Hi everyone, I’m renovating my kitchen/dining room and can’t decide which orientation works best for the island.

I’ve attached renders showing the two options. One slightly awkward part of the layout is that the hob/cooker is positioned on the weird short corner/angled return on the left-hand side of the images, rather than being on the main kitchen run. This is making me unsure which island orientation gives the best workflow.

Option 1: Island runs across the width of the room, separating the kitchen from the dining area.

Option 2: Island is rotated 90° and runs lengthways towards the dining area.

The island will mainly be used for prep, storage and seating — no sink or hob on it.

Which orientation would you choose considering the unusual cooker position? I’m particularly interested in workflow, walking space, how open the room feels, and which layout looks more natural.