announced that it was done baking, you couldn't have both actions take place at the same time. Someone had to wait. Likewise, if you wanted to go from the fridge to the sink and someone was at the stove, you had to take a more circuitous route through the kitchen rather than the obvious straight path. It just didn't work for us. With the new kitchen, if someone is cooking and someone wants a drink, they are in two completely different zones. If someone is washing dishes and another person wants something from the pantry - they aren't in each other's way.

We love our new kitchen - it's exactly what our family needs for both today and what we envision for the future. Is it too big? Maybe for some people - but not for us. Thanks again for your comment!

Isabelle Beaulieu récupération de caisses anciennes de boissons gazeuses dans notre îlot....

lacevedo Question - which iland do you place accent lights over? The one closet to the work area or the one closest to the family room?

astef In the photo with the granite and marble island counters, where can those pendant lights be purchased?