Most people believe you need a huge kitchen to fit an island, and if yours is under 150 square feet, you should forget about it. Not so, you can fit an island in a kitchen as small as 150 square feet with the right planning. You may think there’s no way an island could fit inside your space without turning the whole design into an obstacle course. When you’ve only got 96 to 140 square feet to work with, every decision matters, and every inch counts. And that island, it’s become not just an extra counter space, it’s about having somewhere to set down your coffee while something simmers. An island can be the difference that makes the kitchen feel like a stylish room instead of just a bland corridor. Below, I’ll share five small kitchen with island layout ideas with actual dimensions so you can be inspired with what you can do with your own remodel project.
An L-shape kitchen layout is often an excellent go-to setup because it works well combined with an island to maximize perimeter counter space and offer an effective work triangle for cooking.
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Floor Plan Details: An L-shape kitchen is one of those efficient layouts that work well in a relatively tight footprint. The L-shape hugs two walls of cabinets and countertops, so you’ve got your main run along the back (top) wall with a sink, dishwasher, and fridge at the end. The left side has the range with counter space to either side for easy food prep and cleanup. It’s a pretty classic setup that gets more interesting when you combine it with a compact 24″ x 48″ island sitting with 42″ aisles to the top and side. The island provides extra prep space and basically creates what kitchen designers call the “work triangle.” This helps make your cooking flow better, and the size of the aisles allows for open drawers and small appliance storage inside the island.
Why it works: It creates an efficient design with a small island that adds prep space without interfering with the aisles.
9×13 One-Wall Kitchen Layout with Seating Island for Two
This kitchen design features a one-wall of cabinets with a short counter return along one side, with a 30″ x 60″ island and seating for two.
Floor Plan Details: This smaller kitchen design makes the most out of its 117 square feet with a one-wall run along the back paired with a short counter return. The top side contains the fridge on the left, followed by the range, dishwasher, and sink in the return area. The 30″ x 60″ island is placed 42″ away from the top, and this arrangement is efficient for those wanting no wasted steps between their appliances. The island is setup to accommodate bar stools for a morning coffee spot or to keep you company while you cook. The island’s the star here and works hard to make the kitchen feel like an actual room instead of just a wall of appliances.
Dimensions:
Room size: 9′ x 13′ (117 square feet)
Island: 30″ deep x 60″ wide with 12″ overhang for stool seating
Fridge: 36″ wide
Range: 30″ wide
Sink: 30″ wide
Clearance: 42″ on both sides of the island
Seating: 2 bar stools at 12″ overhang
Design Tips:
Keep the 60″ length on the island, which is just enough for two comfortable seats at 24″ to 30″ per person.
With a one-wall setup, it makes sense to organize your storage so the items you use most often live in the middle section near the range.
Make sure there’s usable storage inside your island’s base since there are no upper cabinets.
Hang two pendant lights over the island’s top to define the eating space and add recessed or semi-flush fixtures overhead.
Keep the sink under the window if possible to allow one to take in the views while doing the dishes for a better feel.
Why it works: You get island seating combined with a usable work triangle inside a narrow room.
11×11 U-Shape Kitchen With Narrow Island Floor Plan
This U-shape-plus-island combo offers the most amount of cabinet and counter space and creates an efficient work triangle for those who don’t mind the tighter clearances and somewhat closed design.
Floor Plan Details: If you’ve got a perfectly square kitchen like this one, measuring 11 by 11, it’s an ideal setup for a U-shape design. U-shapes wrap cabinets around on three sides so that everything’s within easy reach. You’re surrounded by counter space, and when it’s combined with an island, you have extra prep space in the middle. For this setup, it starts with the fridge down on the lower left and is followed by a two-basin sink and dishwasher. Rounding the corner to the top side, you have countertops on either side of another sink in the middle with a window above. On the right side, there are even more countertops with a range. So you’ve basically got a continuous flow of work surface all the way around, which makes the most out of the normally constrained 121 square feet of space. As for the island, it’s narrow, measuring 24″ x 60″ with clearances of 30″ on the left and right, and 42″ in the back.
Dimensions:
Room size: 11′ x 11′ (121 square feet)
Island: 24″ deep x 60″ wide (narrow profile)
Fridge: 36″ wide
Range: 30″ wide
Sinks: Two 30″ sinks (one on left wall, one on back wall)
Dishwasher: Located above the left sink
Clearances: 30″ (left side), 42″ (back), 30″ (right side)
Back wall counter: 84″ continuous span with 24″ sections on both ends
Design Tips:
Two sinks allow you one dedicated to food prep and one as a cleanup sink. You can scratch one and benefit from savings on plumbing construction costs if desired.
