In a similar vein, you could get someone the make a bar style table that butts up to the island. Same height and width as the island.

Thanks for your suggestions. Leaning more towards changing the top idea as we don’t really have space to spare next to the kitchen as the living room is quite small.

Any thoughts on moving the cupboard doors backwards? Is this even possible? I don’t mind losing some storage space as we already have quite a lot!

it should be quite easy to change the size of the base cabinets to create knee space..usually about 30cms deep...i would expect a deeper counter would be the easiest (but a bigger piece of stone may be challenging and you might have to consider an alternative counter material) so consult a kitchen cabinet maker for specific advice and quotes and they should be able to reuse the existing sink, taps, doors and some or all of the cabinets for two options : a new smaller base cabinet or a deeper counter so ask for quotes on both options but first line up some chairs to decide if the bigger counter is comfortable in your room

Amazing - thanks so much for your advice. Really appreciate that! Yes, will grab some quotes! I think the longer counter top will take too much from the walkway so moving the doors will be a good way to go.

Hopefully your kitchen cabinet maker will be able to replace the front 600 cabinet with a 300, which woud be the simple way to give you sit up space, doors will be under benchtop, Side panels could be kept at full depth. I'am guessing that 600 deep cabinets have been used

If you can afford it an enlarged island would look great. But as above I’d be talking to a cabinet maker to reconfigure the cabinets.

It depends on where the floor ends - if the flooring is finished up at the cabinets and doesn't go underneath, if you have smaller cabinets you'll have to add flooring which could look wrong.

Is there a dining suite in the same room? I assume there is. Why do you need a island that people can sit at, when they can sit at the dining suite and still communicate. You mentioned the room wasn't that big for the extra size of the island if a new benchtop is 300mm wider. Therefore I am assuming that the dining suite is talking distance from the existing island. Just a cost saving suggestion.

I;am hoping that the flooring was laid first as beading at the end of the island and wall cabinet run suggest.

We can afford a larger bench top but apart from it taking up space, it changes the look of the bench.

We currently have a dining table and island With seating in the place we are renting. When we entertain guests, everyone always enjoys sitting around the island to chat and eat chips and dips while we prepare food - it’s so nice! I’d really love to keep that experience.

Hopefully the floor is laid underneath eek, I’ll have to check!