Funny all the hate for sink in the island. I have a double bowl sink in the typical spot under a kitchen window. I also have a large single bowl sink in my large island. I didn’t want a island bar type of sink because I found them useless. My island sink faces out towards the large windows in my kitchen nook. I have a great view from my island sink and I have come to hate using a traditional sink where I’m facing a window with my back to everyone in the kitchen. When we built the house I think we thought we would use the double bowl counter sink as our primary wash space but over the years we all prefer to use the island sink.
We built our home just over 20 years ago and this thread has me thinking what I would do differently. I wouldn’t change much. My only major change is I would have put in larger width wood planks in the floor. Our floors are solid wood but they are a narrow plank with a bevel.
Things I love- two dishwashers, large laundry room, large windows and multiple large sliding doors so I feel like I’m always outside. Outdoor shower for when the kids were young. Outside gas line for gas grill. I eliminated the for,al dining room from the original plans and I don’t regret it. Solar tube in an interior bath.
What helped me tremendously was we did a tear down. We had lived 8 years in the old house so we knew our lot. Knew the views and the pattern of the sun.
Our doodle we give a shower in the guest shower.
Love the hot water spout on the kitchen sink for hot chocolate, cooking, or tea. Great in cold weather.
We recently added a mini split AC Mitsubishi unit to our master suite to supplement the AC. It is above the master closet and not noticible. I know that it is extremely quite as I have to look at the light to see if it is on. Our recent stay in a green hotel in Zermatt, Switzerland had them but their brand was not as quiet. H first had the idea when we were in Japan and they used them a lot. I thought he was over the top but it is a very nice addition for sleeping.
We have a main sink on the perimeter counters and a prep sink in the island. I use the prep sink every time I cook, so for my usage pattern it’s really valuable. The prep area faces out towards the main rooms, so we can (and do) regularly chat and socialize while I’m prepping.
Someone mentioned a built in safe. I have one between the studs in my bedroom closet. I keep jewelry, important documents and cash in it. We added it later but I love the convenience. I would definitely think about including one or two safes in the design of a new home.
I currently have stove top on island and never again. If I got dream kitchen with would either have just flat island but not real or no island at all. Can live with sink in island if had to as long as not really open to rest of house since I can’t keep area around sink that neat.
Must have would be at least 2 bedrooms on main floor. I am OVER stairs. Must have screened in porch.
@scmom12, what are your particular objections to the stove top on island?
Grease everywhere. Downdraft is not strong enough no matter what they say. Doesn’t pull at all on really deep pots. I guess if you don’t mind a vent hood coming down from middle of ceiling but we can’t do that now. SIL has a fancy Thermador with telescoping vent and doesn’t like that either. At least m
Our island was originally supposed to have a bar sink. It was back-ordered and was to be installed at the end of the project, but after having a flat island for a few months, we cancelled the sink. SO glad we did—very nice to have the flat surface. We use it for buffets, marathon cookie making, breakfast. I can’t imagine having a cooktop on it—isn’t it rather dangerous with little kids around?
Makes sense. I don’t have my stove on the island either; it’s simply for meal prep/baking/serving of food. I don’t plan to put a stove on my island in the next house, either, but I figured I’d ask.
I have had a cooktop in the island for 20 years and love it! Maybe we just don’t make so much deep fried food, but I have not had grease issues. I love to be able to face the action in the family room when I am cooking… Having a wall-facing stove means cooking with your back to the kitchen, and I hate that.
One thing that I love about my island (4’ x 5’) is without a range or sink on it, it makes a great area to lay material on it to cut. I mess around with quilting and use my island all the time as an extra table at just the right height.
One other thing I like about our current home is that we put a shower basin in our garage with hot and cold frost free faucets. It is lovely to bathe the dog or wash icky things in.
@onward, now THAT is a good reason to renovate my kitchen! A widercutting space to cut/quilt layers is even more useful to me than a longer one!
My mother had a cooktop on the island, but she was so tidy it never got greasy. I think there’s a lot to be said for a second sink where you can face company. I think the mistake many (including me!) make, is to install a bar size sink. You want one that’s big enough that you don’t splash all overr the counter. I have a Boos table instead of a built in island and love it.
If building a house, I would have lots and lots of dimmer switches!
I did request them in all living/dining areas but wish I would have added more (I know they’re easy to put it, I just haven’t done it!).
I put a motion-activated light in the laundry room which I love. It comes on as soon as I enter and turns off about 30 seconds after I leave. It’s great for when my hands are full of laundry.
One mistake we made in our house was the location of the light switch when we enter from the garage. It wasn’t right by the door, so we had to take a couple of steps in the dark to turn on the light. It got replaced with another motion-activated light.
I have a two-level island with the cooktop (4 gas burners and a grill) on the low part, and seating at the high part. I really like it. The downdraft vent works pretty well and I like not being surrounded by cabinets. We don’t deep-fry so it doesn’t get too greasy.
In the new house, it’s all LED lighting. Those things are so frickin’ bright the electrician put dimmers on most of them.
@chercher - dimmable switches are the easiest retro one can do. 
Just go to HD, buy some, and install. Nowadays, all sorts of cool ones are available! I like the one we put in our MB. If you turn out the light by flipping that switch, it turns out gradually. I can safely reach the bed and get under the blanket without risking of breaking a leg in the dark.
Thank you, @BunsenBurner . I need to find those that gradually turn off - wonderful idea!
This is what we used:
https://www.amazon.com/Lutron-Incandescent-Wallplate-Single-Pole-MAW-600H-WH/dp/B000BPCWQE
@BunsenBurner I appreciate the link! I was just on Home Depot’s website doing a search but hadn’t quite found the right one yet
Just make sure your LEDs are dimmable.
Of course, you can also get a switch controlled by an app… so you can turn the lights out from your phone - while you are in bed.