Ask any architect which space clients care about most and the answer is the same: the kitchen island. It is where the children do homework, where guests gather during a party, where the day ends with a glass of wine and a conversation.
A good island needs three things: enough overhang for knees, lighting that works for both chopping and lingering, and at least one drawer for the things that always pile up there anyway.
If you have no room for an island, a narrow table at counter height can do much of the same job. What matters is a surface where people can stand, sit, cook and talk at the same time.
