our new kitchen island

We debated for a long time about what we wanted as an island in our new kitchen. We were really close to choosing a custom island that would exactly match the cabinets in the kitchen, but we opted out due to price ($3500 without electrical to plug in the mixer or blender or whatever), and due to the fact that they were not going to be able to install it for many months because our town is having a crazy housing boom, so the cabinet guys are flat out busy. 

(before we moved in)

(currently)

(in action)

We found this island at a furniture store in St. John's, and I loved it. Clearly, it has its' cons, like zero storage, and not matching the cabinets. But, I kind of love the way it looks. I sit at that stool all the time while Jon makes supper, and I love the extra counter space. The height is actually better for me for chopping and prepping food. And I think this island was around $900, which is a lot cheaper than a custom island, and we get to take it with us when we move.

We will eventually put a floating shelf to the right of the window for an ipod dock since we are always listening to music. Or we will get a big piece of art to go there. I'd also love a colourful rug, and stools other than the nascar ones I bought at zellers when I was starting dental school. We are really slow about adding things to our house.

Note: This particular island took over 4 months from ordering to delivery, which seemed long to me. It came in three super duper heavy pieces, and assembly involved six extra long thick screws and a bunch of smaller screws. The instructions were in broken english, and were hilarious. It actually just said: 1. screws insert. 2. finished. There was this tiny graphic that was supposed to show the order that the screws had to be placed, but it was extremely difficult to decipher. After quite a bit of tightening over a few weeks, the island feels very solid. If the wood were actual butcher block grade, I would totally be loving that, but as is, I love this island.