Your paradise island

KITCHEN islands are the ultimate symbol of success, according to new research by DIY retailer Wickes. ‘They’re even more important for a “dream kitchen” than instant boiling water taps and wine coolers.

- By Deborah Stone

Islands offer the chance to cook while catching up with family or socialising with guests but they must be the right size or they just don’t work.

Too large and there’s a hard-to-reach dead space in the middle and without a minimum 90cm space all around it — just under 3ft — there’ll be kitchen traffic chaos.