I recently helped a client with the remodeling of her kitchen. She wanted as much flexibility in her working/serving/entertaining surfaces as possible. We discussed an island versus a peninsula and eventually came up with an island that can be moved. We wanted the island to stand out from the other cabinets, so I had the base painted a deep blue. The countertop is a beautiful stone with lots of detail. Although we considered using it on all of the counters, it would have been too busy, so the perimeter counters are an off-white stone that has very subtle veining through it
When the island is moved, these two slim side tables, which had been in front of the windows, are placed end to end in the middle of the kitchen, with their leaves extended. The time it took to make this change was about six minutes! Now the family can gather for a casual meal without spending a lot of time or effort.
Here you can see the island, swung around in front of the window. It has been unplugged from the floor-mounted outlet, and can be plugged in here, too. This way it allows for food to be kept warm in a crock pot or margharitas whipped up in a blender, without taking up counter space near the sink or stove. Careful planning and design make this kitchen very flexible indeed!