Show me your kitchen island

[Cecil]

I am going to build a kitchen island with retractable casters.  I am especially interested in portable islands and the island features, and less interested in island style.  Thanks.

[Dave Diaman]

Here is my island which is still under construction with the rest of the kitchen. You will have to excuse the construction mess on the countertop in the photos. I have been working on this a little at a time in between paying jobs. 

The island is 42"x 96". This side has pull out baskets but nothing else too fancy



This is one end of the island. I put a trash can pull out with a servo drive on it. If you bump the door with your knee the servo drive opens the cabinet for you if you have your hands full. The cabinet is big enough for a trash and recycle can but the recycle can is out at the moment. 



 This is the other side of the island which has two baskets also. In addition to the baskets I added a bread drawer. I just built in an acrylic slide top with a handle. I did use curly QS white oak for all the drawers which looks really cool but is a real pain to hand cut dovetails in. 





 I still need to put toe kicks on the island as well as the ogee bracket feet as seen in this photo under the sink cabinet


Here are a few more shots of main kitchen area so you can see how it blends. The kitchen continues around to a large window seat and a painted built in stepback cupboard type cabinet that will have divided light glass doors. 





As you can see the tile is only partially done and I don't have the crown on the hood yet. 

[Cecil]

Thanks David.  I had not considered hiding the garbage in the island, but it will work well for me.  I garden and therefore compost.  I can put a bin, like what you showed, at the top of the island for the compost.  I can put a hole in the counter, with a removable cover, above the bin.  I will simply need to encase that section with material which I can easily clean and disinfect.  Thanks.

[Dave Diaman]

That is what I did. That section of the island is sealed off from everything else and I used prefinished maple ply for the inside (same that I used for everything) The finish is tough as nails and easy to clean. The box is hard maple finished with a precat lacquer which seems equally tough.

[Joel H.]

Here's a much simpler island than Dave's.  My friend showed me the following picture and said he would like one just like it only without drawers, a wine rack in place of the shelves on the right, 12" overhang on the opposite end and back side, raised panel doors, painted black and a top to match his cabinets.  I asked him why he showed me that picture if he wanted all those changes - but that's a long story.



Here's what I came up with.






Here it is installed in his small kitchen:



Didn't come out too bad considering the changes requested.

Joel