If two people are cooking, the 30″ aisles could be a bottleneck. Consider making the island mobile with locking casters, so you can roll it out of the way when you need more breathing room.
The narrow island profile of 24″ deep keeps your work triangle tight and efficient. Use this island for prep work, storing cutting boards, and mixing bowls for when you need them.
With a U-shape, upper cabinets are your friend, but also potentially your enemy. Having too many uppers may make the space feel cave-like. Consider swapping some cabinetry with open shelving or glass-front doors to see through the space for a larger appearance.
Add a tall storage zone with a pantry cabinet next to the fridge.
To keep the U-shape design from feeling dark, you need adequate lighting. Add task lighting over all three work zones at the left sink, back counter, and range. Then consider a pendant or two over the island.
Why it works: The U gives you tons of counter and cabinetry in a small square, and the slim island works for food prep.
10×14 One-Wall Open Galley Kitchen With Center Island Design
This single-wall kitchen is like an open galley with a work corridor between an ultra-functional island, giving you the efficiency of a galley-style, with the openness of a one-wall row of cabinets.
Floor Plan Details: This is primarily a one-wall setup with everything lined up on the left side, with an island in the center that basically creates a galley kitchen without building another actual wall. An open galley gives you efficient workflow, since all of the appliances are close within two parallel work zones, but without feeling like you’re cooking in a closed-off hallway. The left wall starts with your standard 36″ fridge on the low end, leading to a 30″ range with counter space to either side, then the sink, and finally the dishwasher. Inside the narrow 24″ x 48″ island, there’s an under-counter trash bin, microwave oven, and pull-out drawers for your utensil storage and potentially a concealed cutting board. The dimensions give you 42″ of clearance between the island and the cooking wall, which is enough room for two people to work simultaneously.
Dimensions:
Room size: 10′ x 14′ (140 square feet)
Island: 24″ deep x 48″ wide
Sink: 30″ wide
Range: 30″ wide
Fridge: 36″ wide
Dishwasher: 24″ wide
Clearance: Approximately 42″ between the island and appliance wall
Work corridor: 72″ span (middle section of left wall)
Design Tips:
Use the pull-out feature on the island for your cutting board that slides out or utensil drawers.
If you don’t want your microwave-in-the-island mounted so low, swap it out for additional storage space for your pots and pans.
Keep the under-counter trash receptacle accessible from both sides of the kitchen and use a pull-out system that closes firmly to avoid unwanted smells.
Keep your everyday cutting boards, mixing bowls, and cooking utensils along the 72″ of continuous counter on that left side.
Do not think about using the narrow island with a depth of 24″ for seating, as this space is purely functional for prep space and one small appliance.
For your lighting, go with a pendant over the island and install overhead lights positioned so they don’t cast shadows when you’re standing at the counter.
8×12 Single Run Kitchen With Peninsula-Style Portable Island Floor Plan
This micro-kitchen shows that even with just 96 square feet, you can still use a portable island to create more effective work zones and add counter space.
Floor Plan Details: You wouldn’t normally think that this 8×12 kitchen, at just 96 square feet, is big enough to accommodate an island. With a size that’s smaller than a lot of walk-in closets, it usually would be. This single-run layout makes it work by using a portable island measuring 24″ x 54″ that can be pushed up against one wall when not needed in the middle. The kitchen’s design begins with a compact 30″ fridge on the left, next to a 24″ sink, and then the range with counter space on either side. The island is shown as a peninsula and is described as being portable, meaning it’s on casters or lightweight enough to push around if you need to. The peninsula style means it’s positioned against the right wall, and can be moved for use as an island for prep work when needed.
Dimensions:
Room size: 8′ x 12′ at 96 square feet
Peninsula island: 24″ deep x 54″ wide (portable/movable )
Sink: 24″ wide
Range: Standard size (appears to be 30″)
Fridge: 30″ wide (compact size)
Back wall counter: 12′ wide (last 24″ not as usable due to the fridge.
Left wall span: 8′ with 24″ mostly unusable to the side of the fridge.
Design Tips:
Buy a portable island that can be moved and function as a peninsula when needed.
Think vertical with your storage by installing floor-to-ceiling cabinets wherever possible.
Use the area next to the fridge as a spot for a pantry cabinet.
Use the walls above the back counter for as much storage as you can.
Keep the island simple and functional with open shelving underneath, and possibly a couple of drawers. You want something that’s light, mobile, and useful as an extra counter surface.
Color and lighting are important in a smaller space like this. Maximize your natural light if possible and avoid darker colors.
Install more reflective surfaces for the backsplash to help brighten the room.
Why it works: This small kitchen benefits from a portable island that can be moved out of the way when not being used for prep work to save walking space.
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