Kitchen Islands

Of course, you can't put an island in a galley kitchen. There is no hard and fast rule for size, but architect Duo Dickinson recommends that an island be at least 4 feet long and a little more than 2 feet deep, with ample room to move around it. "Unless your kitchen is at least 8 feet wide and more than 12 feet long, don't even think about an island," he says.

This kitchen has room for two. Matching counter and cabinetry material helps the twosome blend in and helps negotiating around them feel manageable.