Dreaming of the Islands...

I could be dreaming of a little trip to Figi or Maui with this windy cold weather hitting again, but I have the bigger picture in mind and am focusing on the new house. Some of my new house spending money will go for a kitchen island. I opted not to buy the one that came with my unit because it costs more than any of these below and is much smaller with zero decor appeal.

I have searched the internet but the ones that are doing it for me (and are in my price range) are actually located very close to home. Here are the nominees:

1. This one's from Country Additions, a furniture store 15 minutes down the road where the guy makes all his own stuff. It's large and leggy, well made and reasonably priced under $500. I love the color but would probably give it a coat of poly to shine it up a bit and protect the wood. Only con to this one - lack of storage, which is already lacking in my future kitchen:

2. Also from Country Additions, #2 has a similar appeal to #1 but also has a large storage cabinet underneath. Priced a bit over $500. Cons? Looks a little lopsided to me. Why the big open space on the left side? There should be a drawer on the end, at least.


3. This one is from Peaceful Valley Furniture, with 3 convenient locations nearby. This one seems to have the most of what I want, it's got more drawers and also storage below, plus the symmetry of it appeals to me. It's a bit more money at around $600. Cons? The legs look a little skinny and I'm having a hard time picturing it in black. Overall, this is probably the leader for now. I think you can also get it with an optional granite top. That would be a bit pricey though.

4. This one, also from Peaceful Valley, is the wild card. It's cheap, just under $350, and has pretty good storage. No pretty legs though, and no drawers. I really need drawers. Do I need them worth $250? I don't know.

I guess ideally, I'd want drawers like #3 and closed in cabinets all the way around underneath. Also, it would be nice to have tilt-out trash and recycling bins. Maybe I'll talk to the guy at Country Additions about a custom piece. Any opinions?