@jtennr, I am some way off with a kitchen as we're still building but I decided to put my sink into my bench because it worked there for me. I can see into my lounge, even watch tv and also look outside my lounge window into my back yard. If I'm working on my island, I can look out my dining window into my front yard. My kitchen is in the centre of my open plan, so I don't actually have a window right at my bench. You need to draw up your proposed kitchen just basically on paper, make sure everything that is going to cross over into this new area has a spot or home, like an appliance cupboard for example, for the chip maker, or toaster, coffee machine if you like such a thing. Remember storage for all things great and small including the plastic stuff with lids and the bulky casserole dishes, right down to that draw every kitchen has for a screwdriver, or masking tape, a few biro's or extra notepads etc...etc... Work out what you might be looking at when you wash up for example, will it be a nice view??? I expect you will have a dishwasher so the wash up tends to be more, washing hands, or rinsing the lettuce etc... whilst preparing and where do you feel you want to be doing that as compared to the rest of your open plan??? Your prep area should be close to the sink and fridge, as most things come from the fridge and you don't want to be walking a long way with a hanfull of food. I drew up a plan and placed every single item into a location and made sure I had room for everything and almost forgot the microwave, such a big item too!!! Best advice is to search for a kitchen in the style and colours you think you want on Houzz, there are literally thousands, but you can narrow it down by selecting style, colour, shape, even floors and you might get down to a few hundred. You can save the favourites on your own profile page or even print pictures off to perhaps compare them and decide that you like this bench with that colour etc...etc... It's fantastic to see something you like and incorporate some inovative designs into your new build at the same time, so don't forget to search for the newest kitchen gadgets like a slide out knife block or a place for garbage bins or draw organizers, all these things can be viewed on Houzz. Best of luck. Cheers, Barbara

You are required a set down area of a minimum of 200mm either side of a cook top (I'd recommend more though as I don't like to feel like my pots are hanging over the edge of the bench). Your 3m width will leave enough for a small sink (400mm width?) so a quick calculation 600mm settle down + 900mm cooktop + 400mm sink = 1.9m... plenty leftover space in the 3m Good luck! Sophie

Hi Lil, I believe your original plan works much better than the revised version. While the notion of ideal working widths is great, the larger problem here is the post. I worked on a project very similar to this last year where a post could either be connect to, or separate from the island. What we found was that by separating the island the space between island and post became very awkward. It's not enough of a space to comfortably walk through or be seated at the island in front of. Instead of your room feeling open and generous in proportion, it is going to start to feel cramped and awkward. We have a kitchen in our showroom (Kitchen Studio Tauranga NZ) with a 6ft gap between bench and back wall and it works wonderfully. It allows someone to work at the sink and a second at the island with ease. Stick with the original plan. It will feel a lot more spacious, without compromising work flows.

Hi Vicki, I would like to put if my two pennies worth too, please: And go back a step..... The scullery: you have a sink and dishwasher in there? If so why not have the 1 1/2 sink and drainer in there. On the island have just a little sink for rinsing veg, filling kettle, topping up saucepan, rocks for the scotch water supply but with no drainer in the island? Then the major dirties will go straight to the scullery and island sink is for smaller usage. And I would put it not right at the end maybe but towards the dining end to allow the longest usable bench for prep. The design of the scullery does not seem quite right to me. There is a dead corner: yes I know that is one of my pet hates. But also is this going to be a pantry for store of foods and or do you envisage using it with appliances on the benches? If it is either of these do you want to dirties mixed with the food prep and store? Solution: have two benches facing each other. the one backing bedroom(?) use for sink, DW and second 'frige. Separate. The other for appliances on bench and food store above and below. I would incorporate the pantry cupboard into pantry room bringing the door along to the front of the main fridge. Then put the oven tower next in the kitchen: it is in a safer place and close by to mix master (on bench in pantry) for slipping a cake into! The high things are then altogether and the bench will slip down to the day bed being a more relaxed aesthetic. I know I hear it you want the cook top centred to look lovely! Possible you still can do that but as long as there is at least 1200 benching beside it for a USEFUl piece of bench. Yes as someone earlier said you can use an under mount sink and have grooves in stone for drainer but I wonder about the cleanliness of the hidden seal. The stone will chip on the edges of the sink, the outer edges of the island and all benching if the boyz are not careful: a school ruler or wooded spoon handy for clumsiness might be a good disincentive for rushing!! I hope this helps and doesn't thro a turkey among the souffle! Cheers, Margot