Thank you we are looking forward to it :-) I have already done a whole floor plan for the renovations and additions and I have done elevations for the kitchen, which have already had a few changes due to seeing something on Houzz and thinking hmmmm that would work better etc. I will also run the drawings past an architect just to make sure there isn't a better way of doing things. Also we will live in the house as is for quite some time before starting the renovations which will give us a feel for how things should be. Very much appreciate all the advice. Regards Lynda

My son used to help me cook in the kitchen - he is 190 cm, I am 175cm. I have an old-fashioned breakfast bar which is raised above the level of the kitchen benchtop. My son would stand at the raised section, I would stand at the lower section, it worked really well. An alternative might be to have a pull out step in the kick board spaces for your wife to stand on - I don't know if it would be high enough, but it might make things more comfortable. Speaking from the point of view of a tall woman, I will have my next kitchen cupboards and laundry raised at least 10 cm to make my life more comfortable - bending forward for any length of time is seriously UN comfortable!

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.

Thanks Yvonne, It's a great product this one was selected by Mr Plywood Newcastle with a beautiful grain. We had a narrow white laminate board set back under it to give the shadow line, most certainly do it again cheers