Is this the island to end all islands?

Sunset, Jan, 1986

What serious cook wouldn't love to design a serious workplace for cooking? That's what Gretchen Guard did when she planned this 3- by 7-foot, maple-topped island for her kitchen in Sun Valley, Idaho. Its generous work surfaces make room for several people to cook at once, and its built-in storage efficiently accommodates specific tasks.

Above the island, a steel rack holds pots, pans, and other often-used utensils. At one end of the island, a 22- by 33-inch slab of marble (for pastry-making) was recessed in a depression routed in the maple top. At the opposite end, a cantilevered section serves as a tabletop for two tuck-in stools. In the center, a 5/16- by 16-inch slot safely holds favorite cooking knives.

Under the island's top, a 33- by 60-inch pine cabinet houses a bank of carefully thought-out cupboards and drawers. Our drawings show the basic layout.

Most of the drawers and cupboards reach halfway into the cabinet. But below the marble slab, two drawers and a cupboard come to within 8 inches of the opposite side, providing deep storage for flour and sugar and tray-size pans. A shallow cupboard opposite holds spices.

Other under-counter amenities include electrical outlets at each end, cane-faced drawers for vegetables and citrus fruits, glass-faced drawers for the flour and sugar, and a pull-out trash can.

Another practical feature: an extra-deep 4-inch toe recess.